Mike Pelyk

Michael Joseph Pelyk (born September 29, 1947) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played between 1967 and 1978. He appeared in 441 games in the National Hockey League and 150 games in the World Hockey Association, suiting up for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Blazers, and Cincinnati Stingers.

Pelyk attended Michael Power/St. Joseph High School in Etobicoke, Ontario. A gifted skater, he struggled with inconsistency during his early NHL years with the Maple Leafs. In the 1973–74 season he appeared to be reaching his potential, leading Toronto's defencemen with 12 goals, when he was lured away from the Leafs with a million-dollar contract to join the Vancouver Blazers of the WHA. He was never quite able to return to the form he had shown in 1973–74, either across his two years in the WHA or following his return to the Maple Leafs in 1976. During the 1975–76 season he served as captain of the WHA's Cincinnati Stingers. After two final years alternating between the NHL and the Central Hockey League, he retired in 1978.