Orest Kindrachuk Explained

Position:Centre
Played For:Philadelphia Flyers
Pittsburgh Penguins
Washington Capitals
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:10
Weight Lb:175
Birth Date:September 14, 1950
Birth Place:Nanton, Alberta, Canada
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:1971
Career End:1982

Orest Michael Kindrachuk (born September 14, 1950) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey centre who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals.

Early life

Born in Nanton, Alberta, Canada, his parents were Ukrainian immigrants and his first language was Ukrainian.[1] Kindrachuk played his junior hockey for the Saskatoon Blades.

Career

Kindrachuk was not drafted and instead joined the San Diego Gulls after signing as a free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in July 1971. He made his NHL debut in the 1972–73 season, and joined the Flyers full-time in the 1973–74 season.

Kindrachuk became an important part of the Flyers team as he helped them to win Stanley Cups as a rookie in 1974 as well as 1975. "Little O" Kindrachuk spent much of his time in Philadelphia centering Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Don "Big Bird" Saleski on the team's third line. He played for the Flyers for six seasons.

Kindrachuk was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the 1978–79 NHL season, where he played for three seasons as the team's captain. He signed with the Washington Capitals in 1981, but played only four games before he was forced to retire due to injuries.

After hockey, Kindrachuk went into the insurance and packaging industry in the Philadelphia area.[2] In August 2012, he became a U.S. citizen.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1967–68Saskatoon BladesWCJHL58 24 37 61 447 1 3 4 20
1968–69Saskatoon BladesWCHL41 21 25 46 334 1 1 2 0
1969–70Saskatoon BladesWCHL4 3 4 7 55 2 4 6 25
1970–71Saskatoon BladesWCHL61 49 100 149 1035 2 4 6 25
1971–72San Diego GullsWHL61 18 36 54 774 1 1 2 0
1972–73Richmond RobinsAHL72 35 51 86 1333 0 1 1 10
1972–73Philadelphia FlyersNHL2 0 0 0 0
1973–74Philadelphia FlyersNHL71 11 30 41 8517 5 4 9 17
1974–75Philadelphia FlyersNHL60 10 21 31 7214 0 2 2 12
1975–76Philadelphia FlyersNHL76 26 49 75 10116 4 7 11 4
1976–77Philadelphia FlyersNHL78 15 36 51 7910 2 1 3 0
1977–78Philadelphia FlyersNHL73 17 45 62 12812 5 5 10 13
1978–79Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL79 18 42 60 847 4 1 5 7
1979–80Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL52 17 29 46 63
1980–81Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL13 3 9 12 34
1981–82Washington CapitalsNHL4 1 0 1 2
NHL totals508 118 261 379 64876 20 20 40 53

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Flyers interviews. 28 September 2005 . 11 April 2010.
  2. Web site: Hockey Forum. 29 May 2005 . 15 September 2012.
  3. Web site: Philly Sports Central. 15 September 2012.