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| 1981 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Rod Buskas
Selected in
sixth round
No. 112 overall by Pittsburgh Penguins
Born January 7, 1961
 | Position:
Defense
Height: 6-1 Weight: 195
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Medicine Hat (WHL)
Birthplace: Wetaskiwin, Alberta (Canada)
Hometown:
Medicine Hat, Alberta |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM |
| 1977-78 |
Red Deer | AJHL |
60 | 5 |
2 | 7 |
36 | | 1978-79 |
Red Deer | AJHL |
37 | 13 |
22 | 35 |
63 | | |
Billings | WHL |
1 | 0 |
0 | 0 |
0 | | |
Medicine Hat | WHL |
34 | 1 |
12 | 13 |
60 | | 1979-80 |
Medicine Hat | WHL |
72 | 7 |
40 | 47 |
284 | | 1980-81 |
Medicine Hat | WHL |
72 | 14 |
46 | 60 |
164 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Not selected in 1980 NHL Entry Draft despite being
eligible. ... Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as No. 9 WHL prospect for the 1981 NHL draft.
... Was a Boston Bruins fan as a youngster growing up in Alberta. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 27, 1982 (Washington at
Pittsburgh)
Numbers: 7 (Pittsburgh); 28
(Vancouver); 77 (L.A.); 25, 17 (Chicago)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status: Retired 1995 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | |
1982-1992 |
PIT, VAN, LA, CHI | 556 |
19 | 63 |
82 | 1,294 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years |
Teams | GP |
G | A |
TP | PIM | | 1989-1992 |
Pitt., L.A., Chicago | 18 |
0 | 3 |
3 | 45 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1992 (Chicago)
Pittsburgh Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1987-88 (206)
Miscellaneous: Was one of Mario Lemieux's first professional hockey
teammates with Pittsburgh in 1984-85. ... Suspended three games by NHL during
1984-85 season for being first man to leave bench to join fight with 3:19
remaining in third period of Pittsburgh's Jan. 17, 1985, game at Washington.
... Missed part of 1984-85 season with strained shoulder, an injury suffered
in February 1985. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with bruised ribs, an
injury suffered during Pittsburgh's Dec. 28, 1985, game vs. N.Y. Islanders.
... Missed part of 1986-87 season with sprained left shoulder, an injury
suffered during Pittsburgh's Nov. 20, 1986, game at Calgary. He did not return
to action until Pittsburgh's Dec. 12, 1986, game vs. Toronto. He re-aggravated
the injury in that game and did not make a permanent return to action until
Pittsburgh's Dec. 17, 1986, game at Los Angeles. ... Suspended three games by
NHL during 1986-87 season for hitting Bob Murray with a high stick. The
incident drew a match penalty during Pittsburgh's Feb. 7, 1987, game vs.
Chicago. Buskas served his suspension from Feb. 21, 1987, through Feb. 24,
1987. ... Missed part of 1988-89 season with right knee injury. ... Broke
Bryan Watson's record for career penalty minutes by a Pittsburgh player when
he received his 872nd penalty minute during Pittsburgh's Nov. 3, 1988, game
vs. Quebec. ... Left Pittsburgh for first time in 1989 with franchise record
(since broken) for career penalty minutes (946). ... Missed parts of 1989-90
season with pulled hamstring and sore left shoulder. ... Missed nearly half of
1989-90 season with broken right ankle, an injury suffered during Vancouver's
Dec. 12, 1989, game at Minnesota. The injury required surgery, and Buskas, who
was traded back to Pittsburgh while out with the injury, did not return to
action until Pittsburgh's Feb. 16, 1990, game at Winnipeg. ... Left Pittsburgh for final
time in 1990 with franchise record (since broken) for career penalty minutes
(959). ... Missed parts of 1990-91 season strained chest muscle, an injury
suffered during Los Angeles' Dec. 20, 1990, game at Calgary, and with left
foot injury, suffered during Los Angeles' Jan. 22, 1991, game at Edmonton. He
did not return to action from the foot injury until Los Angeles' Feb. 16,
1991, game vs. Boston. ... Missed remainder of 1991 playoffs with broken left
thumb, an injury suffered during Game 5 of Los Angeles' first-round series vs.
Vancouver on April 12, 1991. ... Missed part of 1991-92 season with bruised
left foot, an injury suffered during Chicago's Feb. 22, 1992, game at Detroit.
He did not return to action until Chicago's March 26, 1992, game at Quebec. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Erie (AHL); Muskegon (IHL);
Baltimore (AHL); Indianapolis, Salt Lake, Las Vegas (IHL)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
1983-84: Played on AHL regular-season champion (Baltimore).
1993-94: Played on IHL regular-season champion (Las Vegas).
Coaching
Career: Named Las Vegas (IHL) assistant coach on March 6, 1998, and
remained in that position through 1998-99 season.
Miscellaneous:
Loaned by Chicago to Salt Lake (IHL) on Jan. 11, 1993. He played the remainder
of his career in the IHL. ... Signed with Las Vegas (IHL) as an unrestricted
free agent prior to team's inaugural 1993-94 season on Aug. 31, 1993. ... Worked at hockey
school in Medicine Hat, Alberta, during off-seasons of playing days. ...
Obtained pilot's license during playing days and purchased a four-seat Cessna.
... Ran flight school in Henderson, Nev., after his retirement, although he
took some time off from the business to pursue coaching career.
Personal: Full name is Rod Dale
Buskas. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE/WAIVER DRAFT: Pittsburgh traded Buskas
to Vancouver in exchange for 1990 sixth-round pick (Ian Moran) on October 24,
1989. Eleven weeks later, Pittsburgh got Buskas back when it traded Dave
Capuano, Andrew McBain and Dan Quinn to Vancouver for Buskas, Barry Pederson
and Tony Tanti on January 8, 1990. Pittsburgh lost Buskas again when it left
him unprotected for the 1990 NHL Waiver Draft, and he was claimed by Los
Angeles on October 1, 1990. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '81 | | Total Selected: |
211 | | Forwards: |
119 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
25 | | Major Junior: |
122 | | Tier II/Jr. B: |
10/4 | | College Players: |
21 | | High School: |
18 |
| Canadian: |
139 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
3 | | USA Citizens: |
37 | | U.S.-Born: |
36 |
| European: |
32 |
| Reached NHL: |
114 |
| Stanley Cup: |
17 | | Hall of Fame: |
2 |
| All-Star Game: |
14 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
7 |
| Olympians: |
30 |
| Picks Traded: |
38 |
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