Jerry Korab

Jerry Korab
Born	(1948-09-15) September 15, 1948 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Chicago Black Hawks Los Angeles Kings Vancouver Canucks Buffalo Sabres
Playing career	1971–1985

Gerald Joseph Korab (born September 15, 1948) is a Canadian retired professional hockey player, who was a defenceman in the National Hockey League from 1971 to 1985. Korab was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.

Nicknamed "King Kong", Korab made a solid reputation for himself in the 1970s-era NHL as a physical defenceman. His size gave him a distinct advantage in his own zone, and he possessed a hard shot and some offensive skills.

Making his NHL debut with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1970-71, Korab was asked to keep the front of his own net clear. He continued to play the same role for the next two seasons while scoring 12 goals in 1972-73 and helping Chicago reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1971 and 1973.

Korab's best years were spent on the blueline of the Buffalo Sabres from 1973 to 1980, where he blossomed into an effective defenceman on one of the best young teams in the league. Korab was a physical presence while hitting double-digits in goals four times, helping the Sabres reach their first Stanley Cup final in 1975. He was selected to play in the 1975 and 1976 NHL All-Star Games. During this period he also established himself as the NHL's "best dressed player" for three years running, beginning with his time with the Vancouver Canucks during the 1973-74 season, when he became a fan of designer and master tailor Paul Minichiello.

Korab was traded to the Los Angeles Kings on March 10, 1980, for a first-round draft choice that Buffalo used to select offensive defenceman Phil Housley. In 1983, he retired but two months into the season he was offered a chance to make a comeback with the Sabres. He would retire for good after playing 25 games with the Sabres in 1984-85.

Korab currently owns and operates Korab Inc., a packaging service located in Bellwood, Illinois.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1966–67	St. Catharines Black Hawks	OHA-Jr.		43	3	10	13	57		4	0	1	1	12
1967–68	St. Catharines Black Hawks	OHA-Jr.		54	10	34	44	244		5	0	3	3	26
1968–69	Port Huron Flags	IHL		71	18	46	64	284		—	—	—	—	—
1969–70	Portland Buckaroos	WHL		65	9	12	21	169		—	—	—	—	—
1970–71	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		46	4	14	18	152		7	1	0	1	20
1970–71	Portland Buckaroos	WHL		20	3	5	8	78		—	—	—	—	—
1971–72	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		73	9	5	14	95		8	0	1	1	20
1972–73	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		77	12	15	27	94		15	0	0	0	22
1973–74	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		31	4	7	11	64		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		45	6	12	18	73		—	—	—	—	—
1974–75	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	12	44	56	184		16	3	2	5	32
1975–76	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		65	13	28	41	85		9	1	3	4	12
1976–77	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		77	14	33	47	120		6	2	4	6	8
1977–78	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		77	7	34	41	119		8	0	5	5	6
1978–79	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		78	11	40	51	104		3	1	0	1	4
1979–80	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		43	1	10	11	74		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		11	1	2	3	34		3	0	1	1	11
1980–81	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		78	9	43	52	139		4	0	0	0	33
1981–82	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		50	5	13	18	91		10	0	2	2	26
1982–83	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		72	3	26	29	90		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		48	2	9	11	82		3	0	0	0	5
1983–84	Rochester Americans	AHL		4	0	4	4	2		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		25	1	6	7	29		1	0	0	0	2
1984–85	Rochester Americans	AHL		3	1	2	3	6		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				975	114	341	455	1629		93	8	18	26	201

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database