Billy Reay

Billy Reay
Reay in 1973
Born	August 21, 1918 Winnipeg, MB, CAN
Died	September 23, 2004 (aged 86) Madison, WI, USA
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1943–1953

William Tulip 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 the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1957–1959) and the head coach for the Chicago Black Hawks (1963–1977). He has won the most games for a Chicago Black Hawks coach. Although he coached the Black Hawks to three Stanley Cup finals (1965, 1971, and 1973), he was never able to win.

Before beginning a career from which he retired with the second most victories in NHL history, Reay was a Canadiens centre who is believed to be the first player to raise his arms and stick to celebrate a goal when he did so after scoring in a game in 1947.^{[1] [2]}

He died of liver cancer in Madison, Wisconsin.

Coaching record

Team	Year	Regular Season							Post Season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
TOR	1957–58	70	21	38	11	-	53	6th in NHL	Did Not Qualify
TOR	1958–59	20	5	12	3	-	(65)	4th in NHL	(fired)
CHI	1963–64	70	36	22	12	-	84	2nd in NHL	Lost in first round
CHI	1964–65	70	34	28	8	-	76	3rd in NHL	Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
CHI	1965–66	70	37	25	8	-	82	2nd in NHL	Lost in first round
CHI	1966–67	70	41	17	12	-	94	1st in NHL	Lost in first round
CHI	1967–68	74	32	26	16	-	80	4th in East	Lost in second round
CHI	1968–69	76	34	33	9	-	77	6th in East	Did Not Qualify
CHI	1969–70	76	45	22	9	-	99	1st in East	Lost in second round
CHI	1970–71	78	49	20	9	-	107	1st in West	Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
CHI	1971–72	78	46	17	15	-	107	1st in West	Lost in second round
CHI	1972–73	78	42	27	9	-	93	1st in West	Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
CHI	1973–74	78	41	14	23	-	105	2nd in West	Lost in second round
CHI	1974–75	80	37	35	8	-	82	3rd in Smythe	Lost in second round
CHI	1975–76	80	32	30	18	-	82	1st in Smythe	Lost in second round
CHI	1976–77	34	10	19	5	-	(63)	3rd in Smythe	(fired)
Total		1102	542	385	175

Awards and achievements

• Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1938)
• Memorial Cup Championship (1938)
• Allan Cup Championship (1944)
• Stanley Cup Championships (1946 & 1953)
• Played in NHL All-Star Game (1952)
• Calder Cup (AHL) Championship (1963)
• Selected Manitoba's All-Century Second Team Coach
• “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

References

1. http://www.si.com/vault/2010/06/17/105954313/greatest-blackhawks-of-all-time
2. http://100.hockeymanitoba.ca/profiles/id-157/

External links

• Billy Reay's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Billy Reay's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Billy Reay's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
• Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame