Poul Popiel
| Poul Popiel | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
February 28, 1943 Søllested, Denmark | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 176 lb (80 kg; 12 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Boston Bruins Los Angeles Kings Detroit Red Wings Vancouver Canucks Houston Aeros Innsbrucker EV Edmonton Oilers | ||
| Playing career | 1962–1980 | ||
Poul Peter Popiel (born February 28, 1943) is a Danish-American former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA), and also served as a head coach in the minor leagues. Following a brief 12 games in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Muskegon Mohawks, he retired and became the head coach. Popiel and Garry Peters were co-winners of the inaugural Ken McKenzie Trophy as Central Professional Hockey League rookies of the year in 1963-64. His younger brother Jan Popiel is also a former professional hockey player.
Popiel was the first Danish-born player in the National Hockey League. Popiel's family moved to Canada in 1951 when he was a child, and subsequently moved to the United States and he acquired American citizenship before making his NHL debut.