Gord Kluzak

Gordon Kluzak
Born	Gordon Glen Kluzak (1964-03-04) March 4, 1964 Climax, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation(s)	Ice hockey defenseman (retired), broadcaster, businessman
Years active	1982–1991 (player), 1995–2015 (broadcaster)
Known for	First overall pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft; Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy winner; Boston Bruins defenseman

Gordon Glen Kluzak (born March 4, 1964) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who competed with the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1982 and 1991. He was chosen as the top pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the Bruins.

Playing career

Originating from Climax, Saskatchewan, Kluzak was raised on a wheat farm and completed his education at Athol Murray College of Notre Dame located in Wilcox, Saskatchewan.

His junior hockey tenure included two seasons with the WHL's Billings Bighorns, where he formed a defensive partnership with future NHL player Bob Rouse. During the 1981–82 season, he suffered a ligament tear in his left knee that sidelined him for half the season plus the entire playoff run, initiating a series of recurring knee complications.

Nevertheless, The Hockey News ranked him as the third overall prospect and second among WHL players leading up to the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden opted to draft Kluzak first overall, foregoing other prominent selections such as Brian Bellows and favored defenseman Gary Nylund. To facilitate this, Sinden arranged a trade with the Minnesota North Stars, allowing Bellows to be selected second overall in exchange for players Brad Palmer and Dave Donnelly.

Kluzak’s professional trajectory was significantly hindered by persistent knee injuries, culminating in his retirement at age 27 after appearing in only 299 NHL contests. Though his initial two seasons were largely injury-free, he sustained another ligament tear on October 7, 1984, necessitating reconstructive surgery and causing him to miss the entire following season and playoffs. After returning for most of the subsequent campaign, he re-injured his knee in September 1986, which ruled him out for that entire year.

His most successful period occurred during , when he participated in 66 regular-season games and all 23 postseason matches as Boston advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. Chronic knee ailments led to a total of 11 surgeries over three seasons, restricting him to just 13 games before announcing his retirement on November 12, 1990.

In recognition of his determination amid adversity during his injury-affected , Kluzak was awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. When compared with other notable first-round picks from 1982 such as Bellows (1,188 games), Nylund (608 games), and Scott Stevens (1,635 games), Kluzak’s career is frequently referenced as an example of unrealized potential due to injury setbacks.

International play

In 1982, Kluzak represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, marking a shift as Canada sent its top prospects rather than relying on the defending Memorial Cup champions.

Under the leadership of Kluzak and goaltender Mike Moffat, Team Canada dominated opponents with a goal differential of 45–14. This included a decisive 7–0 victory over the Soviet Union, securing Canada's inaugural gold medal at this tournament.

A memorable incident during the event involved Kluzak and several teammates singing "O Canada" from the blue line after organizers in Rochester, Minnesota had not prepared a recorded version of the anthem, having not anticipated a Canadian victory.

Post-retirement

After an early departure from professional hockey, Kluzak earned an Economics degree from Harvard University in 1994 before spending two years as Chief of Staff at a state lottery organization. He later returned to Harvard for an MBA, completing it in 1998. Subsequently, he embarked on a career at Goldman Sachs.

Kluzak also contributed to hockey broadcasting as a color commentator for Bruins games from 1995–96 through 2003–04 and worked as a studio analyst for NESN between 2005 and 2015, frequently partnering with announcer Dale Arnold.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1980–81	Billings Bighorns	WHL		68	4	34	38	160		5	0	1	1	4
1981–82	Billings Bighorns	WHL		38	9	24	33	110		—	—	—	—	—
1982–83	Boston Bruins	NHL		70	1	6	7	105		17	1	4	5	54
1983–84	Boston Bruins	NHL		80	10	27	37	135		3	0	0	0	0
1985–86	Boston Bruins	NHL		70	8	31	39	155		3	1	1	2	16
1987–88	Boston Bruins	NHL		66	6	31	37	135		23	4	8	12	59
1988–89	Boston Bruins	NHL		3	0	1	1	2		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Boston Bruins	NHL		8	0	2	2	11		—	—	—	—	—
1990–91	Boston Bruins	NHL		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
NHL career totals				299	25	98	123	543		46	6	13	19	129

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1982	Canada	WJC		7	0	1	1	4

Awards

• Honored as Best Defenceman at the World Junior Championships: 1982
• Selected to the World Junior Championships All-Star First Team: 1982
• Named to the Western Hockey League All-Star Second Team for the season of 1981–82
• Recipient of Canadian Amateur Junior Male Athlete of the Year award: 1982
• Awarded the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy in the year spanning the seasons of 1989–90
• Recognized among the Top One Hundred Best Bruins Players in franchise history