Bernie Federko

Template:Short description Template:Infobox ice hockey player Bernard Allan Federko (born May 12, 1956) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1976 through 1990.

Early life

Federko was born on May 12, 1956, in Foam Lake, Saskatchewan<ref name="EP">Template:Cite web</ref> to parents Nick and Natalie.<ref name="altar">Template:Cite news</ref> He grew up alongside his twin older brothers Don and Ron,<ref name="y">Template:Cite news</ref> and his younger brother Ken.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As he is of Ukrainian descent, his family attended the local Ukrainian Catholic Church and Federko served as an altar boy.<ref name="altar"/>

Playing career

Amateur

Growing up in Saskatchewan, Federko played midget and minor hockey for Foam Lake and nearby town teams. He competed with the Foam Lake Flyers of the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association in 1972–73 before joining the Saskatoon Blades of the Western Canadian Hockey League (WCHL).<ref name="timeline">Template:Cite news</ref> Despite being too young to join the Blades, Federko's local priest convinced Blades head coach Jack McLeod to let Federko try out for the team.<ref name="Hall">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Cherneski">Template:Cite news</ref> While McLeod planned on cutting him numerous times, Federko impressed him enough to be named to their 1973–74 roster.<ref name="Cherneski"/><ref name="Strumm">Template:Cite news</ref> As his family wished to save money, Federko was also playing with skates two sizes too big for him.<ref name="Hall"/>

As a rookie with the Blades, Federko was placed on the third line with fellow Ukrainian Canadians Ron Valade and Neil Hawryliw. He scored 16 goals and 20 assists through his first 36 games of the 1973–74 season.<ref name="Strumm"/> However, he soon experienced a scoring slump and went 17 games without a goal through February and March.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite this, Federko finished his rookie season with 22 goals and 50 points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Before his sophomore season with the Blades, Federko completed his high school education at E. D. Feehan Catholic High School. He then enrolled in three first-year courses at the University of Saskatchewan during the 1974–75.<ref name="Cherneski"/>

Federko significantly improved upon his rookie season, finishing with 39 goals and 68 assists.<ref name="EP"/> He recorded his first WCHL hat-trick on November 12, 1974, against the Regina Pats.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, he subsequently missed two weeks of game play due to a broken hand, slightly dislocated shoulder, and a strained knee.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite this, he led the team with 44 points through their first 28 games.<ref name="Cherneski"/> By February, he ranked sixth in the WCHL with 29 goals and 52 assists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko recorded his third WCHL hat-trick on March 9 to help the Blades clinch the Eastern Division Championship title.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He finished the season with 39 goals and 68 assists as he helped the Blades qualify for the WHL Championship against the New Westminster Bruins.<ref name="timeline"/>

Federko set numerous league and franchise records in his final season with the Blades, including breaking Bobby Clarke's WCHL record.<ref name="Tait">Template:Cite news</ref> On March 9, 1976, Federko recorded five points against the Edmonton Oil Kings to tie Bobby Clarke WCHL single-season scoring record.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also broke the Blades' single-season assist record set by Orest Kindrachuk.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the end of March, Federko broke Clarke's record for most points in a season with 72 goals and 115 assists for 187 points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He subsequently ended the season with numerous single-season records for the Blades, including their all-time single-season goals, assists, and points. In the playoffs, he set new franchise and league records for assists, points, power-play goals, and short-handed goals.<ref name="Tait"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also tied Ralph Klassen's single-game points record after recording five assists against the Kamloops Chiefs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result of his accomplishments, Federko was named the WCHL's most valuable player.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

St. Louis Blues (1976–1989)

Rookie season and early struggles (1976–1978)

Following his career-best season, Federko was drafted 7th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was also drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1976 WHA amateur draft.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko chose to forgo the WHL and signed a four-year NHL contract with the Blues in early July.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the offseason, Federko broke a small bone in his foot but recovered in time for the Blues' training camp.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, Blues head coach Emile Francis still used him sparingly during their exhibition games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko was subsequently assigned to the Blues' Central Hockey League (CHL) affiliate, the Kansas City Blues, for the 1976–77 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Part of the reason for this assignment was due to Francis' unwillingness to play rookies.<ref name="Marantz">Template:Cite news</ref>

Upon joining the Kansas City Blues, Federko was placed on a line with Brian Sutter and right winger Rick Bourbonnais.<ref name="fire">Template:Cite news</ref> He recorded his first professional hat-trick on October 27 while with the Kansas City Blues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By November 11, he ranked second in league scoring with eight goals and 12 assists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was called up to the NHL level on December 20 and made his NHL debut on December 22 against the Colorado Rockies.<ref name="timeline"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko played five games at the NHL level before being returned to the CHL.<ref name="Marantz"/> Despite missing a few games, Federko continued to lead the CHL in scoring upon his return and recorded 60 points through his first 25 CHL games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Due to the St. Louis Blues' losing record, Federko, Sutter, and Bourbonnais were called up to the NHL level in February and remained on a line together.<ref name="pop">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="fire"/> Federko scored his first NHL goal and assist on February 3, 1977, against the Boston Bruins.<ref name="timeline"/> He recorded his first NHL hat-trick two days later against the Buffalo Sabres on February 5.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that month, Federko recorded his second career NHL hat-trick in a 4–1 win over the Washington Capitals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He recorded eight goals through his first eight games and began to be used on the team's power-play.<ref name="pop"/> His final hat-trick of the season occurred on April 2 against the Cleveland Barons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko finished the regular season with 14 goals to help lead the Blues to the 1977 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens. Despite finishing the regular season in the NHL, Federko was named the CHL's Rookie of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Federko began the 1977–78 season with four goals through his first 54 games before Leo Boivin was replaced with Kansas City coach Barclay Plager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His scoring issues were compounded by a shoulder separation and knee injury, which required him to play with a brace.<ref name="disappointed">Template:Cite news</ref> Following Plager's promotion, Federko scored two goals to snap the Blues' franchise-record 12-game losing streak.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the final 26 games of the season under Plager, he scored 13 goals and 10 assists.<ref name="disappointed"/>

Breakout seasons and All-Star selections (1978–1983)

When Federko returned to the Blues for the 1978–79 season, he experienced a breakout season and set a franchise record for points.<ref name="timeline"/> He was placed on a line with Sutter and rookie Wayne Babych late in the preseason, and they were swiftly referred to the "Kid Line."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By the end of October, Federko ranked second in league scoring with four goals and 13 assists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While the trio earned the "Kid" moniker as they were all under the age of 23,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> none of them preferred that nickname.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite their rapid scoring pace to start the season, the Blues ranked third in the four-team Smythe Division.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-November, the "Kid Line" had scored 29 of the Blues' 60 goals, and Federko tied Babych for the league lead in scoring.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The trio started December with a combined 40 goals and 51 assists through the Blues' first 26 games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Blues head coach Barclay Plager heavily praised Federko for his role as centreman of the line, saying: "They play like they've been playing in the league 10 year...Bernie makes it happen."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko tied a single-game franchise record on December 19 after recording four assists in their 7–4 win over the Calgary Flames. This also helped the Blues snap a seven-game winless streak.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On January 30, Federko reached the 20 goal milestone for the first time in his career and set a franchise record by tallying his 50th assist of the season in a win over the Los Angeles Kings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He continued his rapid scoring pace through February and broke two franchise records. In the final game of the month, Federko scored his franchise-record 86th point of the season, and the "Kid Line" broke the franchise record for points accumulated by a line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, he was unable to complete the full season after suffering a wrist injury in one of the team's final games. Despite this, he finished with 31 goals and a franchise-record 64 assists for 95 points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko and Sutter subsequently signed extensions to remain with the Blues organisation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

While Federko, Sutter, and Babych were reunited to start the 1979–80 season,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> they were split up by November to bring greater scoring depth through the Blues' forward lines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Once Blair Chapman was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was placed on the wing of Federko and Sutter's line.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, when Chapman suffered an eye injury, head coach Red Berenson briefly replaced him with Babych on the wing.<ref name="pass">Template:Cite news</ref> Federko recorded his fourth career NHL hat-trick on February 3 to lead the Blues to their fifth win in six games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was also chosen for the 1980 NHL All-Star Game.<ref name="pass"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On April 6, 1980, Federko scored his 100th career NHL goal in the Blues' final regular-season game which helped them qualify for the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs.<ref name="timeline"/>

Federko and Sutter were reunited with Chapman to start the 1980–81 season before the latter suffered an injury. Berenson then replaced him with Babych, and the trio swiftly combined for 13 points through their first five games together before Babych suffered an injury on November 18.<ref name="Zuke">Template:Cite news</ref> Chapman returned to his original position on Federko's wing before suffering a groin injury at the end of November. He was then replaced with Tony Currie.<ref name="DeLand">Template:Cite news</ref> Despite his lack of consistent linemates, Federko set a franchise record for most consecutive games with an assist.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was unable to secure a league record because he sat out one game with a back injury.<ref name="Zuke"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His assist streak ended at 10 games and his point streak ended at 15 games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By early December, Federko had accumulated 36 points over 22 games<ref name="DeLand"/> and he finished the month fourth all-time in Blues scoring.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko was subsequently named to his second consecutive NHL All-Star Game.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Federko continued to play alongside Currie and Sutter as the Blues experienced an 11-game point streak, although Currie was eventually replaced with Chapman.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On March 7, Federko broke the Blues' single-season assist record in a win over the New York Rangers.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He then scored five points on March 28, 1981, against the Buffalo Sabres to become the first 100-point scorer in St. Louis Blues history.<ref name="lift">Template:Cite news</ref> Federko finished the regular season with a franchise and career-high 104 points through 78 games which helped the Blues qualify for the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This also moved him into third place on the Blues all-time scoring list with 357 career points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He continued to set numerous franchise records during the Blues' playoff berth, including the record for most goals and points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While the New York Rangers eventually eliminated the Blues, he led the team with eight goals and 10 assists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

While Federko experienced a lengthy scoring slump following an injury in the 1981–82 season, he finished with a team-leading 92 points. Due to various injuries in the Blues' lineup, Federko's line with Sutter and Chapman were leaned on to produce offensively for the team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He scored a team-leading eight goals in the Blues’ first 10 games, but the team endured a five-game losing streak during that span.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On December 19, Federko tied his own team record by tallying an assist in 10 consecutive games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, later that month, he tore his rib cartilage and missed six games to recover.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Upon returning to the Blues' lineup, he struggled to score and went goalless through 12 games.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After only scoring once through a 17-game period, Federko scored his fifth career NHL hat-trick on February 27 against the Detroit Red Wings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He scored his 30th goal of the regular-season in the Blues' final game<ref name="nose">Template:Cite news</ref> to help them finish third in the standings and qualify for the 1982 Stanley Cup playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He finished the regular season with a team-leading 92 points,<ref name="nose"/> which also helped him surpass Garry Unger for the most assists in franchise history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Federko and the Blues faced off against the Winnipeg Jets in the Clarence Campbell Conference Semifinals. Federko's line with Joe Mullen and Sutter remained together throughout the series. The trio combined for four goals in Game 3 to give the Blues the series lead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Game 4, the line combined for four goals and 14 points to lift the Blues to an 8–2 win and advance them to the Division Finals. Federko also set a franchise playoff record with five points in one game and 10 assists through the entire series.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On January 27, 1983, Federko became the second player in franchise history to record 500th career points with the Blues.<ref name="timeline" />

Setting records and Reaching Milestones (1983–1988)

On December 13, 1983, Federko surpassed Unger to become the Blues' all-time leading scorer. He scored his 204th goal and 373rd assist to reach a franchise-best 577 career points with the Blues.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Federko recorded his 500th and 501st career assists on November 26, 1985, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He signed a three-year contract extension with the Blues on April 25, 1986.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On March 19, 1988, in a game against the Hartford Whalers, Federko became the 22nd player in NHL history to record 1000 career points.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was subsequently honoured with the NHL Milestone Award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 1988, Unger signed a multi-year contract extension with the Blues. At the time of the signing, Federko held every major scoring record in the Blues franchise history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Detroit Red Wings and retirement (1989–1990)

After he had a poor season as a captain in 1988–89, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings with Tony McKegney for Adam Oates and Paul MacLean.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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, having played exactly 1,000 NHL games with his final game on April 1, 1990.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Post-NHL career

Less than a year after retiring as a player, the Blues retired number 24 in his honour on March 16, 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Federko was eventually inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002, the first Hall of Famer to earn his credentials primarily as a Blue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Following his retirement, Federko became a television colour commentator and studio analyst for Bally Sports Midwest during Blues broadcasts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was the head coach/general manager of the St. Louis Vipers roller hockey team of the Roller Hockey International for the 1993 and 1994 seasons.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1973–74	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		68	22	28	50	19		6	0	0	0	2
1974–75	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		66	39	68	107	30		17	15	7	22	8
1975–76	Saskatoon Blades	WCHL		72	72	115	187	106		20	18	27	45	8
1976–77	Kansas City Blues	CHL		42	30	39	69	41		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	St. Louis Blues	NHL		31	14	9	23	15		4	1	1	2	2
1977–78	St. Louis Blues	NHL		72	17	24	41	27		—	—	—	—	—
1978–79	St. Louis Blues	NHL		74	31	64	95	14		—	—	—	—	—
1979–80	St. Louis Blues	NHL		79	38	56	94	24		3	1	0	1	2
1980–81	St. Louis Blues	NHL		78	31	73	104	47		11	8	10	18	2
1981–82	St. Louis Blues	NHL		74	30	62	92	70		10	3	15	18	10
1982–83	St. Louis Blues	NHL		75	24	60	84	24		4	2	3	5	0
1983–84	St. Louis Blues	NHL		79	41	66	107	43		11	4	4	8	10
1984–85	St. Louis Blues	NHL		76	30	73	103	27		3	0	2	2	4
1985–86	St. Louis Blues	NHL		80	34	68	102	34		19	7	14	21	17
1986–87	St. Louis Blues	NHL		64	20	52	72	32		6	3	3	6	18
1987–88	St. Louis Blues	NHL		79	20	69	89	52		10	2	6	8	18
1988–89	St. Louis Blues	NHL		66	22	45	67	54		10	4	8	12	0
1989–90	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		73	17	40	57	24		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				1,000	369	761	1,130	487		91	35	66	101	83

Awards

• Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy (WCHL leading scorer) - 1976
• Named to the WCHL First 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)
• First NHL player to get 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons.

See also

• Hockey Hall of Fame
• List of NHL players with 1,000 points
• List of NHL players with 1,000 games played
• List of NHL players with 100-point seasons
• List of NHL statistical leaders

References

General references

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:Ice hockey stats