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Larry
Melnyk
Larry Melnyk was a rugged stay-at-home defenceman on four different clubs in the 1980s and '90s. He played his position well in his own zone and moved the puck up to his forwards with a minimum of difficulty.
Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Melnyk excelled with the BCJHL's Abbotsford Flyers before joining the WCJHL's New Westminster Bruins in 1977-78. His aggressive play behind his blueline and crisp outlet passes were positive factors in the team's success. In 1979, the young defender was selected to play for Canada at the World Junior Championships.
Chosen 78th overall by the Boston Bruins in 1979, Melnyk split the 1980-81 season between the NHL and the AHL's Springfield Indians. The next year, he played 48 games and helped the team reach the seventh game of the Adams Division finals. In March 1984, he was sent to the Edmonton Oilers for another defenceman, John Blum. He was strictly a role player for the star-studded club but did see action in twelve playoff games when they won the Stanley cup in 1985.
The New York Rangers acquired Melnyk in December 1985 to add more grit to their blueline. He spent nearly two years there before he was sent to the Vancouver Canucks for Michel Petit. Melynk was his usual steady self on the West Coast and was on hand in 1989 when the club came within an overtime goal of upsetting the Calgary Flames in the first round of the playoffs. He retired after playing 67 games for Vancouver in 1989-90.
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REGULAR SEASON |
PLAYOFFS |
| Season |
Club |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
+/- |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 1977-78 |
Abbotsford Flyers |
BCJHL |
39 |
10 |
9 |
19 |
100 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1977-78 |
New Westminster Bruins |
WCJHL |
44 |
3 |
22 |
25 |
71 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1977-78 |
New Westminster Bruins |
M-Cup |
5 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1978-79 |
New Westminster Bruins |
WHL |
71 |
7 |
33 |
40 |
142 |
|
8 |
1 |
4 |
5 |
14 |
| 1978-79 |
Canada |
WJC-A |
5 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1979-80 |
New Westminster Bruins |
WHL |
67 |
13 |
38 |
51 |
236 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1979-80 |
Binghamton Dusters |
AHL |
6 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
20 |
|
|
|
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| 1980-81 |
Boston Bruins |
NHL |
26 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
39 |
-7 |
|
|
|
|
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| 1980-81 |
Springfield Indians |
AHL |
47 |
1 |
10 |
11 |
109 |
|
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1981-82 |
Boston Bruins |
NHL |
48 |
0 |
8 |
8 |
84 |
+3 |
11 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
40 |
| 1981-82 |
Erie Blades |
AHL |
10 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
36 |
|
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| 1982-83 |
Boston Bruins |
NHL |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
-2 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
| 1982-83 |
Baltimore Skipjacks |
AHL |
72 |
2 |
24 |
26 |
215 |
|
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| 1983-84 |
Hershey Bears |
AHL |
50 |
0 |
18 |
18 |
156 |
|
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| 1983-84 |
Moncton Alpines |
AHL |
14 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
17 |
|
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| 1983-84 |
Edmonton Oilers |
NHL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
| 1984-85 |
Edmonton Oilers |
NHL |
28 |
0 |
11 |
11 |
25 |
+12 |
12 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
26 |
| 1984-85 |
Nova Scotia Oilers |
AHL |
37 |
2 |
10 |
12 |
97 |
|
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| 1985-86 |
Edmonton Oilers |
NHL |
6 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
11 |
+8 |
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| 1985-86 |
Nova Scotia Oilers |
AHL |
19 |
2 |
8 |
10 |
72 |
|
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| 1985-86 |
New York Rangers |
NHL |
46 |
1 |
8 |
9 |
65 |
+2 |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
46 |
| 1986-87 |
New York Rangers |
NHL |
73 |
3 |
12 |
15 |
182 |
-13 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| 1987-88 |
New York Rangers |
NHL |
14 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
34 |
-7 |
|
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| 1987-88 |
Vancouver Canucks |
NHL |
49 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
73 |
-12 |
|
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| 1988-89 |
Vancouver Canucks |
NHL |
74 |
3 |
11 |
14 |
82 |
+3 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| 1989-90 |
Vancouver Canucks |
NHL |
67 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
91 |
-27 |
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| NHL Totals |
432 |
11 |
63 |
74 |
686 |
|
66 |
2 |
9 |
11 |
127 |
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