Paul Shmyr

Paul Shmyr (January 18, 1946 – September 2, 2004) was a Canadian defenceman who competed in both the NHL and WHA across a career that touched three championship finals. After time with the NHL's California Golden Seals, he joined the Cleveland Crusaders of the WHA, earning the league's top defenceman award in 1976. He later captained the Edmonton Oilers to the WHA's final regular-season title, notably wearing a Cyrillic "К" in place of the traditional captain's "C" to honor his Ukrainian heritage. Following the WHA's dissolution, he was claimed by the Minnesota North Stars and named team captain in 1979.