Born December 31, 1954 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Height: 5' 10" Weight: 180
Rights acquired from Houston Aeros for cash, July 6, 1978. Reclaimed by Chicago Blackhawks prior to Expansion Draft, June 9, 1979.
The Jets acquired Terry Ruskowski along with many other members of the defunct Houston Aeros in the summer of 1978 and he quickly established himself as a leader on the remade Jets' roster. The gritty, hard worker was an inspiration to his teammates and he was an integral part of the Jets' AVCO Cup championship team in 1979. Sadly, after one season in a Jets uniform, upon their entry into the NHL, the Jets lost him to the Chicago Black Hawks, who owned his NHL rights, and he remained in Chicago for three full seasons before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings in October 1982. He wound up his playing career six seasons later as a member of the Minnesota North Stars. Ruskowski was originally drafted by the Black Hawks in 1974, but he elected to sign with the Houston Aeros and played four seasons with the Aeros before coming to Winnipeg. During the summer of 1979, John Ferguson offered the Black Hawks a first round draft choice for Ruskowski, but the trade never materialized.
