Jim Peplinski

James Desmond Peplinski (born October 24, 1960) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He played ten seasons in the NHL (all with the Calgary Flames) and won the Stanley Cup in 1989. He represented Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics as a member of the national hockey team.

Jim Peplinski
Peplinski in 2014
Born (1960-10-24) October 24, 1960
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Weight 210 lb (95 kg; 15 st 0 lb)
Position Right wing
Shot Right
Played for Calgary Flames
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 75th overall, 1979
Atlanta Flames
Playing career 1980–1990
1994–1995

Playing career

Peplinski played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) between 1977 and 1980. He scored 101 points in 67 games in his final season of junior.[1] The Atlanta Flames selected him with their fourth round selection, 75th overall, at the 1979 NHL Entry Draft.[2] Following the franchise's relocation to Canada, he made his NHL debut in 1980 and was an original member of the Calgary Flames, scoring 38 points in his rookie season.[1] Playing his 100th career game on November 17, 1981, Peplinski scored four goals against the Winnipeg Jets as part of a career high 30-goal, 67-point season in the 1981–82 season.[2]

One of Peplinski's strengths was his durability. He missed only 24 games during his career, appearing in all 80 of the Flames' games in 1980–81, 1982–83, 1984–85 and 1986–87.[1] He was named a tri-captain of the team, shared with Lanny McDonald and Doug Risebrough, in the 1984–85 season.[2] For the 1988 Winter Olympics, the International Ice Hockey Federation opened the hockey tournament to all professionals. While the NHL refused to allow most of its players to participate, the Flames released Peplinski to the Canadian Olympic team.[3] He appeared in seven games, scoring one assist for the fourth place Canadians.[4]

In the Flames' Stanley Cup championship season of 1988–89, Peplinski scored 38 points in 79 games, and appeared in 20 more games in the 1989 Stanley Cup Playoffs.[1] Prior to the sixth game of the final against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Terry Crisp wanted to insert McDonald, who was expected to retire following the season, into the lineup for the possible clinching game. As a result, Peplinski was scratched from the line-up and watched as the team won the championship. He came onto the ice to accept the trophy with McDonald and alternate captain Tim Hunter.[5][6]

Six games into the 1989–90 NHL season, Peplinski chose to retire.[5] He left the game as the Flames' all-time leader in games played at 705.[2] He moved to the broadcast booth, joining Hockey Night in Canada as a color commentator before attempting an NHL comeback in 1994–95. His comeback lasted six more games before he left the game for good.[5] Peplinski settled in Calgary after his retirement and remains active with the team's alumni association. He organized the alumni game between the Flames and Canadiens at the 2011 Heritage Classic.[7]

Peplinski has the longest goal streak among the NHL players without scoring a power-play goal - 124, from his last power play goal on November 23, 1982 against the Washington Capitals and until his retirement.[8]

Peplinski prior to the alumni game at the 2011 Heritage Classic.

Personal life

Upon retiring from the Flames, Peplinski invested in Hartfield Chieftain Leasing, a small vehicle leasing company. Starting with 565 units, split between operations in Calgary and Edmonton, the company initially struggled. In 1998, the company was thriving and merged with his father-in-law's leasing company in the East (Leasemaster), creating a national vehicle leasing firm, Jim Peplinski Leasing Inc.[9] Peplinski remains the Chairman of Jim Peplinski Leasing which serves small to mid-sided fleet vehicles across the country.

Peplinski is also the Chairman of Properly Investment Company, a firm established to invest in entrepreneurs looking to take their business to the next level.

Peplinski has been recognized on multiple occasions for his charitable contributions, particularly those supporting children. He was named the final recipient of the Charlie Conacher Humanitarian Award in 1984 for his work in support of the Special Olympics and Big Brothers of Calgary.[10] The Flames named him their recipient of the Ralph T. Scurfield Humanitarian Award in 1988.[2]

Peplinski is married to Catherine (née Esplen), and they have four children together.

Arena 1 in the Jim Durrell Centre is named Jim Peplinski Arena.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1976–77 Ottawa South Canadians Midget AA 22 22 33 55 42 — — — — —
1977–78 Toronto Marlboros OMJHL 66 13 28 41 44 5 2 2 4 26
1978–79 Toronto Marlboros OMJHL 66 23 32 55 88 3 0 1 1 0
1979–80 Toronto Marlboros OMJHL 67 35 66 101 89 4 1 2 3 15
1980–81 Calgary Flames NHL 80 13 25 38 108 16 2 3 5 41
1981–82 Calgary Flames NHL 74 30 37 67 115 3 1 0 1 13
1982–83 Calgary Flames NHL 80 15 26 41 134 8 1 1 2 45
1983–84 Calgary Flames NHL 74 11 22 33 114 11 3 4 7 21
1984–85 Calgary Flames NHL 80 16 29 45 111 4 1 3 4 11
1985–86 Calgary Flames NHL 77 24 35 59 214 22 5 9 14 107
1986–87 Calgary Flames NHL 80 18 32 50 181 6 1 0 1 24
1987–88 Calgary Flames NHL 75 20 31 51 234 9 0 5 5 45
1988–89 Calgary Flames NHL 79 13 25 38 241 20 1 6 7 75
1989–90 Calgary Flames NHL 6 1 0 1 4 — — — — —
1994–95 Calgary Flames NHL 6 0 1 1 11 — — — — —
NHL totals 711 161 263 424 1,467 99 15 31 46 382

International
Year Team Comp   GP G A Pts PIM
1988 Canada OG 7 0 1 1 6

References
  1. "Jim Peplinski profile". Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2012-03-17.
  2. Ornest, Leo, ed. (1989). 1989–90 Calgary Flames Media Guide. Calgary Flames Hockey Club. p. 50.
  3. Podnieks, Andrew (2009). Canada's Olympic Hockey History 1920–2010. Toronto: Fenn Publishing. pp. 149–151. ISBN 978-1-55168-323-2.
  4. Podnieks, Andrew (2009). Canada's Olympic Hockey History 1920–2010. Toronto: Fenn Publishing. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-55168-323-2.
  5. Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 668. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  6. Duhatschek, Eric (1989-05-26). "Stanley Cup: Ours at last". Calgary Herald. p. A1.
  7. Gilbertson, Wes (2011-02-19). "Total recall". Calgary Sun. pp. S4–5.
  8. "Goal streaks without a Powerplay goal". MoreHockeyStats.
  9. "The story of Jim Peplinski Leasing". Jim Peplinksi Leasing. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  10. "Peplinski voted Conacher Award". Ottawa Citizen. 1984-05-30. p. 40. Retrieved 2012-03-18.

Note: During Jim Peplinski's tenure as captain of the Flames he shared the role of captain with Doug Risebrough (1984–87) and Lanny McDonald (1984–89), and then served as sole captain for the first six games of 1989–90, before retiring.

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