John Miszuk, a former defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers, died on Sunday, July 27 at the age of 84. Miszuk played for the Flyers during their first two seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), appearing in 237 NHL games and 214 World Hockey Association (WHA) games over his career.
The Flyers and the Flyers Alumni Association released a statement expressing sympathy to his family and friends: “The Flyers and the Flyers Alumni Association express their condolences to the Miszuk family and John’s friends and surviving former teammates.” Miszuk is survived by his wife Cora, children Kathleen, Tom, and Mary, as well as grandchildren Steven, Nicholas, Hailey, and Morgan. His family was present when he passed away.
Miszuk holds a place in team history as the first European-born player for the Flyers. He was born on September 29, 1940 in Nelibaki, Poland—a town now part of Belarus. During World War II, his family was forced from their home and sent to labor and refugee camps before eventually escaping to Canada. Miszuk grew up in Hamilton, Ontario where he began playing hockey competitively with the Hamilton Red Wings junior team.
Standing at six-foot-two inches tall and weighing 200 pounds, Miszuk became known as one of the larger defensemen of his time. He started his professional career with the Western Hockey League’s Edmonton Flyers under coach Bud Poile. The team won a championship in the 1961-62 season.
Miszuk entered the NHL with Detroit Red Wings during the 1963-64 season before moving to play for Chicago Black Hawks. When NHL expansion doubled its teams from six to twelve in 1967, inaugural Flyers general manager Bud Poile selected him from Chicago during that year’s Expansion Draft.
Keith Allen—who would later become general manager after serving as head coach—told Hall of Fame writer Jay Greenberg in 1995: “Miszuk was one of his most reliable players during the Flyers’ first season of existence.”
After leaving Philadelphia following two seasons with the club, Miszuk spent a year with Minnesota North Stars before continuing his career in minor leagues and then joining WHA teams until retiring just before turning 39 years old in 1979.
Following retirement from hockey, John and Cora operated several Tim Horton’s franchises around Hamilton while remaining active within both hockey circles through participation with NHL Alumni Club Tour events as well as supporting local charitable efforts.
Later in life he returned to visit Nelibaki more than seventy years after leaving it behind. In January 2016 he reunited with members of Philadelphia’s original roster at Wells Fargo Center during celebrations marking fifty years since their inaugural season; they received recognition at center ice prior to an alumni game against Pittsburgh Penguins alumni.
