Pete Backor

Peter Joseph Backor (April 29, 1919 – June 30, 1988) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 36 games in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1944–45 season The rest of his career, which lasted from 1939 to 1956, was spent in the minor leagues. he won the Stanley Cup with Toronto in 1945.

Career Pete Backor was born in 1919 in Fort William, Ontario to Slovak parents who emigrated from Orava in northern Slovakia to Canada. Although he played just a single season in the NHL, Backor made it count as he helped the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in 1945. After that season he spent the next 11 years playing in the minor leagues for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL with whom he won the Calder Cup in 1952, the Hollywood Wolves of the PCHL and the Sault Ste. Marie Indians of the NOHA. Backor retired from hockey in 1956.

He was one of the first players of Slovak descent in the NHL.

Personal life He was brother-in-law to another NHL player of Slovak descent Rudy Migay who played for Toronto Maple Leafs.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1938–39 Fort William Forts TBSHL 23 9 6 15 6 — — — — — 1939–40 St. Catharines Saints OHA Sr 29 27 17 44 28 8 2 2 4 6 1940–41 St. Catharines Saints OHA Sr 31 14 9 23 20 12 2 7 9 12 1941–42 St. Catharines Saints OHA Sr 27 7 7 14 26 11 2 4 6 11 1942–43 St. Catharines Saints OHA Sr 21 8 12 20 26 3 2 1 3 9 1943–44 St. Catharines Saints OHA Sr 28 11 12 23 27 5 0 1 1 4 1943–44 Montreal Royals QSHL — — — — — 1 1 0 1 — 1943–44 Port Arthur Shipbuilders TBSHL — — — — — 9 1 1 2 4 1944–45 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 36 4 5 9 6 — — — — — 1945–46 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 61 5 26 31 65 6 1 1 2 4 1946–47 Hollywood Wolves PCHL 16 5 5 10 24 — — — — — 1946–47 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 48 9 10 19 30 12 2 1 3 6 1947–48 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 68 14 39 53 63 2 0 0 0 0 1948–49 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 68 10 42 52 64 — — — — — 1949–50 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 63 8 29 37 34 — — — — — 1950–51 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 71 7 33 40 80 13 0 4 4 8 1951–52 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 57 3 18 21 49 11 0 0 0 10 1952–53 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 53 1 10 11 36 3 0 1 1 16 1953–54 Pittsburgh Hornets AHL 45 3 11 14 21 5 0 0 0 4 1954–55 Sault Ste. Marie Indians NOHA 34 6 8 14 24 6 3 0 3 6 1955–56 Sault Ste. Marie Indians NOHA 2 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 AHL totals 534 60 218 278 442 52 3 7 10 48 NHL totals 36 4 5 9 6 — — — — —

Achievements AHL First All-Star Team (1946, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951) Stanley Cup Champions 1945 (with Toronto)