Eric Nesterenko, longtime Blackhawks forward, dies at 88

Eric Nesterenko, a Blackhawks forward for 16 years and a member of the 1961 Stanley Cup championship team, died Monday. He was 88.

A native of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Nesterenko entered the NHL with the Maple Leafs in 1952 but spent most of his career with the Hawks (1956 to 1972). He was an All-Star in 1961 and 1965.

A scorer and a fighter, Nesterenko had 207 goals, 288 assists and 1,014 penalty minutes in 1,013 games for the Hawks.

He ranks seventh in franchise history in games played — Jonathan Toews passed him for sixth in the Hawks’ last game of the 2021-22 season — and ninth in penalty minutes.

Alongside fellow Hawks legends Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, Pierre Pilote and Glenn Hall, Nesterenko aided the 1961 championship run with 38 points in 68 regular-season appearances and another five points in 11 playoff appearances as the Hawks beat the Canadiens and Red Wings to win the Cup.

Sun-Times file photo

He spent his last season (1973-74) with the Chicago Cougars of the World Hockey Association before enjoying a colorful post-hockey career, starring alongside Rob Lowe in the 1986 hockey movie ‘‘Youngblood’’ and working as a ski instructor in Vail, Colorado.

“My best years were in Chicago,” Nesterenko told the Sun-Times in 1986 while promoting the movie. “I miss it.”