Mike Liut
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Position | Goaltender |
Catches | Left |
Height Weight |
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 195 lb (88 kg/13 st 13 lb) |
NHL Team F. teams |
retired Washington Capitals Hartford Whalers St. Louis Blues |
Nationality | Canada |
Born | January 7, 1956 , Weston, Ontario |
NHL Draft | 56th overall, 1976 St. Louis Blues |
Pro career | 1979(NHL) – 1992 |
Michael Dennis Liut (born January 7, 1956 in Weston, Ontario) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender.
Mike played in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1992. During this time, he played for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, and St. Louis Blues. Mike also played two years with the World Hockey Association's Cincinnati Stingers. Mike won the 1981 Lester B. Pearson Award for being the most valuable player according to the his fellow players, and posted the league's best goals-against average in 1989–90.
Mike Liut took a huge step towards becoming a professional goaltender when he enrolled at Bowling Green State University in 1973. It was there that superior coaching and academic development gave him the foundation to turn pro with confidence. After being named twice to the CCHA First All-Star team, Liut turned a few heads at the Central Scouting Bureau. He was selected 56th overall by the St. Louis Blues in 1976 but instead opted to play for the Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA where he took on the Bobby Hulls and Dave Keons of the league for two seasons. When the WHA went under and merged with the NHL in 1979, the Blues reclaimed Liut's rights.
Liut was outstanding in his début with St. Louis. His first two seasons saw him pile up 71 victories. In 1980–81, he was voted a runner-up to Wayne Gretzky for the Hart Trophy; he was selected as a First Team All-Star; and, he won the Lester B. Pearson Trophy as the league's MVP as determined by his peers. That fall, he was Canada's starting goaltender at the 1981 Canada Cup, which ended with a disappointing 8–1 loss to the Soviet Union in the Final.
In 1985, Liut was traded to the Hartford Whalers where, in his second season, he led the NHL in shutouts with four. In that same season, Liut backstopped the Whalers into the Wales Conference semifinals, where they were defeated by the Montreal Canadiens in OT of the seventh game in a memorable playoff series. The Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup that year. In 1986–87, Liut led the Whalers to their first and only Adams Division Title and was named to the NHL's Second All-Star Team. He also posted the league's best goals-against average with the Whalers in 1989–90.
He was traded to the Washington Capitals in 1990, but had difficulty maintaining his workhorse status because of a failing back, an ailment that led to his retirement in 1991–92.
Following his playing career, Liut joined the University of Michigan as an assistant coach in 1995–96 until the end of the 1997–98 season.
He is a second cousin of former NHL player Ron Francis.