Height: 5-11
Weight: 185
Shoot: L
Born: 8 Oct 1954, Toronto ON
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Regular Season & Playoff Scoring Record (key)
| year | team | |||||||||||
| 1975-76 | Denver | |||||||||||
| Totals: |
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Spurs Pizunki Doesn't Expect Second Chance to be Wasted • by Fred Pietila • The Rocky Mountain News • October 2, 1975
Ed Pizunski should be thankful for the opportunity to make the two-game road trip with the Denver Spurs to San Diego and Tucson beginning Thursday. Pizunski, for that matter, should consider himself fortunate to even be with the Spurs of the World Hockey Association. One year ago, the soon-to-be 21-year-old forward was hassling in the camp of the National Hockey League's Toronto Maple Leafs, a camp he eventually walked out of because of a salary dispute. A 5-10, 185-pounder, Pizunski will be one of 26 Spurs on the two-game exhibition swing which finds them playing at San Diego Thursday night and against Phoenix in Tucson on Friday night. Pizunski is with the Spurs as an unsigned free agent, trying to make the first-year WHA club. And if it hadn't been for a tip from former Spur center Mike Kelly, Pizunski might be playing in the Midwest League in Reno, Nev., or even attending a university in his hometown Toronto. "Actually, Mike Kelly, who played here last year, mentioned my name to Bob McCord (Spurs' assistant coach) and he checked up on me and they contacted me," Pizunski said after a workout Wednesday. "When Mike brought up the idea of coming to Denver, I pretty much decided to. It sounded like a good opportunity." Pizunski is joining pretty much of a veteran club — even though it is a first-year team — with the Spurs. Last year, after walking out of the Maple Leaf camp, Pizunski remained in the Toronto area and competed in Tier 2 hockey. He wound up with 77 goals and more than 200 minutes in penalties in just 38 games and his team — the Toronto Nationals — won the playoff championship. But, he quickly adds that Tier-2 competition is simply a preparation for Major Junior A and that "you're playing against kids 15 and 16 years old. You beat teams 20-2, 20-3." Pizunski competed in Tier 2 rather than Major Junior A or Tier 1 because of an age limit (since changed) in the higher league. But now it's a new season, a new team and a new attitude. "This is a pretty well-established hockey club as far as I'm concerned," Pizunski said. "Just the franchise is new. The talent is there." Pizunski didn't come to camp with tremendous credentials, but he doesn't appear concerned about failing to make the club. "I didn't come there with that attitude," he emphasized. "Even my mom and dad said what am I going to do if I don't make it and I said, 'l'm going to.' "You've just gotta go out there and do your best and give 100 per cent. No one can ask for more,"" Pizunski said. Pizunski was involved in one of the many fights in Sunday's 4-3 exhibition loss to the Houston Aeros. And, his overall performance prompted McCord to enquire, knowingly, afterwards, "What did you think of Pizunski?" Someone shrugged and McCord only smiled in return. |
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