Stan Baluik

Although he played in just 7 NHL contests, Port Arthur, Ontario's Stan Baluik was a great, great athlete.

He was a standout junior player with the Fort William Canadians of the Northern Ontario Hockey Association, and later with the Kitchener Canucks of the Ontario Hockey Association. In four consecutive junior seasons he led the league in assists, twice finishing as the overall leading scorer.

Baliuk would turn professional in 1956, gaining some minor league seasoning in the QHL and WHL (although his progress was interrupted by a couple of serious leg injuries) before joining the Providence Reds of the AHL in 1959. As a professional he is best remembered in Providence where the great playmaker averaged well over a point a game. In his first AHL season he was honored with the Red Garrett Memorial Award as the league's top rookie. That season he also got his only NHL call up. In seven games with the Boston Bruins he scored zero points and picked up a minor penalty.

Baluik continued to play hockey until 1964. That is when he accepted a position as the club pro at the Kirkbrae Country Club in Lincoln, Rhode Island, a position he held for many years. Baluik was an amazing golfer, playing twice at the Canadian Open while he was still 16 years old. He would go onto win numerous tournaments in his amateur golf career.