Wayne Maki
Encyclopedia
Wayne Maki was a professional ice hockey
player and an early star of the Vancouver Canucks
club in the NHL
.
Maki was born in Sault Ste. Marie
, Ontario
. He broke into professional hockey in 1964 with the St. Louis
Braves of the CPHL
, and joined the Chicago Black Hawks
at left wing for the 1967–1968 season, playing the year with his older brother Chico Maki
.
He was claimed by the St. Louis Blues
in 1969. In a preseason game on September 21, 1969, Maki and Boston Bruins
defenceman "Terrible" Ted Green
engaged in a bloody, violent stick-swinging fight; Green was hit in the head and suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury. Maki was eventually sent down to the Buffalo Bisons
of the AHL
. Later commentators have rated Maki's attack as one of the most vicious attacks in league history.
The Vancouver Canucks claimed Maki in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft
. The feisty winger caught on with the team and became one of the franchise's first stars, being among the team's leading scorers both of his full seasons with the team. Maki played two and a half seasons with Vancouver until being diagnosed with brain cancer in December 1972. He died on May 12, 1974, aged only 29. The Canucks unofficially retired his Number 11 jersey until Mark Messier
, who had worn Number 11 with the Edmonton Oilers
and New York Rangers
, joined the team.
His NHL career statistics are: 246 games played, 57 goals, 79 assists, 136 points, and 184 penalty minutes in regular season play, and 2 games played, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, and 2 penalty minutes in the playoffs.
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 and an early star of 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,...
club in the 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...
.
Maki was born in Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
, 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....
. He broke into professional hockey in 1964 with the St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
Braves of the CPHL
CPHL
CPHL may refer to:*Central Hockey League , a minor pro ice hockey league that operated in North America*Canadian Professional Hockey League, a minor pro league that operated predominantly in Canada from 1926 through 1929...
, and joined 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...
at left wing for the 1967–1968 season, playing the year with his older brother Chico Maki
Chico Maki
Ronald "Chico" Maki is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.Maki started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1961. He would play his entire career with the Black Hawks and would retire after the 1976 season. He would win one Stanley Cup with Chicago in...
.
He was claimed by the St. Louis Blues
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team is named after the famous W. C. Handy song "St. Louis Blues", and plays in the 19,150-seat Scottrade...
in 1969. In a preseason game on September 21, 1969, Maki and 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...
defenceman "Terrible" Ted Green
Ted Green
Edward Joseph "Terrible Ted" Green is a Canadian former professional ice hockey coach and former player. Green played defence for the NHL Boston Bruins and the WHA New England Whalers and Winnipeg Jets, notable for his hard rock play...
engaged in a bloody, violent stick-swinging fight; Green was hit in the head and suffered a fractured skull and a brain injury. Maki was eventually sent down to 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...
of the 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...
. Later commentators have rated Maki's attack as one of the most vicious attacks in league history.
The Vancouver Canucks claimed Maki in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft
1970 NHL Expansion Draft
The 1970 NHL Expansion Draft was held on June 9, 1970. The draft took place to fill the rosters of the league's two expansion teams for the 1970–71 season, the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks.-Draft results:-Trades:...
. The feisty winger caught on with the team and became one of the franchise's first stars, being among the team's leading scorers both of his full seasons with the team. Maki played two and a half seasons with Vancouver until being diagnosed with brain cancer in December 1972. He died on May 12, 1974, aged only 29. The Canucks unofficially retired his Number 11 jersey until Mark Messier
Mark Messier
Mark Douglas Messier is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre of the National Hockey League and current special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver...
, who had worn Number 11 with 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 ....
and 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...
, joined the team.
His NHL career statistics are: 246 games played, 57 goals, 79 assists, 136 points, and 184 penalty minutes in regular season play, and 2 games played, 1 goal, 0 assists, 1 point, and 2 penalty minutes in the playoffs.