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Larry Hillman

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Canadian ice hockey player and coach (1937–2022)

Ice hockey player
Larry Hillman
Hillman in 1958
Born (1937-02-05)February 5, 1937
Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Canada
Died May 31, 2022(2022-05-31) (aged 85)
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Detroit Red Wings
Boston Bruins
Toronto Maple Leafs
Minnesota North Stars
Montreal Canadiens
Philadelphia Flyers
Los Angeles Kings
Buffalo Sabres
Cleveland Crusaders
Winnipeg Jets
Playing career 1955–1976

Lawrence Morley Hillman (February 5, 1937 – May 31, 2022) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and coach. One of the most travelled players in hockey history, he played for 15 different teams in his 22 professional seasons. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1955 and 1973, and then in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1973 to 1976. After retiring he spent parts of three seasons as a coach in the WHA. Hillman had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup six times during his playing career.

Early life

Hillman was born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, on February 5, 1937. He began his junior career by playing one season for the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in 1953. After joining the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in the middle of the 1953–54 season, he joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1955.

Playing career

Hillman made his NHL debut for the Red Wings on March 5, 1955, against the New York Rangers at Detroit Olympia. He won his first Stanley Cup championship with the franchise later that year, becoming the youngest player to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup, at 18 years, two months, nine days old. This is a record that cannot be broken under the current rules, as a player must be 18 years old by September 15 to be eligible to play in the NHL that season. He split the following season between the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League (AHL) and Detroit. Hillman subsequently left the Red Wings after the 1956–57 season and went to the Boston Bruins. He scored his first goal for the Bruins on December 19, 1957, in a 3–3 tie with New York at Boston Garden. He led the league with 70 games played that season. He ultimately played two full seasons in Boston before being sent to their minor league team, the Providence Reds, for most of the 1959–60 season.

Hillman went to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1961 and continued to bounce from the minor leagues to the NHL and back. He played on four Stanley Cup-winning teams in Toronto in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. In between those Cup wins he played parts of six seasons with the Rochester Americans and the Springfield Indians. Hillman was named to AHL All-Star First Team in 1965 and captained the Americans to the first Calder Cup later that year.

Following the 1967–68 season, Hillman signed with the expansion Minnesota North Stars who later traded Hillman to the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he won his sixth and final Stanley Cup championship in 1969. He was one of only 11 players to win the Stanley Cup with three or more different teams. During the 1969–70 season, he again led the NHL in games played (76).

After Montreal, Hillman played for the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Buffalo Sabres. Following the 1972–73 season, he left the NHL for the World Hockey Association, and played two seasons for the Cleveland Crusaders. His final season was in 1975–76, playing for the Winnipeg Jets.

Coaching career

After his playing career ended, Hillman took over as coach of the Jets in 1977. He led the franchise to the Avco Cup in his rookie season, in which he recorded a .638 winning percentage (50–28–2). However, he was fired 61 games into the 1978–79 campaign, after the Jets went 28–27–6.

Personal life

Hillman was the older brother of NHL and WHA defencemen Wayne Hillman and Floyd Hillman. He was also the uncle of former NHL forward Brian Savage. Hillman was married to Liz until his death. During his later years, they resided in a townhouse on Lake Timiskaming, close to where he was born.

Hillman died at a hospital in Sudbury, Ontario on May 31, 2022, at the age of 85.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1952–53 Windsor Spitfires OHA 56 2 4 6 39 — — — — —
1953–54 Hamilton Tiger Cubs OHA 58 6 14 20 99 7 0 2 2 10
1954–55 Hamilton Tiger Cubs OHA 49 5 20 25 106 3 0 1 1 9
1954–55 Detroit Red Wings NHL 6 0 0 0 2 3 0 1 1 9
1955–56 Detroit Red Wings NHL 47 0 3 3 53 10 0 1 1 6
1955–56 Buffalo Bisons AHL 15 1 3 4 21 — — — — —
1956–57 Detroit Red Wings NHL 16 1 2 3 4 — — — — —
1956–57 Edmonton Flyers WHL 46 4 2 6 87 8 0 4 4 2
1957–58 Boston Bruins NHL 70 3 19 22 60 11 0 2 2 6
1958–59 Boston Bruins NHL 55 3 10 13 19 7 0 1 1 0
1959–60 Boston Bruins NHL 2 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
1959–60 Providence Reds AHL 70 12 31 43 159 5 0 1 1 4
1960–61 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 62 3 10 13 59 5 0 0 0 0
1961–62 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 5 0 0 0 4 — — — — —
1961–62 Rochester Americans AHL 26 1 14 15 16 — — — — —
1962–63 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 5 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
1962–63 Springfield Indians AHL 65 5 23 28 56 — — — — —
1963–64 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 33 0 4 4 31 11 0 0 0 2
1963–64 Rochester Americans AHL 32 1 18 19 48 — — — — —
1964–65 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 2 0 0 0 2 — — — — —
1964–65 Rochester Americans AHL 71 9 43 52 98 10 3 5 8 31
1965–66 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 3 25 28 34 4 1 1 2 6
1965–66 Rochester Americans AHL 22 2 20 22 34 — — — — —
1966–67 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 55 4 19 23 40 12 1 2 3 6
1966–67 Rochester Americans AHL 12 1 12 13 16 — — — — —
1967–68 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 55 3 17 20 13 — — — — —
1967–68 Rochester Americans AHL 6 0 1 1 0 — — — — —
1968–69 Minnesota North Stars NHL 12 1 5 6 0 — — — — —
1968–69 Montreal Canadiens NHL 25 0 5 5 17 1 0 0 0 0
1969–70 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 76 5 26 31 73 — — — — —
1970–71 Philadelphia Flyers NHL 73 3 13 16 39 4 0 2 2 2
1971–72 Los Angeles Kings NHL 22 1 2 3 11 — — — — —
1971–72 Buffalo Sabres NHL 43 1 11 12 58 — — — — —
1972–73 Buffalo Sabres NHL 78 5 24 29 56 6 0 0 0 8
1973–74 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 44 5 21 26 37 — — — — —
1974–75 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 77 0 16 16 83 5 1 3 4 8
1975–76 Winnipeg Jets WHA 71 1 12 13 62 12 0 2 2 32
WHA totals 192 6 49 55 182 17 1 5 6 40
NHL totals 790 36 196 232 579 74 2 9 11 36
Sources:

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Winnipeg Jets 1977–78 80 50 28 2 102 1st in WHA Won Avco Cup
Winnipeg Jets 1978–79 61 28 27 6 62 3rd in WHA Fired
Total 141 78 55 8
Source:

Achievements

  • 1955 Stanley Cup champion (Detroit Red Wings)
  • 1962 Stanley Cup champion (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1963 Stanley Cup champion (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1964 Stanley Cup champion (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1965 Calder Cup Champion (Rochester Americans)
  • 1967 Stanley Cup champion (Toronto Maple Leafs)
  • 1969 Stanley Cup champion (Montreal Canadiens)
  • 1976 Avco Cup champion (Winnipeg Jets)
  • 1978 Avco Cup champion (Winnipeg Jets) (Head coach)

References

  1. ^ "Larry Hillman Stats". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  2. ^ "Flyers A–Z: Hillman, Larry". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  3. ^ "Larry Hillman Hockey Stats and Profile". HockeyDB. The Internet Hockey Database. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  4. "Larry Hillman 1954–55 Game Log". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  5. "March 5, 1955 New York Rangers at Detroit Red Wings Box Score". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. March 5, 1955. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  6. ^ "Larry Hillman, youngest player to have his name on Stanley Cup, dead at 85". CBC News. The Canadian Press. June 4, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Brady, Erik (June 4, 2021). "Erik Brady: Ex-Sabre Larry Hillman's hex remains on Maple Leafs". The Buffalo News. Archived from the original on June 21, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  8. "Larry Hillman 1957–58 Game Log". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  9. "December 19, 1957 New York Rangers at Boston Bruins Box Score". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. December 19, 1957. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Lamphier, Blaise M. (2004). Hockey in Rochester: The Americans' Tradition. Arcadia Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 9780738536941.
  11. "Players on Stanley-Cup Winning Teams". Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  12. ^ "Larry Hillman NHL & WHA Hockey Coaching Record". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 5, 2022.
  13. "Larry Morley Hillman". Buffam Leveille Funeral Home. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  14. Hornby, Lance (June 4, 2022). "Four-time Maple Leafs Cup winner Larry Hillman dies". The Post. Postmedia. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  15. Stubbs, Dave (June 5, 2022). "'Hillman Hex' lives on for Maple Leafs after defenseman dies at 85". NHL.com. Retrieved June 6, 2022.

External links

Preceded byBobby Kromm Head coach of the original Winnipeg Jets
1977–79 		Succeeded byTom McVie
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