Chick Zamick
| Chick Zamick | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
16 April 1926 Winnipeg, MB, CAN | ||
| Died |
8 October 2007 (aged 81) London, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Played for |
Cleveland Barons Nottingham Panthers Altrincham Aces Wembley Lions | ||
| Playing career | 1947–1963 | ||
Victor Zamick (16 April 1926 – 8 October 2007), better known as Chick Zamick, was an ice hockey player and coach best known for his success as a player at the Nottingham Panthers. He is a member of the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
Early life
Zamick was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was one of 10 surviving children (of 13) born to Jewish parents originally from Russia. The children often went by the nickname "Chick", in reference to the number of pieces in a pack of Chiclets brand chewing gum (10). This nickname stuck to Victor. He began playing ice hockey at the age of 15 and would play for the Cleveland Barons in the American Hockey League and St Catherine Teepees in the Ontario Hockey Association before his move to Europe.
Nottingham Panthers
In 1947 he was asked by Sandy Archer to join the Nottingham Panthers, who were in their second season. Zamick went on to play for the English club for eleven seasons. He finished as the club's top point scorer in every season and only failed to score above one hundred points twice. His best season came in 1954-55 when he scored 169 points in 62 games. During the 1955-56 season he coached the Panthers to the Autumn Cup, Ahearne Cup and league treble.
Zamick left Nottingham in 1958 to take up a coaching position in Geneva. After returning to the United Kingdom he spent time playing for the Altrincham Aces and Wembley Lions.
Later life and death
After retiring from playing, Zamick opened several business in Nottingham including a dry cleaners, sauna and squash club. Eventually Zamick moved to London. In 2005, a plaque was unveiled at the National Ice Centre commemorating his achievements.
Zamick died after a short illness on 8 October 2007. He is survived by his wife Vera, four children and six grandchildren.
Legacy
He scored 1,423 points in 778 appearances and remains one of the Nottingham Panthers' all-time leaders. His scoring records have only been surpassed by Paul Adey who is the only other player to have amassed more than 1,000 points for the club.
References
External links
- Chick Zamick's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
- Chick Zamick's biography at British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame
- Chick Zamick's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame