Bernie Federko

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size = 200px
position = Center
played_for = St. Louis Blues
Detroit Red Wings
shot = Left
draft = 7^th overall
draft_year = 1976
draft_team = St. Louis Blues
height_ft = 6
height_in = 0
weight_lb = 195
nationality = CAN
birth_date = birth date and age|mf=yes|1956|5|12
birth_place = Foam Lake, SASK, CA
career_start = 1976
career_end = 1990
halloffame = 2002 Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956 in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played 14 seasons in the NHL from 1976 to 1990.

Playing career

Bernie began playing hockey at a young age in his home town of Foam Lake, Saskatchewan. He was captain of the 1971 Bantam provincial champions. He also played Senior hockey with the local Foam Lake Flyers of the Fishing Lake Hockey League, winning the league scoring title as a bantam-aged player. Federko continued his career with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. He played three seasons with the Blades, and in his final year with the club he led the league in assists and points in both the regular season "and" playoffs. As a reward, Federko was drafted 7th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. He started the next season with the Kansas City Blues of the Central Hockey League and was leading the league in points when he was called up mid-season to play 31 games with St. Louis. He scored three hat tricks in those 31 games. In the 1978–79 NHL season, Federko developed into a bonafide star, as he scored 95 points.

Federko would score 100 points in a season four times, and was a consistent and underrated superstar for the Blues. Federko scored at least 90 points in seven of the eight seasons between 1978 and 1986, and became the first player in NHL history to record at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons. However, in an era when Wayne Gretzky was scoring 200 points a season, Federko never really got the attention many felt he deserved. In 1986, in a poll conducted by GOAL magazine, he was named the most overlooked talent in hockey. His General Manager Ron Caron said he was "A great playmaker. He makes the average or above average player look like a star at times. He's such an unselfish player."

On March 19, 1988, Federko became the 22nd NHL player to record 1000 career points. After a poor season for Federko in 1988–89, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings with Tony McKegney for future Blues star Adam Oates, and Paul MacLean. In Detroit, Federko re-united with former Blues head coach Jacques Demers, but he had to play behind Steve Yzerman and did not get his desired ice time. After his lowest point output since his rookie season, Federko decided to retire after the 1989–90 season.

Federko was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002, and is currently a television color commentator for the Blues. He also had his number '24' retired by the Blues on March 16, 1991.

Federko was the head coach/general manager of the St. Louis Vipers InLine team of the RHI for the 1993 and 1994 seasons.

Awards

*Named to the WCHL All-Star Team (1976)
*Named WCHL MVP (1976)
*Named to the CHL Second All-Star Team (1977)
*Won Ken McKenzie Trophy as CHL Rookie of the Year (1977)
*Played in the NHL All-Star Game (1980, 1981)
*Named NHL Player of the Week (For week ending December 3, 1984)

Records

*St. Louis Blues team record for career games played (927)
*St. Louis Blues team record for career assists (721)
*St. Louis Blues team record for career points (1073)
*Shares St. Louis Blues team record for assists in one game (5 on February 27, 1988)
*St. Louis Blues team record for career playoff assists (66)
*St. Louis Blues team record for points in one playoff year (21 in 1986)
*St. Louis Blues team record for assists in one playoff year (15 in 1982)

Career statistics

ee also

*List of NHL players
*List of NHL seasons
*List of NHL players with 1000 points
*Hockey Hall of Fame
*List of NHL statistical leaders

References

*"Total Hockey" (Second Edition), Editor - Dan Diamond, ISBN 1–892129–85-X

External links

*Legendsmember|Player|P200201
*hockeydb|1634
* [http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1976/76007.html Hockey Draft Central]
* [http://www.stlouisblues.com/history/retired/retired_ferderko.html St. Louis Blues Website]