As you may have already heard, another member of the Seals is gone. Vic Stasiuk passed away on May 7 at the age of 93. Stasiuk became coach of the Seals in game four of the 1971-72 season after the team had started 0-1-2 under Fred Glover. The team showed remarkable improvement under Stasiuk and challenged for a playoff spot most of the season. A late-season tailspin destroyed the team’s chances, but the team’s future looked bright. Had it not been for the WHA that came along and signed most of the Seals’ top talent, the team might have continued to grow into a Stanley Cup contender, but of course that never happened. Shortly after the 1971-72 season, Stasiuk was fired and ended up coaching the Vancouver Canucks.

Before becoming a NHL coach, Stasiuk was one of the best players in the NHL. While in Boston, Stasiuk, who was of Ukrainian decent, was part of the famed Uke Line with Johnny Bucyk and Bronco Horvath. From 1956 to 1960, Stasiuk scored at least twenty goals each year, including a career-high 29 (and 68 points) in the last of those four seasons. He was traded to Detroit the following year where he played the final two and a half years of his career. Earlier in his career he had a previous stint with Detroit as well as 38 games with the Black Hawks.

After retiring, he became the second head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers, a job he held for two years before giving way to the legendary Fred Shero.

While Stasiuk wasn’t the most successful coach in Seals history, his one year behind the bench was memorable for many reasons. The team was loaded with young talent, and at times, the Seals were exciting and gave their fans hope for the future. In this week’s article, we go back to October 24, 1971, the night Stasiuk won his first game as coach of the Seals. After a horrendous 0-5-2 home stand, the Seals went on the road, and on their first stop, Detroit, they finally put a “1” in the win column. You can read all about the big night here.

Until next time, stay gold.