Wayne Chernecki

Wayne Chernecki
Born (1949-08-12)August 12, 1949
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died February 11, 2013(2013-02-11) (aged 63)
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Springfield Kings
Providence Reds
NHL draft 45th overall, 1969
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career 1971–1975

Wayne Chernecki (August 12, 1949—February 11, 2013) was a Canadian ice hockey player who played professionally from 1971 to 1975.

Career

Chernecki played junior hockey with the Winnipeg Jets of the Western Canada Hockey League. In his final season with the Jets, he was one of the league's most prolific scorers, amassing 123 points in only 65 games.[1]

The Detroit Red Wings selected Chernecki in the 4th round (#45) of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft; however he choose to remain with the Jets and pursue a business degree. After graduating from university in 1971, Chernecki turned pro and went on to play 263 regular season games in the American Hockey League with the Springfield Kings and Providence Reds. A serious knee injury forced him to retire in 1975.[1]

Post career

After retiring as a player, Chernecki coached in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, leading the St. James Canadians to consecutive league titles. At the same time, he built a successful career as a businessman, becoming an executive in David Thomson's business empire and serving on the board of directors for True North Sports & Entertainment.[2]

Personal

Chernecki died of esophageal cancer on February 11, 2013, at the age of 63. Chernecki was posthumously inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.[3]

Career statistics

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1967–68 Winnipeg Jets WCHL 3 2 2 4 2 — — — — —
1968–69 Winnipeg Jets WCHL 53 35 30 65 25 — — — — —
1969–70 Winnipeg Jets WCHL 30 14 10 24 12 — — — — —
1970–71 Winnipeg Jets WCHL 65 50 73 123 56 — — — — —
1971–72 Springfield Kings AHL 67 24 36 60 19 5 1 1 2 5
1972–73 Springfield Kings AHL 57 22 24 46 19 — — — — —
1973–74 Springfield Kings AHL 60 21 39 60 30 — — — — —
1973–74 Providence Reds AHL 11 3 2 5 0 13 1 3 4 6
1974–75 Providence Reds AHL 68 8 16 24 26 2 0 0 0 9
1977–78 Elmwood Millionaires CSHL — 1 0 1 — — — — — —
AHL totals 263 78 117 195 94 20 2 4 6 20

References

  1. ^ a b "Lives Lived: Wayne Chernecki, 63".
  2. ^ "CHERNECKI WAYNE - Obituaries - Winnipeg Free Press Passages".
  3. ^ "MJHL". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-04.


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