Bill Hay

William Charles " Bill" Hay ( born December 8, 1935 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey player ( center ), who played from 1959 to 1967 for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. Hay is currently the President of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Career

Hay reached in 1955 with the Regina Pats, the final series to the Memorial Cup, but where he succumbed to his team. Then he transferred to Colorado College and was in the following years one of the most successful players in the American League university.

He returned back to Canada in 1958 and signed with the Calgary Stampeders in the Western Hockey League his first professional contract. There, he scored in 53 games 54 points scorer. The Chicago Blackhawks had an interest in him and acquired by the Montreal Canadiens the rights to him. In his first season 1959/60 he was able to convince in the NHL. Together with Bobby Hull and Murray Balfour, he formed the so-called "Million Dollar Line". He was awarded as the best rookie with the Calder Memorial Trophy and participated at the beginning of the next season at the NHL All-Star Game. His red hair earned him the nickname " Red".

In his second year in Chicago, he helped the Blackhawks were the Stanley Cup win. Until the 1965/66 season he always reach double-digit figures in goals and assists. In 1967 he ended his active career. So he helped the St. Louis Blues not, who had selected him in the NHL Expansion Draft 1967.

After his NHL career, he returned to Calgary, where he worked for the Bow Valley Resource Services Ltd.. He was a member of the selection committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974 and his father Charles Hay, a worthy functionary, was recorded. Bill Hays Uncle Earl Miller had from 1927 to 1933 played in the NHL for the Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Since 1998 Bill Hay is president of the Hockey Hall of Fame.