Stan Smrke

Stanko Smrke (September 2, 1928 — April 14, 1977) was a Yugoslavian-born Canadian ice hockey forward. He played 9 games in the National Hockey League with the Montreal Canadiens during the 1956–57 and 1957–58 seasons. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1947 to 1967, was spent in the minor leagues.

Career Smrke started his National Hockey League career with the Montreal Canadiens in 1956. He was the first Yugoslavian-born player ever to play in the NHL. Smrke played his entire NHL career (9 games) with the Habs. Over his career, he scored a total of three assists before being dropped by the team. His final season in the NHL was the 1957–58 season.

After leaving the NHL, he was sent to the minor leagues and became a member of the Rochester Americans. He is currently ranked fifth all-time in the Rochester Americans Hall of Fame.

Personal life He was born as Stanko Smrke in Golobinjek, in what was then the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes to a Slovene father and a Serb mother but grew up in Sudbury, Ontario. His son, John Smrke, was also a hockey player and played 103 games in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues and Quebec Nordiques.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1945–46 Copper Cliff Jr. Redmen NOJHA 3 4 0 4 0 — — — — — 1946–47 Toronto Young Rangers OHA 5 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1947–48 Atlantic City/Baltimore EAHL 28 9 16 25 14 — — — — — 1947-1948 Baltimore Clippers NHL 12 8 14 22 — — — — — — 1948–49 Port-Alfred Elans LSLHL 36 27 18 45 — — — — — — 1949–50 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 58 24 26 50 64 5 5 0 5 5 1950–51 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 54 16 36 52 48 6 0 2 2 2 1951–52 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 40 10 13 23 25 18 5 6 11 15 1952–53 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 59 35 46 81 28 20 5 8 13 13 1953–54 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 62 11 32 43 24 7 0 2 2 0 1954–55 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 60 25 36 61 34 7 2 2 4 2 1955–56 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 45 26 32 58 20 5 1 3 4 7 1956–57 Montreal Canadiens NHL 4 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1956–57 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 33 20 18 38 22 — — — — — 1957–58 Montreal Canadiens NHL 5 0 3 3 0 — — — — — 1957–58 Rochester Americans AHL 63 20 19 39 32 — — — — — 1958–59 Chicoutimi Sagueneens QSHL 57 36 32 68 40 — — — — — 1959–60 Rochester Americans AHL 67 40 36 76 18 11 7 6 13 2 1960–61 Rochester Americans AHL 21 10 12 22 6 — — — — — 1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 40 7 19 26 14 2 0 0 0 0 1962–63 Rochester Americans AHL 71 22 25 47 16 2 1 0 1 0 1963–64 Rochester Americans AHL 59 23 19 42 26 2 0 0 0 0 1964–65 Rochester Americans AHL 71 33 49 92 28 10 5 4 9 4 1965–66 Rochester Americans AHL 50 11 20 31 8 8 0 1 1 0 1966–67 Rochester Americans AHL 71 31 30 61 24 13 2 7 9 2 AHL totals 513 197 239 436 172 48 15 18 33 8 QSHL totals 468 203 271 474 305 68 18 23 41 44 NHL totals 9 0 3 3 0 — — — — —