Elmer Vasko

{{short description|Canadian ice hockey player}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | image = MooseVasko Chex.jpg | caption = Vasko with the Chicago Black Hawks, {{c.|1963}} | played_for = Chicago Black Hawks<br>Minnesota North Stars | position = Defence | shoots = Left | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = 200 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1935|12|11|mf=y}} | birth_place = Duparquet, Quebec, Canada | death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|10|30|1935|12|11}} | death_place = Dorval, Quebec, Canada | career_start = 1955 | career_end = 1970 }} '''Elmer''' "'''Moose'''" '''Vasko''' (December 11, 1935 – October 30, 1998) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and Minnesota North Stars. He was on the Blackhawks team that won the Stanley Cup in 1961.

==Personal== Vasko was born in Duparquet, Quebec. He was one of the few players of Slovak descent in the NHL's younger years. Vasko also never lost any of his teeth during his NHL career,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Patrick |date=June 23, 2013 |title=Vasko fondly remembers Uncle Moose |url=https://www.thewhig.com/2013/06/23/vasko-fondly-remembers-uncle-moose |access-date=September 12, 2024 |website=The Kingston Whig Standard}}</ref> despite the lack of mouthguards or helmets in his playing days. He was a second team all star in 1962-63 and 1963-64.

Vasko's great niece, Alexa Vasko, is a professional ice hockey player for the Ottawa Charge of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/sports/hockey/pressure-a-privilege-for-alexa-vasko-niagara-native-playing-for-toronto-entry-in-pro-womens/article_3036a166-0125-5456-aeb1-33bffac53ebe.html |title=Pressure a privilege for Alexa Vasko, Niagara native playing for Toronto entry in pro women’s hockey league |newspaper=St. Catharines Standard |first=Bernd |last=Franke |date=January 16, 2024 |access-date=December 4, 2024}}</ref>

==Career statistics== {| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM |- | 1953–54 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 59 || 5 || 17 || 22 || 25 | 15 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 10 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1953–54 | St. Catharines Teepees | M-Cup | — || — || — || — || — | 11 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 6 |- | 1954–55 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 49 || 16 || 20 || 36 || 75 | 11 || 2 || 3 || 5 || 17 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1955–56 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA | 47 || 9 || 31 || 40 || 90 | 6 || 2 || 3 || 5 || 8 |- | 1955–56 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 4 || 0 || 3 || 3 || 4 | 3 || 1 || 0 || 1 || 2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1956–57 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 64 || 3 || 12 || 15 || 31 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1957–58 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 59 || 6 || 20 || 26 || 51 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1958–59 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 63 || 6 || 10 || 16 || 52 | 6 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 4 |- | 1959–60 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 69 || 3 || 27 || 30 || 110 | 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1960–61 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 63 || 4 || 18 || 22 || 40 | 12 || 1 || 1 || 2 || 23 |- | 1961–62 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 64 || 2 || 22 || 24 || 87 | 12 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1962–63 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 64 || 4 || 9 || 13 || 70 | 6 || 0 || 1 || 1 || 8 |- | 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 || 2 || 18 || 20 || 65 | 7 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 69 || 1 || 10 || 11 || 56 | 14 || 1 || 2 || 3 || 20 |- | 1965–66 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 56 || 1 || 7 || 8 || 44 | 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1967–68 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 70 || 1 || 6 || 7 || 45 | 14 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 6 |- | 1968–69 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 72 || 1 || 7 || 8 || 68 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" | 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 3 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 | — || — || — || — || — |- | 1969–70 | Salt Lake Golden Eagles | WHL | 54 || 4 || 6 || 10 || 34 | — || — || — || — || — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 786 !! 34 !! 166 !! 200 !! 719 ! 78 !! 2 !! 7 !! 9 !! 73 |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * {{icehockeystats}}

{{s-start}} {{succession box | before = Bob Woytowich | title = Minnesota North Stars captain | years = 1968–69 | after = Claude Larose}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vasko, Elmer}} Category:1935 births Category:1998 deaths Category:Buffalo Bisons (AHL) players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian sportspeople of Slovak descent Category:Chicago Blackhawks players Category:Ice hockey people from Abitibi-Témiscamingue Category:Minnesota North Stars players Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:Salt Lake Golden Eagles (WHL) players Category:Stanley Cup champions Category:St. Catharines Teepees players