John McKenzie (hockey player)
Encyclopedia
John Albert "Pie, Bronco" McKenzie (born December 12, 1937) is a Canadian
former professional hockey
player. He played in the National Hockey League
(NHL) for several seasons, most notably with the Boston Bruins
where he was a member of two Stanley Cup
championship teams. He also played several seasons in the World Hockey Association
(WHA), where he was a player-coach. After his playing career ended in 1979, he continued as a hockey coach.
of the OHA
and led the league in goals and points in 1958 — McKenzie made his NHL
debut during the 1959 season with the Chicago Black Hawks
.
The following season he moved on to the Detroit Red Wings
, where he lasted two years. He was then demoted back to the minors, playing for most of three seasons in the American Hockey League
with the Hershey Bears
and the Buffalo Bisons
, and was named to the league's First All-Star Team in 1963. He returned to the NHL again during the 1964 season, once again with the Black Hawks, and two years later played for the New York Rangers
for part of the 1966 season, halfway during which he was traded to the Rangers' arch-rivals, the Boston Bruins
.
He was an immediate impact player in Boston, and it was with the Bruins that the 5-foot-9-inch, 170 pound (77 kg) right wing had the most productive seasons of his career. He became a star in the 1968 season, scoring twenty-eight goals and gaining a reputation as a pesky, relentless hustler. He would score twenty-nine goals each of the next two seasons, and would win the accolade as Second Team All-Star in the 1970 season, when in the Stanley Cup playoffs he would score seventeen points in fourteen games, fourth on the team after Bobby Orr
, Phil Esposito
and John Bucyk and a feat he would repeat in 1972. His best season statistically was the following year, when he scored thirty-one goals and 77 points in 65 games. All in all, McKenzie scored 169 goals in his seven years in Boston and helped the Bruins win two Stanley Cup
titles, in 1970 and again in 1972.
A notorious incident took place immediately after the Bruins defeated the Rangers in six games in the Stanley Cup finals in the latter year (winning the clinching game on the Rangers' home ice at Madison Square Garden
), McKenzie skated to center ice, raised one arm in a Statue of Liberty
pose, placing his other hand around his neck, making a "choke
" gesture (alluding to the fact that the result of the series had left the Rangers still looking for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1940), then jumping up and down in a circle several times. This became known as the "McKenzie Choke Dance," or simply the "choke dance."
Following the Bruins second Stanley Cup championship in 1972, McKenzie was disgruntled at being left unprotected in the expansion draft, and though the Bruins did not lose him, he signed as player-coach with the Philadelphia Blazers
of the newly formed World Hockey Association
(WHA). He continued to play effectively for the Blazers, the Minnesota Fighting Saints
, the Cincinnati Stingers
and finally the New England Whalers, and finished his career in the league's final season in 1979, having played in twenty-one major professional seasons.
in Boston. He is currently the liaison for hockey development at the University of Massachusetts Lowell
.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
former professional hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) for several seasons, most notably with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
where he was a member of two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
championship teams. He also played several seasons in the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA), where he was a player-coach. After his playing career ended in 1979, he continued as a hockey coach.
Playing career
McKenzie's teammates dubbed him "Pieface" for his resemblance to a cartoon figure of the same name featured on the wrapper of a popular Canadian candy bar, but within a few years the nickname evolved to "Pie." After three years in the junior leagues — for which he starred with the St. Catharines TeepeesSt. Catharines Teepees
The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
of the OHA
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
and led the league in goals and points in 1958 — McKenzie made his NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
debut during the 1959 season with the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
.
The following season he moved on to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, where he lasted two years. He was then demoted back to the minors, playing for most of three seasons in the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
with the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
and the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
, and was named to the league's First All-Star Team in 1963. He returned to the NHL again during the 1964 season, once again with the Black Hawks, and two years later played for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
for part of the 1966 season, halfway during which he was traded to the Rangers' arch-rivals, the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
.
He was an immediate impact player in Boston, and it was with the Bruins that the 5-foot-9-inch, 170 pound (77 kg) right wing had the most productive seasons of his career. He became a star in the 1968 season, scoring twenty-eight goals and gaining a reputation as a pesky, relentless hustler. He would score twenty-nine goals each of the next two seasons, and would win the accolade as Second Team All-Star in the 1970 season, when in the Stanley Cup playoffs he would score seventeen points in fourteen games, fourth on the team after Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
, Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
and John Bucyk and a feat he would repeat in 1972. His best season statistically was the following year, when he scored thirty-one goals and 77 points in 65 games. All in all, McKenzie scored 169 goals in his seven years in Boston and helped the Bruins win two Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
titles, in 1970 and again in 1972.
A notorious incident took place immediately after the Bruins defeated the Rangers in six games in the Stanley Cup finals in the latter year (winning the clinching game on the Rangers' home ice at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
), McKenzie skated to center ice, raised one arm in a Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
pose, placing his other hand around his neck, making a "choke
Choke (sports)
In sports, a "choke" is the failure of an athlete or an athletic team to win a game or tournament when the player or team had been strongly favored to win or had squandered a large lead in the late stages of the event...
" gesture (alluding to the fact that the result of the series had left the Rangers still looking for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1940), then jumping up and down in a circle several times. This became known as the "McKenzie Choke Dance," or simply the "choke dance."
Following the Bruins second Stanley Cup championship in 1972, McKenzie was disgruntled at being left unprotected in the expansion draft, and though the Bruins did not lose him, he signed as player-coach with the Philadelphia Blazers
Philadelphia Blazers
The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
of the newly formed World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
(WHA). He continued to play effectively for the Blazers, the Minnesota Fighting Saints
Minnesota Fighting Saints
The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and...
, the Cincinnati Stingers
Cincinnati Stingers
The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in...
and finally the New England Whalers, and finished his career in the league's final season in 1979, having played in twenty-one major professional seasons.
Retirement
In 2007, McKenzie was named as the coach of the Berklee Ice Cats, the newly formed hockey team at Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston. He is currently the liaison for hockey development at the University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
.
Career achievements and facts
- Played in 691 NHL games, totalling 206 goals, 268 assists and 917 penalty minutes.
- Played in 477 WHA games (7th all-time), totalling 163 goals, 250 assists and 413 points (16th all-time).
- Played in the NHL All-Star Game in 1970 and 1972.
- Played in the Summit Series for Team Canada in 1974 against the Soviet Union.
- His #19 was retired by the Hartford WhalersHartford WhalersThe Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
, making him — unusually — one of only three players whose number was retired by an NHL franchise for which he never actually played (the other two being J.C. TremblayJ.C. TremblayJean-Claude Tremblay was an ice hockey defenceman for the NHL Montreal Canadiens and the WHA Quebec Nordiques, notable for playmaking and defensive skills....
by the Quebec NordiquesQuebec NordiquesThe Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
and Frank FinniganFrank FinniganFrancis Arthur Clarence "The Shawville Express" Finnigan was a Canadian ice hockey professional forward who played in the National Hockey League from 1923 to 1937. During this time, he played for the Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and St...
by the modern-day Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
). It was widely believed at the time, since McKenzie's contributions to the WHA Whalers were modest, that the honor was a public relations sop to the Boston Bruins' fan base for which Whalers management was competing.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1955–56 | Calgary Stampeders Calgary Stampeders The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium... |
WHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1956–57 | St. Catharines Teepees St. Catharines Teepees The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
52 | 32 | 38 | 70 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 52 | 48 | 51 | 99 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Calgary Stampeders | WHL | 13 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
32 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1959–60 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 59 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 50 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1960–61 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 16 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 1960–61 AHL season The 1960–61 AHL season was the 25th season of the American Hockey League. Seven teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The All-Star Game was not played, and put on hold until resurrected in the 1994–95 AHL season... |
Hershey Bears Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
47 | 19 | 23 | 42 | 84 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 10 | ||
| 1961–62 1961–62 AHL season The 1961–62 AHL season was the 26th season of the American Hockey League. The league initiates the James C. Hendy Memorial Award for outstanding team or league executives. The league resumes East and West Divisions. The John D. Chick Trophy is first awarded for the West Division champions of the... |
Hershey Bears | AHL | 58 | 30 | 29 | 59 | 149 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 | ||
| 1962–63 1962–63 AHL season The 1962–63 AHL season was the 27th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Buffalo Bisons finished first overall in the regular season, and won their fourth Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons (AHL) The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed... |
AHL | 71 | 35 | 46 | 81 | 122 | 13 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 28 | ||
| 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 45 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 50 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1964–65 | St. Louis Braves St. Louis Braves The St. Louis Braves were a minor league hockey club located in St. Louis, Missouri. The team originated as the Syracuse Braves in the Eastern Professional Hockey League's final season of 1962–63. The team was moved to St. Louis mid-season, and continued in the new Central Hockey League after the... |
CHL | 5 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 51 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 46 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1965–66 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 35 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 36 | 13 | 9 | 22 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 69 | 17 | 19 | 36 | 98 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 74 | 28 | 38 | 66 | 107 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | ||
| 1968–69 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 60 | 29 | 27 | 56 | 99 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 17 | ||
| 1969–70 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 72 | 29 | 41 | 70 | 114 | 14 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 35 | ||
| 1970–71 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 65 | 31 | 46 | 77 | 120 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 22 | ||
| 1971–72 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 77 | 22 | 47 | 69 | 126 | 15 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 37 | ||
| 1972–73 | Philadelphia Blazers Philadelphia Blazers The Philadelphia Blazers were an ice hockey franchise in the World Hockey Association for the 1972–73 WHA season that was based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.... |
WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
60 | 28 | 50 | 78 | 157 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | ||
| 1973–74 | Vancouver Blazers | WHA | 45 | 14 | 38 | 52 | 71 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Vancouver Blazers | WHA | 74 | 23 | 37 | 60 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Minnesota Fighting Saints Minnesota Fighting Saints The Minnesota Fighting Saints was the name of two professional ice hockey teams based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that played in the World Hockey Association. The first team was one of the WHA's original twelve franchises, playing from 1972–76. The second team was relocated from Cleveland, Ohio, and... |
WHA | 57 | 21 | 26 | 47 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Cincinnati Stingers Cincinnati Stingers The Cincinnati Stingers was an ice hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that played in the World Hockey Association from 1975 to 1979. Its home arena was Riverfront Coliseum and it was the only major-league hockey team ever to play in Cincinnati.-History:The Stingers franchise was awarded in... |
WHA | 12 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Minnesota Fighting Saints | WHA | 40 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | New England Whalers | WHA | 34 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 25 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1977–78 | New England Whalers | WHA | 79 | 27 | 29 | 56 | 61 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 16 | ||
| 1978–79 | New England Whalers | WHA | 76 | 19 | 28 | 47 | 115 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 10 | ||
| NHL totals | 691 | 206 | 268 | 474 | 917 | 69 | 15 | 32 | 47 | 133 | ||||