Legendary Blackhawks star Bill Hay passes away at 88
Legendary Chicago Blackhawks star Bill Hay has passed away at the age of 88 following a tremendous career in the sport of hockey.
Hay was a Blackhawks star who won a Stanley Cup and even got himself a Calder Memorial Trophy. He was also a builder of the game who worked with Hockey Canada and eventually got himself into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Hockey Canada put out a statement on Hay's passing, which can be read below.
"Hockey Canada is deeply saddened to learn that Bill Hay, who was the organization's president and chief operating officer from 1990 to 1995, has passed away at the age of 88.
Bill played eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League, where he earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's rookie of the year in 1959-60, won a Stanley Cup in 1961 and was a two-time NHL all-star.
After retiring as a player, Bill continued to have an immense impact on the game, including as chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a member of its selection committee, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Flames and creator of the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre.
Bill's leadership, along with the late Murray Costello, was instrumental in the merger of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in the mid-1990s and created the Hockey Canada we all know today.
Through his generosity, the Bill Hay Future Leaders Program also provided recent university or college graduates the opportunity to gain work experience in sport, which positively impacted the lives of all of those who participated in the program and their colleagues.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Bill was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and invested into the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.
He was also inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
We send our condolences to Bill's family and friends, and everyone who has benefited from his significant contributions to the game."
Bill played eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks in the National Hockey League, where he earned the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league's rookie of the year in 1959-60, won a Stanley Cup in 1961 and was a two-time NHL all-star.
After retiring as a player, Bill continued to have an immense impact on the game, including as chair of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a member of its selection committee, president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Flames and creator of the D.K. (Doc) Seaman Hockey Resource Centre.
Bill's leadership, along with the late Murray Costello, was instrumental in the merger of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in the mid-1990s and created the Hockey Canada we all know today.
Through his generosity, the Bill Hay Future Leaders Program also provided recent university or college graduates the opportunity to gain work experience in sport, which positively impacted the lives of all of those who participated in the program and their colleagues.
In recognition of his accomplishments, Bill was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 and invested into the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.
He was also inducted into the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
We send our condolences to Bill's family and friends, and everyone who has benefited from his significant contributions to the game."
Our thoughts go out to Hay's family during this difficult time. RIP Bill Hay.
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