Peter Ihnačák

Peter Ihnačák (born May 3, 1957 in Poprad, Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia) is a former Slovak ice hockey centre.

Draft
He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1982 NHL Entry draft as their 3rd choice, 25th overall.

Career
A star in Slovakia, Ihnacak was prohibitted from playing outside of the Communist bloc because members of his family had already fled Slovakia. He went on to play eight seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1982 until 1990.

In his first year with the Maple Leafs, he amassed a total of 66 points (28 goals and 38 assists), a rookie record within the Maple Leafs organization, which he holds until today.

In Europe, he played with the teams of ŠKP Poprad (Slovakia), HC Dukla Jihlava, HC Sparta Prague (both in the Czech Republic), Freiburg and Krefeld Pinguine (both in Germany).

International career
He was to play in the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, but was removed from the team because he was considered a flight risk. Eventually, due to his development as a player, Ihnacak's coach pushed for his inclusion on the 1982 World Championship team, which was to play in Helsinki, Finland. From there, Ihnacak successfully (with the aid of his older brother John) made his way to Stockholm, and from there to New York.

Coaching career
He was also the coach of the Nuremberg Ice Tigers and the Hannover Scorpions (Germany). Ihnačák is currently a German-based scout for the Maple Leafs.

Personal
Peter is the elder brother of the Toronto Maple Leafs' Miroslav Ihnačák.