PLAYER #71 - ANNIS STUKUS (1935-41)

They didn't induct Annis Stukus into the CFL Hall-of-Fame in 1974, nor name the CFL coach-of-the-year award after him for nothing, you know.

As one of the most influential players, coaches, owners and promoters in the league's history, Stukus was a CFL one-of-a- kind, someone who did it all in both the east and west.

"(Annis) probably had a more interesting career than any other ex-Argo," said his brother Frank.

Apart from being an intergral part of the Argonauts for seven years, which included two Grey Cup championships in 1937 and 1938, Annis also wrote about the team as a sportswriter for The Toronto Star, where he worked from 1933-1949.

"That's how we used to get so much publicity," said Frank. "He used to cover the games we played. But he wouldn't overdo it. Bill and I got a hell of a lot more publicity from Ted Reeve (in the Toronto Telegram) than Annis."

During the war years, Annis went into the navy and played locally for the Toronto Indians in the ORFU. Then, in 1949, at the urging of his brother Frank, Annis left the Toronto Star to move out west and rebuild the Edmonton Eskimos.

"Annis stole half of the Argo and Hamilton players and went to Edmonton," recalled Frank, as the CFL was forced to incorporate and restrict free agent movement, partly as a result of Annis' dealings.

In 1952, Stukus came back east to work for the Star again for a year, and then in 1953 moved back out west, this time to the coast to start up the B.C. Lions, who were about the enter the CFL in 1954.

"He sold out (Vancouver's) Empire Stadium the year before the season started," said Frank. "He was the best promoter you could imagine. He was a real wheeler and dealer, that Annis."

So much of a wheeler and dealer that he pulled off one of the biggest heists in the history of hockey, taking Bobby Hull away from the Chicago Blackhawks and signing him to the Winnipeg Jets, where Annis was the general manager, of the new World Hockey Association in 1972. It cost him $1 million, but it gave the WHA instant credibility.

Of course, Stukus knew a lot about the insides and outs in the sporting world because of his media connections. Aside from working at the Star and out west in Vancouver, Stukus was involved with CFTO-TV in Toronto when they started up in 1961, and was a colour commentator on their football telecasts. In fact, he was named into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame, as well as the CFL Hall-of-Fame, as a reporter. He was also in the CFL Hall-of-Fame as a builder, and on a bigger scale, was even inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

Annis Stukus moved back out to live in Vancouver for good in 1975, and is still going strong at 81 years of age. He lives with his wife of 57 years, Doris, and the couple has three daughters, Suzanne, Sally and Mary.