Richard Hajdu

Richard Hajdu was a hard-luck left winger out of Victoria British Columbia. He liked to play a physical style but his body never could seem to stand up to the rigors of the game.

Hajdu, born in Victoria in 1965, starred in the British Columbia junior ranks, first with the Kamloops Jr. Oilers where he impressed the Buffalo Sabres enough to draft him 34th overall in 1983, and then with the Victoria Cougars. It was with the Cougars that injury problems really set in and would set the tone for his career.

Richard turned professional in the 1985-86 seasons, and even debuted in the National Hockey League with 3 appearances. However he spent most of the year with the AHL Rochester Americans where he struggled at times.

Richard enjoyed his healthiest season as a professional in 1986-87. He appeared in 60 total contests, however only 2 of those were with the Sabres. The rest of the year was spent with the Amerks where he continued to struggle, especially with the puck.

Richard returned to the Sabres training camp for the 1987-88 season but it quickly became apparent the Sabres were not including him in their plans. After a year split between the AHL and the IHL Flint Spirits, Richard was released.

Richard didn't find a lot of NHL offers coming his way in the summer of 1988, so he committed to the Canadian national team for the year. He found he enjoyed the game again while with the Nats, and returned for a total of 3 years with the team. He also earned some extra income by signing on with little known teams in Austria and Italy.

Richard returned to the North American pro ranks for the 1992-93 season as he signed on with the Dallas Freeze of the CHL. He was having a very solid year, scoring 24 points in 21 games, but retired mid-season because of injuries. He said his heart was no longer in the game and that he wanted to focus on building his life with his fiancée

Richard returned to British Columbia and got his real estate license. He currently sells real estate in the beautiful Cowichan Valley region.