Former NHL player Nick Harbaruk dies at 67

Published November 20, 2014

Nick Harbaruk, a defensive right wing who spent five seasons in the NHL in the 1970s, has died. He was 67.

He died of bone cancer at Scarborough General Hospital in suburban Toronto on March 10, daughter Kim Salmon said.

Harbaruk played four seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins and one with the St. Louis Blues, leaving the NHL in 1974. He joined the WHA and spent 2½ seasons with the Indianapolis Racers.

Harbaruk was born in Poland and came to Canada at age 5. He played three seasons with the Toronto Marlboros in the days when NHL teams sponsored junior clubs. Harbaruk helped the Marlies, loaded with future NHL players, win the Memorial Cup in 1964.

He languished in the Toronto Maple Leafs' farm system in Tulsa, Okla., for five seasons before getting a break in the post-expansion era. He also played in the minors with Vancouver, Oklahoma City and Rochester.

In addition to his daughter, Harbaruk is survived by his wife, Nancy, and another child.

The funeral is Wednesday in Toronto.

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