Hall of Famer Hockey Canada executive, and Stanley Cup Champion passes away at 88-years old
The Hockey World has lost a huge contributor to its successes and organizational growth as a sport. As former Calgary Flames, and Hockey Canada executive Bill Hay has passed away at the age of 88 due to undisclosed causes.
Over the past 100 years, the Hockey Canada organization has been a huge key in growing the game of hockey. Hay was a huge part of it's growth of the game, as COO and President of the organization. Hay served as the CEO of the Calgary Flames, and spent 8 years of his professional career playing as a center for the Chicago Blackhawks.
He centered the "Million Dollar" line with Bobby Hull, and Murray Balfour, and continued his successes in multiple leadership roles.
Hay won one Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1961, and would earn a spot in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015 as a builder.
Hockey Canada would release a statement upon the 88-year-old's passing:
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.»
Hay was an impactful executive, and an influence personality in hockey who was respected everywhere he went. Hay's influence on the game of hockey will continue to be felt by millions, whether it's recounting the Blackhawks Cup win in 1961, or a pivotal decision as an executive in Hockey Canada that lasts to this day.
We send our condolences to the Hay family and friends.
RIP Bill Hay
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