Dennis Polonich
| Dennis Polonich | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 4, 1953 Foam Lake, SK, CAN |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) | ||
| Weight | 166 lb (75 kg; 11 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre/right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Detroit Red Wings | ||
| NHL Draft | 118th overall, 1973 Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 1973–1987 | ||
Dennis Daniel "Polo" Polonich (born December 4, 1953) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who spent his entire NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings. He was known as a troublemaker who would do anything (especially fighting) to disrupt the opposition. He was selected in the eighth round, 118th overall, by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft.
Polonich began noticing early on that he was not one of the big kids around the league. Standing only five feet, six inches, and while playing for the Flin Flon Bombers of the WCHL, Polonich decided he needed a way to get the attention of the pro scouts. He felt the easiest way to do this was by aggravating every single player on the other team while scoring some goals in between. Polonich started picking fights with players all over the league during the 1972–73 season and was known to never stop trash-talking. He racked up 222 penalty minutes to go along with 83 points that season but also accomplished what he first set out to do, impress the scouts. Polonich was drafted 118th by the Detroit Red Wings in 1973. However, the Wings wanted to see if Polonich could be as effective in a higher league. They decided to ship him to Britain to play a season with the London Lions. He impressed and was brought back for the 1974–75 season.
In the 1974–75 season, the AHL had its first look at Polonich when he joined the Virginia Wings. He helped them reach the playoffs with 34 points while leading the team in penalty minutes and went on to be the top scorer in their short playoff appearance. Towards the end of the season, Polonich got the chance to play in his first NHL game. He joined the Red Wings for four games that season, ending with no goals, no assists, and no penalty minutes, but with a renewed sense of what he was playing for. After a quick stint with the Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL, Polonich became a full-time Red Wing in the 1975–76 NHL season. The Red Wings were retooling, adding toughness and grit to their roster after a few disappointing seasons and Polonich fit the bill. Although small, Polonich brought an instant force to the team and started wreaking havoc in the highest league in hockey. Polonich set a club record on March 24, 1976 by sitting out eight penalties – five minors, a major and a misconduct.
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