The hockey world is mourning the passing of longtime Calgary resident Bill Hay, a difference-maker in the sport for a span of several decades — from his days as a Calder Trophy winner and Stanley Cup champion as a player to his stints as a top executive for the Flames and for Hockey Canada.
Hay was also a past chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and was himself enshrined in the builder category.
He died Friday at the age of 88.
“Bill Hay lived a remarkable hockey life that reflected the very best of our sport. The National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to his family and many friends throughout the hockey world.”
Originally from Saskatoon, Hay was fiercely proud to be a pioneer for Canadian-born players choosing the NCAA route and to be proof that road could ultimately lead to the NHL.
He also skated for one winter with the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL and became an immediate star in the Windy City, skating between Hull and Murray Balfour on the Blackhawks’ top line. He had an ‘A’ stitched on his jersey in his second season, which ended with a Stanley Cup celebration.
Hay totalled 113 goals and 386 points in 506 regular-season games with the Blackhawks before hanging up his gear to pursue a career in business.
He later served as president of Hockey Canada, just like his father Charles had done, and was chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame from 1998-2013.
In recent years, he was a mentor to a family friend and rising-star defenceman named Cale Makar. He was delighted when Makar followed in his footsteps as a Calder Trophy recipient.
“Every aspect of the game, both nationally and internationally, he touched and had a major impact on,” said former Flames general manager Al Coates, who counted Hay as a close friend. “And not just on the game, but on all the people that were in and around the game.”
Hay’s stint as president of the Flames spanned from 1991-95.
Hay was inducted to the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and the Colorado College Athletics Hall of Fame.
He was humbled to be honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015, saying that day: “I think as a builder, I leave something behind to be proud of.”