[1] Standing only five feet, six inches, and while playing for the Flin Flon Bombers of the Western Canadian Hockey League, Polonich attracted attention of scouts by being a pest, antagonizing opposing players while scoring occasional goals.

However, the Wings wanted to see if Polonich could be as effective in a higher-level league, and sent him play a season with the London Lions in Britain.

Towards the end of the regular season, Polonich joined the Red Wings for his first four NHL games, recording no points or penalty minutes.

The Red Wings were retooling, adding toughness and grit to their roster after a few disappointing seasons and Polonich fit the bill.

In the 1976–77 NHL season Polonich had a short tenure as captain of the Detroit Red Wings while Danny Grant was injured.

[6] Ultimately Polonich was awarded $500,000 for "pain and suffering" and $350,000 in punitive damages which would be paid by Paiement and not be covered by the Colorado Rockies' insurance.

The Detroit Red Wings general ganager Ted Lindsay testified at the trial that Paiement hit Polonich with a baseball-type swing.

He helped the Adirondack Red Wings reach the playoffs twice, winning the Calder Cup in 1981, in the following four years before jumping to the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the IHL.

[2][7] Polonich made the jump to the Western Hockey League in 1992 when he was hired as the General Manager of the Medicine Hat Tigers.