Early Life
Plett's parents, who had lived in the Soviet Union and then Germany, fled to South America to escape the Second World War. They settled in Asunción, Paraguay, where he was born on June 7, 1955. His family moved to Canada one year later, settling in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Plett first played organized hockey at the age of 12 and played junior hockey near his hometown. He played three years in the St. Catharines Black Hawks system, but left the team midway through the 1974–75 Ontario Major Junior Hockey League season following a dispute with coach Hap Emms, joining the tier II Niagara Falls Flyers. His playing style was comparable to a modern power forward, as Plett combined scoring ability with physical play and a willingness to fight. The Atlanta Flames selected him with their fifth round selection, 80th overall, at the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft.
Read more about this topic: Willi Plett
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