Orest Kindrachuk

Orest Kindrachuk
Born	(1950-09-14) September 14, 1950 Nanton, Alberta, Canada
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals
NHL Draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1971–1982

Orest Michael Kindrachuk (born September 14, 1950) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey centre who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals.

Early life

Born in Nanton, Alberta, Canada, his parents were Ukrainian immigrants and his first language was Ukrainian. Kindrachuk played his junior hockey for the Saskatoon Blades.

Career

Kindrachuk was not drafted and instead joined the San Diego Gulls after signing as a free agent by the Philadelphia Flyers in July 1971. He made his NHL debut in the 1972–73 season, and joined the Flyers full-time in the 1973–74 season.

Kindrachuk became an important part of the Flyers team as he helped them to win Stanley Cups as a rookie in 1974 as well as 1975. "Little O" Kindrachuk spent much of his time in Philadelphia centering Dave "The Hammer" Schultz and Don "Big Bird" Saleski on the team's third line. He played for the Flyers for six seasons.

Kindrachuk was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins prior to the 1978–79 NHL season, where he played for three seasons as the team's captain. He signed with the Washington Capitals in 1981, but played only four games before he was forced to retire due to injuries.

After hockey, Kindrachuk went into the insurance and packaging industry in the Philadelphia area. In August 2012, he became a U.S. citizen.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1967–68	Saskatoon Blades	WCJHL		58	24	37	61	44		7	1	3	4	20
1968–69	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		41	21	25	46	33		4	1	1	2	0
1969–70	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		4	3	4	7	5		5	2	4	6	25
1970–71	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		61	49	100	149	103		5	2	4	6	25
1971–72	San Diego Gulls	WHL		61	18	36	54	77		4	1	1	2	0
1972–73	Richmond Robins	AHL		72	35	51	86	133		3	0	1	1	10
1972–73	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1973–74	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		71	11	30	41	85		17	5	4	9	17
1974–75	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		60	10	21	31	72		14	0	2	2	12
1975–76	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		76	26	49	75	101		16	4	7	11	4
1976–77	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	15	36	51	79		10	2	1	3	0
1977–78	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		73	17	45	62	128		12	5	5	10	13
1978–79	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		79	18	42	60	84		7	4	1	5	7
1979–80	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		52	17	29	46	63		—	—	—	—	—
1980–81	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		13	3	9	12	34		—	—	—	—	—
1981–82	Washington Capitals	NHL		4	1	0	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				508	118	261	379	648		76	20	20	40	53

External links

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