Bill McCreary Sr.
William Edward McCreary Sr. (December 2, 1934 – November 25, 2019) was a National Hockey League left winger, coach and general manager.
| Bill McCreary Sr. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
December 2, 1934 Sundridge, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Died | November 25, 2019 (aged 84) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens St. Louis Blues | ||
| Playing career | 1953–1971 | ||
Early life
McCreary was born in Sundridge, Ontario.
Career
During his pro career, McCreary played for the New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and the St. Louis Blues. He later coached the Vancouver Canucks for the first half of the 1973–74 season and then became general manager of the California Golden Seals in 1974–75. Although the Seals were performing fairly well, a dispute with coach Marshall Johnston led to his firing of Johnston and going behind the bench himself for the remainder of the season. He hired Jack Evans as coach the following year. The team moved to Cleveland and became the Cleveland Barons. Yet, the club struggled and McCreary was fired as general manager.
He was the elder brother of Keith McCreary, also an NHL left winger. His son Bill McCreary Jr. played 12 games in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1980–81 season. He is also the brother-in-law of Ron Attwell.
McCreary died on November 25, 2019.[1]
Awards and achievements
- WHL Prairie Division Second All-Star Team (1957)
- CPHL First All-Star Team (1964, 1966)
Coaching record
| Team | Year | Regular season | Post season | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | Pts | Finish | Result | ||
| St. Louis Blues | 1971–72 | 24 | 6 | 14 | 4 | (67) | 3rd in West | (interim coach) |
| Vancouver Canucks | 1973–74 | 41 | 9 | 25 | 7 | (59) | 7th in East | (fired) |
| California Golden Seals | 1974–75 | 32 | 8 | 20 | 4 | (51) | 4th in Adams | Missed playoffs |
| NHL Total | 97 | 23 | 59 | 15 | ||||
References
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
| Preceded by Marshall Johnston |
Head coach of the California Golden Seals 1975 |
Succeeded by Jack Evans |
| Preceded by Sid Abel |
Head coach of the St. Louis Blues 1971 |
Succeeded by Al Arbour |
| Preceded by Vic Stasiuk |
Head coach of the Vancouver Canucks 1973–74 |
Succeeded by Phil Maloney |
| Preceded by Fred Glover |
General Manager of the California Golden Seals / Cleveand Barons 1975–77 |
Succeeded by Harry Howell |