| Morris Lukowich | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 1, 1956 Speers, SK, CAN |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) |
| Position | Left wing |
| Shot | Left |
| Played for | WHA Houston Aeros Winnipeg Jets NHL Winnipeg Jets Boston Bruins Los Angeles Kings RHI Calgary Rad'z |
| National team | Canada |
| Playing career | 1976–1987 |
Eugene Morris Lukowich (born June 1, 1956 in Speers, Saskatchewan) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was a member of the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1976 to 1985, and later played for the Boston Bruins and Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. Playing left wing, he played in a total of 582 NHL games, registering 199 goals and 219 assists for 418 points in eight NHL seasons.
Lukowich was an explosive player, both in terms of speed and scoring. Though he was considered small for a professional hockey player, he also played with admirable grit.
Lukowich played junior hockey with the Medicine Hat Tigers for three years. In his final season, he had a career year, scoring 65 times and accumulating 142 points in 72 games. This production got the attention of NHL scouts, and he was selected 47th overall in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He was also selected by the Houston Aeros in the 1976 World Hockey Association Amateur Draft, and he opted to turn pro in the WHA rather than the NHL. The opportunity to play with his idol, the legendary Gordie Howe, in Houston was the deciding factor in this decision.
After two seasons in Houston, Lukowich moved on to Winnipeg for the 1978–79 season, the last for the financially troubled WHA. Morris had a terrific year with the high-flying Jets, scoring 65 goals and adding 34 assists for 99 points, and was named as the WHA's Second Team All Star. More importantly, Lukowich scored 8 goals and a team high 15 points en route to capturing the final WHA championship, the Avco Cup.
When the WHA folded in 1979, the Jets were among four of its teams absorbed by the NHL. Under the NHL's admittance terms, these teams could only protect a fraction of their roster, and Lukowich was one of the few players Winnipeg managed to retain. The early NHL years were difficult for the Jets, but Lukowich quickly emerged as the team's star player, and his leadership led to his appointment as Winnipeg's team captain for the 1980–81 season. He scored 35 and 33 goals in his first two seasons respectively, before notching his best NHL numbers in 1981–82, scoring 43 goals and 92 points. He was invited to the NHL All Star game for the second year in a row, playing on a line with superstars Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier.
Lukowich took a step back in 1982–83, struggling through injuries. He played in 69 games but only had 22 goals and 43 points. He rebounded somewhat in 1983–84, reaching the 30 goal plateau once again along with 25 assists. However a horrible start in 1984–85 lead to a trade to Boston in exchange for Jim Nill.
Lukowich played in only 36 games over 2 seasons with the Bruins. He was placed on waivers early in the 1985–86 season and was picked up by the Los Angeles Kings, where he finished his NHL career. He played one additional season in Italy in 1987–88 before retiring from professional hockey.
Lukowich represented Canada at the 1993 Spengler Cup Tournament, and briefly re-emerged as a roller hockey player in 1994, playing several games with RHI's Calgary Radz. He currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, where he operates a hockey camp.
Morris Lukowich is the brother of curler Ed Lukowich and a cousin of hockey player Brad Lukowich.
| Preceded by Lars-Erik Sjoberg |
Winnipeg Jets captain 1980–81 |
Succeeded by Dave Christian |