Steve Bozek
| Steve Bozek | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
November 26, 1960 Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Los Angeles Kings Calgary Flames St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks San Jose Sharks |
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| National team |
 Canada
|
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| NHL Draft | 52nd overall, 1980 Los Angeles Kings |
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| Playing career | 1981–1993 | ||
Steven Michael Bozek (born November 26, 1960 in Kelowna, British Columbia and raised in Castlegar, British Columbia) is a retired professional ice hockey left wing who spent 11 seasons in the NHL with four clubs. Noted for his hard shot, he was a reliable two-way forward and strong penalty killer.
Bozek was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the 3rd round, 52nd overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft while playing for Northern Michigan University. Bozek was named a CCHA First-Team All-Star twice in his three years at Northern Michigan, leading the CCHA in scoring during the 1980–1981 season. In 1981, he was named a First-Team All-American - the first hockey All-American ever for Northern Michigan - after dominating college hockey with 90 points in just 44 games, and was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Bozek turned pro after his junior year, breaking straight into the Kings lineup for the 1981–82 season. As a rookie, he received an opportunity to spend a large portion of the season on the famed Triple Crown Line with Marcel Dionne and Dave Taylor due to an injury to Charlie Simmer, and he set a Kings rookie record (since broken) with 33 goals. In the playoffs, he secured a place in Kings lore by scoring the tying goal with 5 seconds left in the famed Miracle on Manchester game against the Edmonton Oilers, which was the greatest playoff comeback in NHL history as Los Angeles rallied from a 5–0 deficit to win 6–5 in overtime.
1982–83 would be a difficult year for Bozek, as he struggled with injuries and the sophomore jinx, finishing with 13 goals and 26 points in 53 games. At the conclusion of the season, he was dealt to the Calgary Flames. Always a primarily offensive player to that point in his career, in Calgary he began to develop the defensive side of his game and became a strong checker and penalty killer. However, his five seasons in Calgary would be blighted by nagging knee problems, and he was only able to play more than 70 games in a season once. His best year as a Flame was 1985–86, as he scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points in 64 games, including a club-leading 4 shorthanded goals. He added 8 points in 14 games in the playoffs as Calgary reached the Stanley Cup finals.
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