A Memorial Cup champion with the Toronto Marlboros and a Stanley Cup champion with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pete Stemkowski finished his National Hockey League career 33 games shy of 1,000. His Stanley Cup came with the Maple Leafs but he was more appreciated with the New York Rangers. Pete is number 54 in the top 100 Ranger Greats.
Pete Stemkowski – Junior and Minor Pro
From Manitoba, Stemkowski spent two years, 1960-61 and 1961-62, with the Winnipeg Monarchs in the MJHL. Five games into the 1962-63 MJHL season, Pete moved east to play in the OHA with the Toronto Marlboros.
1963-64 was his last year of junior and a major success. Over 51 regular season games, Stemkowski scored 42 and assisted on 61 for 103 points. He tied for fifth in the league for goals with teammate Wayne Carleton. His 61 assists placed him third in the league behind Andre Boudrias of the Monteral Junior Canadiens and Fred Stanfield of the St. Catherines Black Hawks. In the race for the Eddie Powers Trophy, Stemkowski’s 103 points placed him fourth, behind Boudrias, Yvan Cournoyer of the Junior Canadiens and Stanfield.
That year, the Marlboros ended up in the Memorial Cup finals against the Edmonton Oil Kings. The series was held entirely at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and the Marlboros swept their opponents from Alberta in four games. Pete’s teammates on that team included Ron Ellis, Brit Selby, Rod Seiling and Mike Walton.
In 1963-64, Stemkowski also saw his first action in the pros. Pete played one game in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also appeared in three American Hockey League games with the Rochester Americans.
Stemkowski played 35 more games for the Amerks in 1964-65 and seven more in 1965-66 before going full-time in the NHL. He returned to the AHL at the end of his career, appearing in 24 games with the Springfield Indians in 1978-79. Midseason, Pete retired as a player and jumped behind the bench, replacing Ted Harris as head coach. Springfield placed last in the four team Northern Division and out of the Calder Cup playoffs. It would be his only kick at the coaching can.
Pete Stemkowski – NHL
Over his 967 regular season games in the National Hockey League, Stemkowski scored 206 goals and assisted on 349 for 555 points. In the Stanley Cup playoffs, Pete played 83 games, scoring 25 and assisting on 29 for 54 points.
Stemkowski played in the NHL from 1963-64 to 1977-78 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings. His sole Stanley Cup championship came with the 1966-67 Maple Leafs. Pete played a huge role offensively with 12 points in 12 games.
In March, 1968, Stemkowski was part of blockbuster between Toronto and Detroit. Going with him to the Red Wings were Carl Brewer, Garry Unger and Frank Mahovlich. Going to the Maple Leafs were Norm Ullman, Floyd Smith, Paul Henderson and Doug Barrie.
Pete Stemkowski Collection
Over his NHL career, Stemkowski was a 20 goal scorer five times. He topped out with 25 goals in 1969-70 with Detroit and in 1973-74 with the Rangers. His top overall offensive season was 1973-74 when he added 45 assists for 70 points over 78 games.
In 1971-72, Pete came close to a second Stanley Cup championship. The Rangers reached the finals but were ousted by Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and the Boston Bruins.
Pete Stemkowski – Rookie Card
The Pete Stemkowski rookie card appears as number 84 in the 1965-66 Topps set. He is shown as a member of the Maple Leafs and the card is valued as a common.
In 1970-71, O-Pee-Chee put out an unusual two cards of Stemkowski. He appears on card number 25 and 182. 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 25 shows him in a Red Wings jersey but the card says he plays for the Rangers. 1970-71 O-Pee-Chee 182 shows him in a Rangers jersey. Pete was traded from the Red Wings to the Rangers on October 31, 1970, just ten games into the season.
Oddly, despite playing full seasons for the Rangers along the way, Stemkowski was left out of the 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1973-74 Topps sets. He was included by O-Pee-Chee in each of those three years.
Pete Stemkowski Career Stats
| Season | Team | Lge | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1963-64 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1963-64 | Toronto Marlboros | OHA | 51 | 42 | 61 | 103 | 0 |
| 1963-64 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1964-65 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 35 | 17 | 22 | 39 | 52 |
| 1964-65 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 36 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 33 |
| 1965-66 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 7 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 8 |
| 1965-66 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 56 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 55 |
| 1966-67 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 68 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 75 |
| 1967-68 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 60 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 82 |
| 1967-68 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
| 1968-69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 71 | 21 | 31 | 52 | 81 |
| 1969-70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 76 | 25 | 24 | 49 | 114 |
| 1970-71 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 1970-71 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 16 | 29 | 45 | 61 |
| 1971-72 | New York Rangers | NHL | 59 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 53 |
| 1972-73 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 22 | 37 | 59 | 71 |
| 1973-74 | New York Rangers | NHL | 78 | 25 | 45 | 70 | 74 |
| 1974-75 | New York Rangers | NHL | 77 | 24 | 35 | 59 | 63 |
| 1975-76 | New York Rangers | NHL | 75 | 13 | 28 | 41 | 49 |
| 1976-77 | New York Rangers | NHL | 61 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 8 |
| 1977-78 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 80 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 33 |
| 1978-79 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 24 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 8 |
| NHL Totals | 967 | 206 | 349 | 555 | 866 |