Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Categories: 1937 births | Canadian ice hockey players | Boston Bruins players | Chicago Blackhawks players | New York Rangers players | People from Alberta | Hartford Whalers players
John McKenzie
John McKenzie (born December 12, 1937 in High River , Alberta, Canada) is a former Canadian professional hockey player.
Born John Albert McKenzie, his teammates dubbed him "Pieface" for his teenage acne that lasted into his twenties but within a few years the nickname evolved to "Pie." After three years in the minor leagues, McKenzie made his NHL debut during the 1958-59 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. The following season he moved on to the Detroit Red Wings, where he lasted two years. He was then demoted back to the minors but returned to the NHL again during the 1963-64 season, once again with the Blackhawks, and two years later played for the New York Rangers for part of the 1965-66 season, halfway during which he was traded to the Rangers' arch-rivals, the Boston Bruins.
It was with the Bruins that the 5-foot-9-inch, 170-pound right wing had the most productive seasons of his career, scoring 169 goals in his 6½ years at Boston and helping the Bruins win two Stanley Cup titles, in 1969-70 and again in 1971-72. Immediately after the Bruins defeated the Rangers in six games in the Stanley Cup finals in the latter year (winning the clinching game on the Rangers' home ice at Madison Square Garden), McKenzie skated to center ice, raised one arm in a Statue of Liberty pose, placing his other hand around his neck, making a "choke" gesture (alluding to the fact that the result of the series had left the Rangers still looking for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1940), then jumping up and down in a circle several times. This became known as the "McKenzie Choke Dance," or simply the "choke dance."
Following the Bruins second Stanley Cup championship in 1972, McKenzie signed with as player-coach with the Philadelphia Blazers of the newly-formed World Hockey Association (WHA). After fourteen seasons in the NHL and another seven in the WHA, McKenzie retired having played in 1,168 games. His #19 was retired by the New England Whalers.
The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details


