Les Binkley
# Les Binkley

Leslie John Binkley (born June 6, 1934) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins and in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Ottawa Nationals and Toronto Toros between 1967 and 1976. He later served as a scout for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Winnipeg Jets.

## Career

Les Binkley spent his early career in the minor leagues and did not play in the NHL until his thirties. After spending the 1960–61 season as the trainer and emergency goalie for the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL), he won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the AHL's top rookie in 1962, and was awarded the Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award four years later for allowing the fewest goals in the league. Binkley was the starting goaltender for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the team's inaugural season in the NHL. During the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs, Binkley won six games--the first postseason victories for the Penguin franchise. After five seasons with the Penguins, he played in the WHA with the Ottawa Nationals and Toronto Toros. Binkley played in 196 NHL regular season games and retired with a career GAA of 3.12.

He won two Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992 as a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

## Personal life

Binkley currently resides in Walkerton, Ontario. His wife Eleanor passed away in September 2021. He has two children, Randall and Leslie, and five grandchildren, Jana, Jonathan, Curtis, Kara and Jordan. Curtis Binkley is also a goaltender, and was drafted by the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League in 2002.

## Career statistics

### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 1950–51 | Owen Sound Mintos | OHA | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 60 | 8 | 0 | 8.00 | — |
| 1951–52 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 47 | 31 | 13 | 2 | 2780 | 178 | 4 | 3.84 | — | 3 | 0 | 3 | 190 | 16 | 0 | 5.05 | — |
| 1952–53 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 55 | — | — | — | 3300 | 213 | 1 | 3.87 | — | 11 | — | — | 660 | 51 | 0 | 4.64 | — |
| 1953–54 | Galt Black Hawks | OHA | 54 | 20 | 33 | 1 | 3240 | 250 | 0 | 4.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1953–54 | Kitchener Greenshirts | OHA | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 240 | 17 | 0 | 4.25 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 240 | 16 | 0 | 4.00 | — |
| 1954–55 | Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen | OHA Sr | 3 | — | — | — | 180 | 12 | 0 | 4.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Fort Wayne Komets | IHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 180 | 13 | 0 | 4.33 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1955–56 | Baltimore Clippers/Charlotte Checkers | EHL | 59 | 21 | 37 | 1 | 3540 | 302 | 0 | 5.11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1956–57 | Charlotte Checkers | EHL | 64 | 50 | 13 | 1 | 3840 | 239 | 0 | 3.79 | — | 13 | 8 | 5 | 780 | 35 | 2 | 2.69 | — |
| 1957–58 | Charlotte Checkers | EHL | 64 | 38 | 25 | 1 | 3840 | 237 | 0 | 3.70 | — | 12 | 5 | 7 | 720 | 46 | 1 | 3.83 | — |
| 1958–59 | Toledo Mercurys | IHL | 52 | — | — | — | 3100 | 205 | 1 | 3.97 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1958–59 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 60 | 3 | 0 | 3.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1959–60 | Toledo-St. Louis Mercurys | IHL | 67 | 28 | 35 | 4 | 4020 | 294 | 2 | 4.39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Toledo Mercurys | IHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 | 1.000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1960–61 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 450 | 11 | 0 | 1.47 | — | 4 | 0 | 4 | 240 | 18 | 0 | 4.50 | — |
| 1961–62 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 60 | 31 | 26 | 3 | 3600 | 181 | 5 | 3.02 | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 201 | 10 | 0 | 2.99 | — |
| 1962–63 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 63 | 28 | 27 | 7 | 3780 | 203 | 4 | 3.22 | — | 7 | 4 | 3 | 420 | 22 | 1 | 3.14 | — |
| 1963–64 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 65 | 34 | 27 | 3 | 3885 | 180 | 3 | 2.77 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1964–65 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 40 | 14 | 23 | 2 | 2330 | 152 | 0 | 3.91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1965–66 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 66 | 34 | 30 | 2 | 3932 | 192 | 2 | 2.93 | — | 12 | 8 | 4 | 696 | 27 | 1 | 2.33 | — |
| 1966–67 | San Diego Gulls | WHL | 55 | 15 | 36 | 2 | 3200 | 190 | 1 | 3.56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1967–68 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 54 | 20 | 24 | 10 | 3141 | 151 | 6 | 2.88 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 50 | 10 | 31 | 8 | 2885 | 158 | 0 | 3.29 | .902 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 27 | 10 | 13 | 1 | 1477 | 79 | 3 | 3.21 | .886 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 429 | 15 | 0 | 2.10 | .924 |
| 1970–71 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 34 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 1870 | 89 | 2 | 2.86 | .900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 31 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 1673 | 98 | 0 | 3.51 | .883 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | Ottawa Nationals | WHA | 30 | 10 | 17 | 1 | 1709 | 106 | 0 | 3.72 | .882 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 223 | 17 | 0 | 4.57 | — |
| 1973–74 | Toronto Toros | WHA | 27 | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1412 | 77 | 1 | 3.27 | .901 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 182 | 17 | 0 | 5.60 | — |
| 1974–75 | Toronto Toros | WHA | 17 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 772 | 47 | 0 | 3.65 | .888 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 59 | 5 | 0 | 5.08 | — |
| 1975–76 | Toronto Toros | WHA | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 335 | 32 | 0 | 5.73 | .849 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76 | Buffalo Norsemen | NAHL | 24 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1195 | 85 | 0 | 4.27 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| WHA totals | WHA totals | WHA totals | 81 | 30 | 36 | 2 | 4228 | 262 | 1 | 3.72 | .886 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 464 | 39 | 0 | 5.04 | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 196 | 58 | 94 | 34 | 11,046 | 575 | 11 | 3.12 | .898 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 429 | 15 | 0 | 2.10 | .924 |

## Achievements and awards

* EHL Second All-Star Team (1957)
* Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award (Rookie of the Year - AHL) (1962)
* AHL Second All-Star Team (1964, 1966)
* Harry "Hap" Holmes Memorial Award (fewest goals against - AHL) (1966)
* WHL Second All-Star Team (1967)
* Two Stanley Cup championships as a scout for the Pittsburgh Penguins (1991 and 1992)
* First NHL goaltender to wear contact lenses (1967)
* First player signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins club in its first NHL season
