Billy Harris (ice hockey b. 1935)

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William Edward Harris (July 29, 1935 – 20 September 2001) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1955 to 1969.

Position: Centre
Shoots: Left
Height: 6 ft
Weight: 157 lb

Harris died from cancer at age 66. He is no relation to the Billy Harris who played in the NHL from 1972 to 1984. Both players were named William Edward Harris and both were from Toronto.

1 Playing career
2 Coaching career
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Playing career

Harris began his NHL career for the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1955 and played there for ten seasons before he was traded along with Andy Bathgate and Gary Jarrett to the Detroit Red Wings for Larry Jeffrey, Eddie Joyal, Lowell MacDonald, Marcel Pronovost, and Autry Erickson on May 20, 1965. While he was in Toronto, he occasionally spent time playing for the Rochester Americans of the AHL. It wasn't much different after he was traded to the Red Wings. While with the Wings, he actually spent more time in the AHL with the Pittsburgh Hornets than he did in the NHL.

After two seasons in the Detroit organisation, he began playing for the Oakland Seals of the NHL in their inaugural season as part of the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He played for just over a season with the Seals before finishing he career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1968-69 NHL season.

[edit] Coaching career

Harris was head coach of the Ottawa Nationals in the World Hockey Association in the league's inaugural 1972-72 season. He was an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers for the 1981-82 NHL season. After being assistant coach for the Oilers, he became the head coach for the Sudbury Wolves of the OHL for the 1982-83 season and 1983-84 season.