Billy Reay
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William "Billy" Reay (August 21, 1918 - September 23, 2004) was a Canadian National Hockey League hockey player and coach.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he played in the NHL for 10 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. In 479 games, he scored 105 goals and 267 points and in 63 playoff games, he scored 13 goals and 29 points. He won two Stanley Cups in 1946 and 1953, both with the Montreal Canadiens. He was a coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1957-1959) and for the Chicago Blackhawks (1963-1977). He has won the most games for a Chicago Blackhawks coach. Although he coached the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup finals (1965, 1971, and 1973), he was never able to win.
For his service to the Wirtz family, owners of the Blackhawks, Reay was fired with a note under his office door shortly before Christmas, 1976. [1]
Billy Reay has been credited as the first person to raise his arms and stick in celebration after scoring a goal.
He died of liver cancer in Madison, Wisconsin.
| Preceded by Howie Meeker |
Head Coaches of the Toronto Maple Leafs | Succeeded by Punch Imlach |
| Preceded by Rudy Pilous |
Head Coaches of the Chicago Blackhawks | Succeeded by Bill White |
| Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coaches |
|---|
| ARENAS: D. Carroll • ST. PATS: Heffernan • Sproule • F. Carroll • O'Donoghue • Querrie • Powers • Rodden • MAPLE LEAFS: Romeril • Smythe • Duncan • Irvin • Day • Primeau • Clancy • Meeker • Reay • Imlach • McLellan • Kelly • Neilson • Smith • Duff • Crozier • Nykoluk • Maloney • Brophy • Armstrong • Carpenter • Watt • Burns • Beverley • Murphy • Quinn • Maurice |
| Chicago Blackhawks Head Coaches |
|---|
| Muldoon • Stanley • Lehman • Gardiner • Irvin • Shaughnessy • Tobin • Iverson • Matheson • Gorman • Loughlin • Stewart • Thompson • Gottselig • Conacher • Goodfellow • Abel • Eddolls • Ivan • Pilous • Reay • White • Pulford • Johnston • Magnuson • Tessier • Murdoch • Keenan • D. Sutter • Hartsburg • Graham • Molleken • Suhonen • B. Sutter • Yawney • Savard |
Categories: 1918 births | 2004 deaths | Canadian ice hockey players | Canadian ice hockey coaches | Montreal Canadiens players | Stanley Cup champions | Detroit Red Wings players | Toronto Maple Leafs coaches | Chicago Blackhawks coaches | Omaha Knights players | People from Winnipeg | Liver cancer deaths | Memorial Cup winners
