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| 1978 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Wayne Babych
Selected in first round
No.
3 overall by St. Louis Blues
Born June 6, 1958
 | Position:
Right Wing
Height: 5-11 Weight: 191
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Portland (WCHL)
Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta (Canada)
Hometown:
Edmonton, Alberta |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1973-74 |
Spruce Grove | AJHL |
56 |
20 | 18 |
38 | 68 | | |
Edmonton | WCHL | 1 |
0 | 1 |
1 | 0 | | 1974-75 |
Edmonton | WCHL | 68 |
19 | 17 |
36 | 157 |
| 1975-76 |
Edmonton | WCHL |
61 | 32 |
46 | 78 |
98 | | 1976-77 |
Portland | WCHL |
71 | 50 |
62 | 112 |
76 | | 1977-78 |
Portland | WCHL |
68 | 50 |
71 | 121 |
218 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1978 (bronze medal)
WCHL All-Star First Team: 1976-77, 1977-78 (Portland)
Portland Most
Popular Player: 1977-78
WCHL Records:
Fastest two goals (5 seconds in first period of Portland's Nov. 30, 1976, game
vs. Regina, shares record).
Miscellaneous: Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
the No. 5 overall prospect for the 1978 NHL draft. ... Was on Edmonton (WCHL) team that relocated to Portland
after 1975-76 season. ... Scored three goals in 25 seconds for Portland on
Nov. 30, 1976, vs. Regina. ... Was an outstanding baseball player during his junior
career and turned down offer to sign with Montreal Expos organization. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 11, 1978 (St. Louis at
Detroit)
Numbers: 10 (St. Louis); 26 (Pittsburgh); 18
(Quebec); 17 (Hartford)
Stanley Cup: Never won.
Playing Status: Retired October 1987 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS | | Years | Teams | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | | 1978-1987 |
STL, PIT, QUE, HAR | 519 |
192 | 246 | 438 |
498 |
|
| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS | | Years | Teams | GP | G | A | TP | PIM | | 1980-1986 |
St. Louis, Hartford | 41 |
7 | 9 | 16 |
24 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
All-Star Game: 1981 (St. Louis)
50-Goal Seasons: 1980-81 (St. Louis) (54)
NHL Game-Tying Goals
Leader: 1980-81 (5, tie)
St. Louis Goals Leader: 1980-81 (54)
St. Louis Playoffs Points Leader: 1980 (3)
St. Louis Playoffs Goals Leader: 1980 (1, tie)
St. Louis Playoffs Assists Leader: 1980 (2, tie)
Miscellaneous: Missed part of 1978-79 season with broken left ankle.
... Set St. Louis records (since broken) for points (63), goals (27) and
assists (36) by a rookie in 1978-79. ... Finished third in voting for 1978-79
Calder Trophy. ... Missed parts of 1979-80 season with right shoulder injury
and knee injury. ... Played on "Kid Line" with Bernie Federko and Brian Sutter
for St. Louis from 1978-79 season through 1981-82 season. ... Set St. Louis single-season records (since broken) for
goals (54), goals by a right wing (54), points by a right wing (96) and
consecutive games with at least one goal (8) in 1980-81. ... Became first St.
Louis player to score 50 goals in a season when he achieved feat on March 12,
1981, vs. Montreal. ... Missed start of 1981-82 season with bruised shoulder,
an injury suffered during St. Louis' Sept. 27, 1981, preseason game vs.
Winnipeg. Re-aggravated the injury during St. Louis' Jan. 8, 1982, game at
Colorado and required shoulder manipulation therapy to correct the problem.
... Missed end of 1982 playoffs with right knee injury that required
postseason arthroscopic surgery. ... Missed part of 1982-83 season with broken
nose and fractured cheekbone, injuries suffered when he fought with Behn
Wilson during St. Louis' Jan. 1, 1983, game vs. Philadelphia. ... Asked St.
Louis front office to trade him to Edmonton after 1983-84 season. ... Traded
by St. Louis to Edmonton on a conditional basis for future considerations in
September 1984, but returned to St. Louis two weeks later after failing to
meet conditions required for Edmonton to go through with the trade. The
aborted trade forced the Blues to make Babych available for the Waiver Draft,
since he had told the front office he wanted out of St. Louis.
... Was first pick in 1984 NHL Waiver Draft. ... Missed parts of 1984-85 season with sprained right knee, an injury
suffered in February 1985, and with sprained left knee, an injury suffered in
March 1985. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with bruised wrist, an injury
suffered during Quebec's Jan. 14, 1986, game vs. Winnipeg. ... Missed first half of 1986-87 season while recovering
from surgery on Sept. 27, 1986, to repair torn MCL in right knee. He suffered
the injury when slashed by Ken McRae during Hartford's Sept. 26, 1986,
preseason game vs. Quebec. ... Suspended
by Hartford for refusing a demotion to Binghamton (AHL) on Feb. 25, 1987. He
eventually did report to the minor-league team. ... Attended Hartford's 1987
training camp, but failed to make team and retired rather than report to minor
leagues. By retiring within 20 pro games of his knee surgery, he was eligible
for a disability claim. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: Binghamton (AHL)
World Championships: 1979
(fourth place)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
WHA Draft Pick: 1978 (by Quebec)
Miscellaneous: Played his only
minor-league games for Binghamton (AHL) in March 1987 after initially
refusing to report to the minors. ... Invested in Winnipeg-area waterslide park and golf course
with brother Dave and worked in
real estate business during off-seasons of playing days. ... Became active
in Oldtimers charity hockey after retirement. ... Joined with brother Dave
to start hockey camps in Edmonton during his playing days. The camps grew and
continued past his retirement, and later were based out of Vancouver. ...
Joined with brother Dave to organize and host the annual Babych Anglers
Challenge charity fishing tournament in 1990s. ... Outstanding golfer
during his playing days. He was active in charity golf events for many years
after his retirement.
Personal: Full name is Wayne Joseph
Babych. ... Older brother of former NHL player Dave Babych. ... Wayne's wife
(Shelley Buffie) had a twin sister (Sherrey Buffie) who married Dave Babych, making the Babych brothers also
brothers-in-law. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| WAIVER DRAFT: St. Louis left Babych
unprotected for the 1984 NHL Waiver Draft, and he was claimed by Pittsburgh on October 9, 1984. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '78 | | Total Selected: |
234 | | Forwards: |
143 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
24 | | Major Junior: |
127 | | College Players: |
80 |
| Canadian: |
170 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
47 | | U.S.-Born: |
47 |
| European: |
17 |
| Reached NHL: |
95 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
16 | | Hall of Fame: |
1 |
| All-Star Game: |
18 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
1 |
| Olympians: |
16 |
| Picks Traded: |
46 |
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