Billy Reay
# Billy Reay

William Tulip Reay (August 21, 1918 – September 23, 2004) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Reay played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1943 to 1953, winning two Stanley Cups. He then coached from 1957 to 1959 in the NHL and again from 1963 to 1977, primarily with the Chicago Blackhawks, who he coached to the Stanley Cup Finals three times. While he did not win a Cup as a coach, Reay won over 500 games as a head coach; when he retired, he was second in NHL history in wins, and he currently is one of 28 coaches to have won 500 games.

## Career

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he played in the NHL for ten seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. In 479 games, he scored 105 goals and 267 points and in 63 playoff games, he scored 13 goals and 29 points. He won the Stanley Cup two times, in 1946 and 1953, both with the Montreal Canadiens. He was the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1957–1959) and the head coach for the Chicago Black Hawks (1963–1977). He won the most games for a Chicago Black Hawks coach. Although he coached the Black Hawks to three Stanley Cup Finals (1965, 1971, and 1973), he never won the Cup. He is the franchise's all-time leader in wins (516) and years coached (14).

Before beginning a career from which he retired with the second most victories in NHL history, Reay was a Canadiens centre who is believed to be the first player to raise his arms and stick to celebrate a goal when he did so after scoring in a game in 1947.

He died of liver cancer in Madison, Wisconsin.

## Career statistics

### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1936–37 | St. Boniface Seals | MJHL | 15 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1937–38 | St. Boniface Seals | MJHL | 15 | 15 | 7 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 12 |
| 1938–39 | Calgary Stampeders | ASHL | 32 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1939–40 | Omaha Knights | AHA | 48 | 18 | 20 | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 4 |
| 1940–41 | Omaha Knights | AHA | 46 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1941–42 | Sydney Millionaires | CBSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1941–42 | Quebec Aces | QSHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| 1941–42 | Quebec Aces | Al-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 11 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 8 |
| 1942–43 | Quebec Morton Aces | QSHL | 29 | 16 | 26 | 42 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1943–44 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1943–44 | Quebec Aces | QSHL | 25 | 15 | 31 | 46 | 19 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 |
| 1943–44 | Quebec Aces | Al-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 0 |
| 1944–45 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1944–45 | Quebec Aces | QSHL | 20 | 17 | 29 | 46 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 1944–45 | Quebec Aces | Al-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945–46 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 44 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1946–47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 59 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 14 |
| 1947–48 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1948–49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 33 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| 1949–50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 48 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1950–51 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 60 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 24 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 1951–52 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 68 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 20 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| 1952–53 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 56 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1953–54 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 69 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 30 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1954–55 | Vancouver Canucks | WHL | 70 | 3 | 28 | 31 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 479 | 105 | 162 | 267 | 202 | 63 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 43 |

## Coaching record

| Team | Year | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Team | Year | G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1957–58 | 70 | 21 | 38 | 11 | 53 | 6th in NHL | Did not qualify |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 1958–59 | 20 | 5 | 12 | 3 | 13 | 4th in NHL | Fired |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1963–64 | 70 | 36 | 22 | 12 | 84 | 2nd in NHL | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1964–65 | 70 | 34 | 28 | 8 | 76 | 3rd in NHL | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1965–66 | 70 | 37 | 25 | 8 | 82 | 2nd in NHL | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1966–67 | 70 | 41 | 17 | 12 | 94 | 1st in NHL | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1967–68 | 74 | 32 | 26 | 16 | 80 | 4th in East | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1968–69 | 76 | 34 | 33 | 9 | 77 | 6th in East | Did not qualify |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1969–70 | 76 | 45 | 22 | 9 | 99 | 1st in East | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1970–71 | 78 | 49 | 20 | 9 | 107 | 1st in West | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1971–72 | 78 | 46 | 17 | 15 | 107 | 1st in West | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1972–73 | 78 | 42 | 27 | 9 | 93 | 1st in West | Lost in Stanley Cup Finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1973–74 | 78 | 41 | 14 | 23 | 105 | 2nd in West | Lost in semi-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1974–75 | 80 | 37 | 35 | 8 | 82 | 3rd in Smythe | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1975–76 | 80 | 32 | 30 | 18 | 82 | 1st in Smythe | Lost in quarter-finals |
| Chicago Black Hawks | 1976–77 | 34 | 10 | 19 | 5 | 25 | 3rd in Smythe | Fired |
| NHL Totals | NHL Totals | 1102 | 542 | 385 | 175 | 1259 | 5 Division Titles | 57—60 (.487) |

## Awards and achievements

* Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1938)
* Memorial Cup Championship (1938)
* Allan Cup Championship (1944)
* Stanley Cup Championships (1946 & 1953)
* Played in NHL All-Star Game (1952)
* Calder Cup (AHL) Championship (1963)
* Selected Manitoba's All-Century Second Team Coach
* Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
