Billy Reay Explained

Position:Centre
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:7
Weight Lb:155
Played For:Detroit Red Wings
Montreal Canadiens
Birth Date:21 August 1918
Birth Place:Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Death Place:Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Career Start:1943
Career End:1953

William Tulip Reay (August 21, 1918 – September 23, 2004) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Reay played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1943 to 1953, winning two Stanley Cups. He then coached from 1957 to 1959 in the NHL and again from 1963 to 1977, primarily with the Chicago Blackhawks, who he coached to the Stanley Cup Finals three times. While he did not win a Cup as a coach, Reay won over 500 games as a head coach; when he retired, he was second in NHL history in wins, and he currently is one of 28 coaches to have won 500 games.

Career

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he played in the NHL for ten 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 the Stanley Cup two times, 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). Although he led the Black Hawks to three Stanley Cup Finals (1965, 1971, and 1973), he never won the Cup. In his fourth year, 1966-67, he led the Hawks to the league's best record, the first time they had done so in their 41-year history. He is the franchise's all-time leader in wins (516) and years coached (14).

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] [3]

He died of liver cancer in Madison, Wisconsin at the age of 86.[4] [5]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1936–37St. Boniface SealsMJHL15 4 4 8 67 1 0 1 2
1937–38St. Boniface SealsMJHL15 15 7 22 1410 5 5 10 12
1938–39Calgary StampedersASHL32 11 8 19 44
1939–40Omaha KnightsAHA48 18 20 38 239 6 1 7 4
1940–41Omaha KnightsAHA46 18 22 40 32
1941–42Sydney MillionairesCBSHL
1941–42Quebec AcesQSHL1 1 0 1 07 1 3 4 4
1941–42Quebec AcesAl-Cup11 6 3 9 8
1942–43Quebec Morton AcesQSHL29 16 26 42 224 2 0 2 2
1943–44Detroit Red WingsNHL2 2 0 2 0
1943–44Quebec AcesQSHL25 15 31 46 195 2 7 9 2
1943–44Quebec AcesAl-Cup9 3 9 12 0
1944–45Detroit Red WingsNHL2 0 0 0 0
1944–45Quebec AcesQSHL20 17 29 46 67 3 1 4 4
1944–45Quebec AcesAl-Cup3 0 0 0 0
1945–46Montreal CanadiensNHL44 17 12 29 109 1 2 3 4
1946–47Montreal CanadiensNHL59 22 20 42 1711 6 1 7 14
1947–48Montreal CanadiensNHL60 6 14 20 24
1948–49Montreal CanadiensNHL60 22 23 45 337 1 5 6 4
1949–50Montreal CanadiensNHL68 19 26 45 484 0 1 1 0
1950–51Montreal CanadiensNHL60 6 18 24 2411 3 3 6 10
1951–52Montreal CanadiensNHL68 7 34 41 2010 2 2 4 7
1952–53Montreal CanadiensNHL56 4 15 19 2611 0 2 2 4
1953–54Vancouver CanucksWHL69 10 14 24 305 0 0 0 2
1954–55Vancouver CanucksWHL70 3 28 31 435 1 1 2 4
NHL totals479 105 162 267 20263 13 16 29 43

Coaching record

Team Year Playoffs
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Toronto Maple Leafs1957–5870 21 38 11 536th in NHL Did not qualify
Toronto Maple Leafs1958–5920 5 12 3 134th in NHL Fired
Chicago Black Hawks1963–6470 36 22 12 842nd in NHL Lost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1964–6570 34 28 8 763rd in NHL Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
Chicago Black Hawks1965–6670 37 25 8 822nd in NHLLost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1966–6770 41 17 12 941st in NHL Lost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1967–6874 32 26 16 804th in EastLost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1968–6976 34 33 9 776th in East Did not qualify
Chicago Black Hawks1969–7076 45 22 9 991st in East Lost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1970–7178 49 20 9 1071st in West Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
Chicago Black Hawks1971–7278 46 17 15 1071st in West Lost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1972–7378 42 27 9 931st in West Lost in Stanley Cup Finals
Chicago Black Hawks1973–7478 41 14 23 1052nd in WestLost in semi-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1974–7580 37 35 8 823rd in SmytheLost in quarter-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1975–7680 32 30 18 821st in Smythe Lost in quarter-finals
Chicago Black Hawks1976–7734 10 19 5 253rd in Smythe Fired
NHL Totals 1102 542 385 175 1259 5 Division Titles 57—60 (.487)

Awards and achievements

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GREATEST BLACKHAWKS OF ALL TIME - SI.com . 2014-12-08 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20141214080155/http://www.si.com/vault/2010/06/17/105954313/greatest-blackhawks-of-all-time . December 14, 2014 . mdy .
  2. Web site: Did You Know? The Origins Of Raising Your Stick To Celebrate A Goal . 2024-04-12 . en-GB.
  3. Web site: Hockey Manitoba. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224926/http://100.hockeymanitoba.ca/profiles/id-157/ . March 3, 2016 .
  4. News: Press . The Associated . 2004-09-26 . Billy Reay, 86, Hockey Player and Coach, Is Dead . 2024-04-12 . The New York Times . en-US . 0362-4331.
  5. Web site: Archives . L. A. Times . 2004-09-25 . Billy Reay, 86; Coached Chicago Blackhawks to Club-Record 516 Wins . 2024-04-12 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.