George Pesut

George Matthew Pesut (born June 17, 1953) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played 92 games in the National Hockey League for the California Golden Seals over two seasons. He also played 17 games in the World Hockey Association with the Calgary Cowboys during the 1976–77 season. The rest of his career was mainly spent in the minor leagues and in Europe.

Early years
Pesut began his hockey career in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, in the city of Saskatoon. He played his minor hockey in the Saskatoon system and eventually began his junior career with the A level Saskatoon Macs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. A strapping, lanky defenseman, Pesut, at the age of 18, entered the major junior hockey ranks in the 1971–72 season with the Victoria Cougars which was a member of the Western Canada Hockey League, now called the WHL, one of the three the major junior leagues for professional draft eligible players in Canada. The WHL represented the best junior players in Western Canada, the others being the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) and the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League).

Professional career
George Pesut was drafted early in the second round at #24 of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by St. Louis Blues. Pro scouts had him rated much higher than many upcoming NHLers in the draft and he was selected ahead of other illustrious defensemen of that year, notably Colin Campbell, who was selected later in the second round by the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Pesut's junior teammate Dave Lewis selected in the third round by the New York Islanders. Both went on to lengthy careers in the NHL. At the same time, Pesut was also drafted by the fledgling World Hockey Association's Cleveland Crusaders, at exactly the same draft position as he had been drafted in the NHL, an unusual feat which provided prospective teams with a consistent analysis of his abilities. However, Pesut opted begin his professional career in the NHL and to accept a contract offer with the Blues. He was offered a similar contract which he declined, by the World Hockey Associations' Cleveland Crusaders, who retained his professional rights.

After attending the St. Louis Blues training camp in 1973, he was sent down to begin and develop his pro career with the Blue's minor league affiliate, the Denver Spurs in the Western Hockey League. In Denver, he played only 7 games before being traded in November 1973 to the Philadelphia Flyers for Bob Stumpf, a defenseman who was a later draft pick in the same draft year as Pesut. He was put on Philadelphia's opening night roster as the only rookie to make the squad.

The 1974-75 NHL season saw Pesut report to the California Golden Seals training camp and once again in his career, make the team's opening night roster. In his first full NHL season, Pesut put up a respectable 13 points in 47 games with the Golden Seals, a team which had been struggling as a bonafide NHL team since its inaugural season in 1967. The Golden Seals was primarily assembled from numerous off season trades and first round draft picks, with one of the youngest rosters in the NHL. The young team allowed Pesut to play alongside first year NHL defensemen and first round draft picks like the 18 year old Rick Hampton, who was selected third overall in the 1974 NHL amateur draft. Pesut, was also in good company on the Seal's blueline, coupled with much needed NHL mentorship from 32 year old, storied defenseman, Jim Neilson aka the "Chief". Neilson had played the previous 12 seasons with the New York Rangers and had clocked 1,058 total games in the NHL and World Hockey Association, 1,023 of those games in the NHL.

Awards, honors and accomplishments

 * Best Defenceman Award Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL Major Junior) 1972–73 season;
 * WCHL All-Star Team, 1972–73;
 * Voted the Best Defenceman in Swiss hockey three consecutive seasons;
 * German Championship winner with Berlin, first team All-star for consecutive seasons in Germany.