Chris Oddleifson | |||
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Born |
Brandon, MB, CAN |
September 7, 1950 ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | ||
Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
Position | Centre | ||
Shot | Right | ||
Played for |
AHL Providence Reds Boston Braves Dallas Black Hawks NHL Boston Bruins Vancouver Canucks |
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NHL Draft | 10th overall, 1970 California Golden Seals |
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Playing career | 1972–1981 |
Christopher Roy Oddleifson (born September 7, 1950 in Brandon, Manitoba) is a retired professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1981. He is best known for his time with the Vancouver Canucks, where he was one of the team's top players for much of the 1970s and served as team captain in 1976–77.
Oddleifson was selected 10th overall in the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft by the California Golden Seals following a dominant final junior season with the Winnipeg Jets of the WCHL, during which he finished with 95 points (including a league-leading 64 assists) and 243 penalty minutes.
At the end of the 1969-70 season the Seals had traded their pick in the first round of the 1971 draft to the Montreal Canadiens, along with Francois Lacombe in return for Montreal's first round pick in 1970, Ernie Hicke and cash. As a result of the Seals' dreadful 1970-71 season, the Canadiens had the top pick in the 1971 draft, and used it to select future Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, while the Seals drafted Oddleifson with Montreal's number ten selection in 1970.
Oddleifson was assigned to the minors and would never play an NHL game for the Seals, and was dealt to the Boston Bruins mid-way through the 1971–72 season.
In 1972–73, Oddleifson finally made his NHL debut, appearing in 6 games for Boston without recording a point. He managed to crack the Bruins full-time in 1974–75 and acquitted himself well, highlighted by a four-goal game against the Golden Seals, the team that had given up on him two years earlier. Late in the season, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks in a deal for sniper Bobby Schmautz, and he finished out his rookie season with decent totals of 13 goals and 29 points in 70 games between Boston and Vancouver.