Gordie Drillon Explained

Position:Right wing
Played For:Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Montreal Canadiens (NHL)
Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets (EHL)
Syracuse Stars (IAHL)
Valleyfield Braves (QPHL)
Saint John Beavers (MSHL)
Shoots:Right
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:186
Birth Date:October 23, 1913
Birth Place:Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Death Place:Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Career Start:1935
Career End:1950
Halloffame:1975

Gordon Arthur Drillon (October 23, 1913 – September 23, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. From 1936 through to 1942 he was part of one of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s most prolific scoring lines as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won a Stanley Cup during the 1941–42 season, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Playing career

Drillon played seven seasons in the NHL, six of those with Toronto and one with the Montreal Canadiens. A winger noted for his deadly accurate shot, he created a specific style of play that made him a leading scorer. Drillon's strong frame made it difficult for opposing defencemen to clear him from the front of the net. He was able to securely park himself in front of the opposing netminder to re-direct shots or pick up rebounds. This style of play would earn him a league scoring title in the 1937–38 season. Future stars such as Phil Esposito, Dino Ciccarelli, and Dave Andreychuk emulated his innovative style with great success.

Traded to the Montreal Canadiens for the 1943 season, Drillon finished second on the team in goals scored. At season's end, Drillon cut short his hockey career and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving for the remainder of World War II. After the war, he worked as a hockey coach in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland in the 1948/49 season. Drillon later returned to his native New Brunswick where he was employed as a scout for the Maple Leafs, covering the Maritime provinces. He eventually accepted a job with the New Brunswick civil service. In 1975, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Drillon died in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1986 and was interred there in the Ocean View Memorial Gardens cemetery.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGP PIMGP G A Pts PIM
1928–29Aberdeen High SchoolHS-NB2 0 0 0 0
1929–30Moncton Chalmers ClubSNBJL6 8 4 12 2
1930–31Moncton AthleticsMarJHL6 15 4 19
1930–31Aberdeen High SchoolHS-NB3 1 0 1 01 1 0 1
1931–32Moncton WheelersMarJHL6 6 4 10 3 5 1 6 5
1932–33Moncton HawksMarJHL4 13 3 16 02 2 1 3 4
1932–33Moncton Swift'sMCIHL7 11 3 14 6 13 4 17
1933–34Toronto Young RangersOHA11 20 13 33 42 5 3 8 4
1933–34Toronto CCMTMHL2 0 1 1 0
1934–35Toronto LionsOHA11 17 9 26 25 2 1 3 6
1934–35Toronto DominionOHA-Sr11 12 6 18 23 2 1 3 4
1935–36Pittsburgh Yellow JacketsEAHL40 22 12 34 48 3 2 5 0
1936–37Syracuse StarsIAHL7 2 3 5 2
1936–37Toronto Maple LeafsNHL41 16 17 33 22 0 0 0 0
1937–38Toronto Maple LeafsNHL48 26 26 52 47 7 1 8 2
1938–39Toronto Maple LeafsNHL40 18 16 34 1510 7 6 13 4
1939–40Toronto Maple LeafsNHL43 21 19 40 1310 3 1 4 0
1940–41Toronto Maple LeafsNHL42 23 21 44 27 3 2 5 2
1941–42Toronto Maple LeafsNHL48 23 18 41 69 2 3 5 2
1942–43Montreal CanadiensNHL49 28 22 50 145 4 2 6 0
1943–44Toronto Army DaggersOHA-Sr1 1 1 2 0
1944–45Dartmouth RCAFNSDHL1 0 1 1 0
1944–45Dartmouth RCAFNSDHL1 0 1 1 0
1944–45Valleyfield BravesQPHL8 11 4 15 011 8 6 14 2
1945–46Halifax RCAFNSDHL3 7 8 15 4
1946–47Charlottetown LegionNSSHL4 10 8 18 1611 41 12 53 4
1947–48North Sydney VictoriasNSSHL2 0 1 1 0
1948-49Grand Falls All-StarsNL-Sr.
1949–50Saint John BeaversNBSHL69 48 24 72 4011 1 4 5 12
NHL totals311 155 139 294 5650 25 15 41 10

Awards