Bill Hay, Stanley Cup champion, former Hall of Fame CEO, dies at 88
A champion and one of the noteworthy builders in hockey has died.
On Saturday, it was announced that Bill Hay passed away at the age of 88.
The Hockey Hall of Fame and its members are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Honoured Member and former HHOF CEO & Chairman of the Board, Bill Hay.
Following an NHL playing career, he became COO of Hockey Canada and president and CEO of the Calgary Flames until being… pic.twitter.com/02Yaoz8XvA
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement regarding Hay’s passing.
“Bill Hay was born into a hockey family, won the Stanley Cup as a Player and then devoted his post-playing career to growing the game at all levels and honoring its brightest stars, “Bettman said. “He became a trailblazer for U.S. collegians playing in the NHL…The National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to his family and many friends throughout the hockey world.”
Hay originally made a name for himself as a player. At Colorado College, the Lumsden, Saskatchewan native won an NCAA National Championship in 1957 and was named a First-Team All-Star twice.
He would then join the Chicago Black Hawks, where he made an instant impact during the Original Six era, winning the Calder Trophy in 1959-60, helping the Hawks win the Stanley Cup the following season, and playing on a line with Bobby Hull. In six seasons, Hay played in 506 NHL games, scoring 113 goals and 273 assists for 386 points, including another 36 points in 67 postseason games.
After hanging up his skates, Hay stayed involved in the game. He was on the Hockey Hall of Fame Selection Committee from 1980-1997, eventually being named to the HHOF’s Board of Directors and serving as CEO for 15 years until retiring in 2013. He also served as the president of the Calgary Flames from 1991 to 1995, along with being the COO of Hockey Canada from 1990 to 1995. It was during Hay’s time with Hockey Canada that the organization merged with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in the mid-1990s.
In 2015, Hay was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the Builder Category, joining his father, Charles, who was inducted in the same wing in 1974. He was later named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021. Hay is also in the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, Saskatchewan Hockey Hall of Fame and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.