Paul Shmyr
Encyclopedia
Paul Shmyr was a World Hockey Association
and National Hockey League
defenceman.
to the upstart Cleveland Crusaders
. He played four seasons for Cleveland, garnering the league's top defenceman trophy in 1976. He subsequently played for the WHA's San Diego Mariners
— enjoying his best offensive campaign — and played two years for the Edmonton Oilers
, captaining the club to a regular season league championship in the WHA's final season.
After the WHA folded, the Minnesota North Stars
, which owned his rights, reclaimed him, and as a noted leader, was named to captain the North Stars in 1979. While the Stars' captain, he led them to a semifinals appearance in 1980 and to the 1981 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the New York Islanders
. He then signed with the Hartford Whalers
as a free agent in 1981, and retired after one season.
Shmyr was named to the WHA's First All-Star Team in 1973, 1974 and 1976, and to its Second All-Star Team in 1979. He finished third in the WHA's career leaders for games played, twentieth in assists, and fourth in penalty minutes. He represented Canada at the 1974 Summit Series
and was one of only two WHAers (the other being Bobby Hull
) to be invited to try out for Team Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup
, though he failed to make the team.
Shmyr died of throat cancer
in 2004; he was only 58.
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...
and 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...
defenceman.
Playing career
Shmyr was one of the top defensive stars in the short history of the WHA, noted for his hard-nosed play, having jumped from the losing NHL California Golden SealsCalifornia Golden Seals
The California Golden Seals were a team in the National Hockey League from 1967–76. Initially named California Seals, the team was renamed Oakland Seals part-way through the 1967–68 season, and then to California Golden Seals in 1970. The Seals were one of six teams added to the league as part of...
to the upstart Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
. He played four seasons for Cleveland, garnering the league's top defenceman trophy in 1976. He subsequently played for the WHA's San Diego Mariners
San Diego Mariners
The San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena...
— enjoying his best offensive campaign — and played two years for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, captaining the club to a regular season league championship in the WHA's final season.
After the WHA folded, the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
, which owned his rights, reclaimed him, and as a noted leader, was named to captain the North Stars in 1979. While the Stars' captain, he led them to a semifinals appearance in 1980 and to the 1981 Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. He then signed with the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The 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...
as a free agent in 1981, and retired after one season.
Shmyr was named to the WHA's First All-Star Team in 1973, 1974 and 1976, and to its Second All-Star Team in 1979. He finished third in the WHA's career leaders for games played, twentieth in assists, and fourth in penalty minutes. He represented Canada at the 1974 Summit Series
1974 Summit Series
The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional ice hockey players. Canada was represented by World Hockey Association players instead of National Hockey League players, as it had been in the 1972 Summit Series. The Soviet team won the series 4-1-3...
and was one of only two WHAers (the other being Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
) to be invited to try out for Team Canada at the 1976 Canada Cup
1976 Canada Cup
The 1976 Canada Cup was an international ice hockey tournament held September 2–15, 1976, in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg and Quebec, Canada as well as in Philadelphia, United States. It was the first of five Canada Cup tournaments held between 1976 and 1991...
, though he failed to make the team.
Shmyr died of throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
in 2004; he was only 58.
Career statistics
--- Regular season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1966-67 Fort Wayne Komets IHL 70 3 19 22 91 11 3 3 6 19
1966-67 Vancouver Canucks WHL 1 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1967-68 Dallas Black Hawks CPHL 70 5 15 20 73 5 0 0 0 0
1968-69 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 69 7 39 46 118 11 4 12 16 17
1968-69 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 3 1 0 1 8
1968-69 Portland Buckaroos WHL -- -- -- -- -- 1 0 1 1 0
1969-70 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 48 3 21 24 88 -- -- -- -- --
1969-70 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 24 0 4 4 26 7 0 0 0 8
1970-71 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 57 1 12 13 41 9 0 0 0 17
1971-72 California Golden Seals NHL 69 6 21 27 156 -- -- -- -- --
1972-73 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 73 5 43 48 169 8 1 3 4 19
1973-74 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 78 13 31 44 165 5 0 4 4 31
1974-75 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 49 7 14 21 103 5 2 1 3 15
1975-76 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 70 6 44 50 101 -- -- -- -- --
1976-77 San Diego Mariners WHA 81 13 37 50 103 7 0 2 2 8
1977-78 Edmonton Oilers WHA 80 9 40 49 100 5 1 3 4 11
1978-79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 80 8 39 47 119 13 1 5 6 23
1979-80 Minnesota North Stars NHL 63 3 15 18 84 14 2 1 3 23
1980-81 Minnesota North Stars NHL 61 1 9 10 79 3 0 0 0 4
1981-82 Hartford Whalers NHL 66 1 11 12 134 -- -- -- -- --
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WHA totals 511 61 248 309 860 43 5 18 23 107
NHL totals 343 13 72 85 528 33 2 1 3 52