Walt Poddubny was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for several teams during his career. He was born on February 14, 1960, in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
Poddubny began his hockey career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Kingston Canadians in 1977. He played for several other teams in the OHL before being drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round of the 1980 NHL Entry Draft.
Poddubny made his NHL debut with the Oilers during the 1981-82 season, but he only played in two games. He spent most of the season playing for the Oilers' minor league affiliate, the Wichita Wind of the Central Hockey League (CHL).
In 1982, Poddubny was traded to the New York Rangers. He played for the Rangers for three seasons and had his best season in 1985-86 when he scored 40 goals and had 51 assists for a total of 91 points. This was the only time in his career that he scored more than 30 goals in a season.
After his time with the Rangers, Poddubny played for several other teams in the NHL, including the Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New Jersey Devils. He also played for teams in Europe and Japan during his career.
Poddubny retired from professional hockey in 1994. He finished his NHL career with 184 goals and 238 assists for a total of 422 points in 468 games played.
After his playing career, Poddubny became a coach and worked with several teams in the minor leagues. He also worked as a scout for the New York Rangers.
Poddubny passed away on March 21, 2009, at the age of 49. He was survived by his wife and two children.
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