Career
He played 180 games in the National Hockey League with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. Hank Nowak played left-wing for 3 different teams throughout the 70s. He was a disciplined checker, useful grinder" with a muscular build, who could contribute occasionally to the scoring.
Nowak spent 2 years with the Oshawa Generals of the OHA. Chosen 87th overall by the Flyers in 1970 in the amateur draft, he was assigned to the Quebec Aces.
He also played with Richmond Robins and Hershey Bears, and was then was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins. After 13 games with the Pens in 1973-1974, he spent most of the season in Hershey, scoring 32 goals in 56 games.
In May 1974, Nowak was traded to Detroit for Nelson Debenedet. Nowak scored 22 points in 56 games for the Wings, but then he was traded to Boston with Earl Anderson for Walt McKechnie.
In the 1975 playoffs Nowak scored 1 goal.
On February 7, 1976, Nowak played in Darryl Sittler"s National Hockey League record setting game when Boston played the Toronto Maple Leafs. This was the night that Daryl Sittler set an National Hockey League record for most points scored in one game when he recorded ten points (six goals, four assists). Nowak claims that despite the 11-4 loss that night he was still +3! Nowak retired from competitive hockey in 1980.
He went on to work for the TTC. Hank is currently retired from the Toronto Transit Commission.
Hank Nowak was playing occasionally in the ASHL for the "Toronto Blue Hogs." He is now no longer playing.
