Peter Bakovic
Encyclopedia
Peter George "Pete" Bakovic (born January 31, 1965 in Thunder Bay
, Ontario
) is a retired former professional ice hockey
left wing
who played briefly in the National Hockey League
in the late 1980s for the Vancouver Canucks
.
Bakovic played his junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires
of the Ontario Hockey League
but was never drafted. After a strong final year of junior, he was signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames
in 1985. A tough player who fought often, Bakovic spent three seasons playing minor pro in the Flames' system without seeing an NHL game. In two years with the Moncton Golden Flames
of the AHL, he led the team in penalty minutes both years, but also posted respectable offensive totals, notching 54 and 51 points. In his only year with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
, Bakovic posted 43 points in 39 games along with 221 PIM.
Late in the 1987–88 season, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks
. Vancouver immediately promoted him to their NHL team, and he played 10 games for the Canucks, recording 2 goals and 48 PIM. However, injuries struck the next year and he found himself back in the IHL with the Milwaukee Admirals
. Bakovic would play three more seasons in Milwaukee without seeing another NHL game before retiring in 1991.
Following his retirement, Bakovic stayed in Milwaukee and remained with the Admirals organization as an assistant coach until 1998. He continues to reside in Milwaukee and coaches high school hockey.
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
) is a retired former professional ice 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...
left wing
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played briefly 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...
in the late 1980s for the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
.
Bakovic played his junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires
Windsor Spitfires
The Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
but was never drafted. After a strong final year of junior, he was signed as a free agent by the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
in 1985. A tough player who fought often, Bakovic spent three seasons playing minor pro in the Flames' system without seeing an NHL game. In two years with the Moncton Golden Flames
Moncton Golden Flames
The Moncton Golden Flames were a professional ice hockey team based in Moncton, New Brunswick, playing home games at the Moncton Coliseum. The team operated in the American Hockey League between 1984 and 1987, as a minor league affiliate of the Calgary Flames and the Boston Bruins...
of the AHL, he led the team in penalty minutes both years, but also posted respectable offensive totals, notching 54 and 51 points. In his only year with the Salt Lake Golden Eagles
Salt Lake Golden Eagles
The Salt Lake Golden Eagles were a minor professional hockey team based in Salt Lake City, Utah from 1969 to 1994.They played in the Western Hockey League from 1969 to 1974, the Central Hockey League from 1974 to 1984 and the International Hockey League from 1984 to 1994...
, Bakovic posted 43 points in 39 games along with 221 PIM.
Late in the 1987–88 season, he was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
. Vancouver immediately promoted him to their NHL team, and he played 10 games for the Canucks, recording 2 goals and 48 PIM. However, injuries struck the next year and he found himself back in the IHL with the Milwaukee Admirals
Milwaukee Admirals
The Milwaukee Admirals are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA at the Bradley Center.-History:...
. Bakovic would play three more seasons in Milwaukee without seeing another NHL game before retiring in 1991.
Following his retirement, Bakovic stayed in Milwaukee and remained with the Admirals organization as an assistant coach until 1998. He continues to reside in Milwaukee and coaches high school hockey.