Lou Jankowski

Lou Jankowski
Lou Jankowski as an Oshawa General.
Born	(1931-06-27)June 27, 1931 Regina, SK, CAN
Died	March 21, 2010(2010-03-21) (aged 78) Clearwater, FL, USA
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position	Center/Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Chicago Black Hawks Detroit Red Wings
Playing career	1950–1969

Louis Casimer Jankowski (June 27, 1931 – March 21, 2010) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward and scout who played 130 games in the NHL and had a prolific career in the WHL. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and died in Clearwater, Florida.

Louis Casimer Jankowski was born on June 27, 1931, at Regina, Saskatchewan as the fourth of six sons to a strong Catholic mother, Anna Jankowski. Anna and her husband with three sons had immigrated to Canada in 1927 from Świdnik, Poland. The family moved to Hamilton, Ontario after older brothers Ben and Tony had jumped aboard a cargo train to end up in Sudbury, Ontario where they landed work at a smelter. Later, they heard about a place called Hamilton which was booming. They made their way to Hamilton and eventually landed with the Canadian Navy.

Ben and Tony wrote a letter to their mother to tell her how great everything was in Hamilton. Mother Anna in return stated "Be ready, I am coming with your three younger brothers..." Ben and Tony replied "Don't come here yet, we don't have a place for you to stay!" yet shortly thereafter, mother Anna appeared in Hamilton with her three young sons and the family had to be hidden amongst the military barracks living in the staff house until Anna could afford to rent a room. She found a floor of a triplex to rent and raised six boys as a single mother who used to make dinner for her boys during her lunch break of a twelve-hour shift at a munitions factory, yet loved doing it. The boys ate extra helpings of potatoes to gain enough weight for their respective pursuits. Lou, also a gifted baseball player, was offered a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, but realized there were 13 Jankowskis in their system and thought little of his chances. His grandson, Mark Jankowski, was drafted in the first round, 21st overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Lou's first wife Helen Kelly was the sister of Hall of Famer Red Kelly.