Stan Mikita.

Stan Mikita. Stan Mikita, born in 1940, Canadian professional ice hockey player, one of the all-time scoring leaders of the National Hockey League (NHL). Noted as a high-scoring center, Mikita had 541 regular-season goals and 59 playoff goals during his 22-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was elected to hockey's Hall of Fame in 1983. Born Stanislav Gvoth in Skolce, Czechoslovakia, Mikita was taken to Canada in 1948 by his uncle and aunt and adopted their last name. In Canada he quickly took to ice hockey, played in Canada's top amateur hockey league, and signed professionally with the Chicago Blackhawks. In the 1958-59 season he played in a few games for the Blackhawks and then joined them permanently for the 1959-60 season, retiring after the 1979-80 season. Mikita's career with the Blackhawks included numerous honors. He won the NHL top-scoring title (Art Ross Trophy) in 1964, 1965, 1967, and 1968. In 1967 and 1968, he also won the league's Hart Trophy for most valuable player and the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship. Mikita became the first player to receive the NHL's three major awards in a single season. In the 1961 Stanley Cup decision, won by the Blackhawks, Mikita set a record for playoff goals. Although often overshadowed by teammate Bobby Hull, Mikita was voted to the NHL All-Star team six times and to hockey's Hall of Fame in 1983. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.