Stan Mikita was born in Sokolce, Czechoslovakia, and arrived in Canada in 1948after being adopted by his own aunt and uncle. Enrolled in public school at St. Catharines, Ontario, he had a difficult time at first, adapting to both a new country and new language. 

Perhaps his dogged perseverance laid the framework for his entry into the NHL, with the Chicago Black Hawks in 1958-59. His determined approach to hockey led to impressive totals in both scoring and penalties in Mikita's early years. He played 20 full seasons in the NHL, plus parts of two others, and blazed an impressive trail. His inherent intelligence made him a respected leader, and integral part of the Chicago team that won the Stanley Cup in 1960-61. It was Chicago's only Cup win since 1937-38. 

Stan Mikita is the answer to a few extremely interesting hockey trivia questions. Mikita is credited with being the first to use a curved blade on his hockey stick and is also the last player in history to lead the league in scoring without reaching 100 points (not including the lock-out shortened season of 1995). 

Mikita was named eight times to All-Star teams (six to the first) in the NHL, and he picked up a load of trophies en route. 

He was the first ever to win the Ross, Hart and Lady Byng trophies in the same season. And he did it twice -- 1966-67 and 1967-68. He also won the Ross in 1963-64 and 1964-65, and the Patrick Trophy (for outstanding contribution to hockey in the U.S.) in 1976. In 1983 he was also elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

When Mikita hung up his skates in 1979-80, he had played in 1,394 regular season games, recording 541 goals and 926 assists. In 155 playoff games he added 59 goals and 91 assists. 

Mikita founded the American Impaired Hearing Association, around 1972-73 for youngsters hard of hearing, and stages an annual tournament with several teams involved, at Chicago.