Chuck Luksa

If you are looking to buy some real estate in the Brampton, Ontario region, go see Chuck Luksa. He can answer all your questions about neighborhoods and schools and housing options.

Be sure to ask him his days with the Hartford Whalers.

In a previous life Chuck Luksa was a hockey player. He was never really destined for NHL stardom. He only played seven games of major junior hockey, thinking he was going to go the academic route. He did enroll and play a season with the University of Toronto in 1974.

Despite his unassuming junior career, Chuck Luksa was drafted in both the NHL and WHA amateur drafts of 1974. The Montreal Canadiens took him 172nd overall in the NHL, while the Phoenix Roadrunners took him 177th overall in the WHA.

Luksa's big league dreams still were pretty remote, but he decided to chase them anyway. Even though the WHA was always desperate for defenseman, Luksa opted to sign with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Habs were just about to embark upon another dynasty, soon to win four Stanley Cups in a row. With the likes of Larry Robinson, Serge Savard and Guy Lapointe on the blue line, even top young talent like Rod Langway had trouble cracking that line up. Luksa would apprentice for four solid seasons with the Canadiens farm team in Nova Scotia.

But a shot at the big leagues was never coming for Luksa in Montreal. He decided to find a bigger pay cheque in the WHA, playing the 1978-79 season with the Cincinnati Stingers.

The WHA folded after that season, with the remaining teams - Edmonton, Quebec, Winnipeg and Hartford - joining the National Hockey League. Through a complicated draft of talent Luksa became property of the Whalers inaugural NHL team.

Luksa made the Whalers blue line out of training camp. His first NHL game was also the Whalers first NHL contest. However Luksa would only play in a total of eight games - picking up one assist - before being sent to the minor leagues.

Luksa would spend parts of three seasons in the minor leagues, with half a season in Finland as well.