Bill Mosienko facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bill Mosienko
Hockey Hall of Fame, 1965
Born	(1921-11-02)November 2, 1921 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died	July 9, 1994(1994-07-09) (aged 72) Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	160 lb (73 kg; 11 st 6 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Chicago Black Hawks
Playing career	1940–1959

William Mosienko (born November 2, 1921 – died July 9, 1994) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played as a right winger for 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). All his NHL career was spent with the Chicago Black Hawks from 1942 to 1955. Bill Mosienko is most famous for scoring the fastest hat trick in NHL history. In a 1952 game, he scored three goals in just 21 seconds! This amazing feat happened against the New York Rangers.

During his time in the NHL, Mosienko won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1945. This award goes to the player who shows the best sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct. He also played in five All-Star Games and was twice chosen for the second All-Star team. After leaving the NHL in 1955, he helped bring professional hockey to his hometown of Winnipeg. He was a key part of starting the Winnipeg Warriors in the Western Hockey League. He was an All-Star three times in his four years with the Warriors. In 1956, he helped them win the league championship.

Bill Mosienko was honored for his great career by being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965. He was also added to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1980.

Bill Mosienko's Early Life

Bill Mosienko was born on November 2, 1921, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He grew up in a large family with 12 brothers and sisters. His parents, Daniel and Natalia, were immigrants from Ukraine. His father worked as a boilermaker for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Bill spent his childhood in the north end of Winnipeg.

He fell in love with hockey at a young age. He started playing when he was 10 years old with local clubs like the Tobans. When he was 17, he tried out for a junior team, the St. James Canadians. They told him he was too young, so he joined the Winnipeg Monarchs instead. In the 1939–40 season, he scored 21 goals in 24 games. Even though he could have played another year of junior hockey, Mosienko left the team. They didn't pay for his transportation, and he needed that money because his family was poor.

Bill Mosienko's Hockey Career

Playing for the Chicago Black Hawks

A Chicago Black Hawks player named Joe Cooper saw Mosienko playing on outdoor rinks in Winnipeg. Cooper was so impressed that he told the Black Hawks to sign him. Mosienko also had an offer from the New York Rangers. But since Chicago made their offer first, they got him. Bill Mosienko signed with Chicago when he was 18. He was sent to their minor league team, the Providence Reds, in the American Hockey League. He played 36 games there, scoring 33 points. Later that season, he moved to the Kansas City Americans.

Mosienko first joined the Black Hawks in 1942. He filled in for players who had left to fight in World War II. On February 9, 1942, he scored his first two NHL goals. They were scored only 21 seconds apart! An ankle injury kept him out for a few weeks. He finished that season with 14 points in 12 NHL games.

In the summer of 1942, Mosienko returned to Winnipeg. He worked in a factory that made defense products. He tried to join the military but was not allowed for health reasons. He was also unable to travel to the United States. So, for the 1942–43 season, he mostly played for the Quebec Aces. He played only two games for the Black Hawks that year.

Bill Mosienko became a regular NHL player in the 1943–44 season. He scored a career-high 70 points that year. Mosienko, along with his linemates Clint Smith and Doug Bentley, scored a combined 219 points. This was an NHL record at the time. His 70 points also set a team rookie record. This record stood for 37 years!

In the 1944–45 season, Mosienko was sixth in league scoring with 54 points. What's amazing is that he didn't get a single penalty minute all season! Because of his fair play, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy. He was also named a second-team All-Star. Fans even voted him the most popular player on the team.

The next season, Chicago coach Johnny Gottselig put Mosienko on a line with brothers Max and Doug Bentley. This trio became known as the "Pony Line." They were called this because they were fast and not very big. They became one of the best scoring lines in the NHL. Max Bentley led the league in scoring that year. Mosienko finished sixth, even though he missed some games due to a knee injury. He was again named a second-team All-Star.

Before the 1947–48 season, Mosienko played in the first NHL All-Star Game. During the game, he broke his leg. It was feared he would miss the whole year. But he only missed the first two months. The Pony Line broke up after his injury when Max Bentley was traded.

Mosienko continued to be a key player for the Black Hawks. He played in five All-Star Games during his career. His most famous moment happened on March 23, 1952. It was the last night of the regular season, and the Black Hawks were playing the New York Rangers. Mosienko scored three goals in just 21 seconds! This set a new record for the fastest hat-trick ever. His linemate Gus Bodnar helped him score all three goals. Mosienko almost scored a fourth goal just 45 seconds later, but it hit the goalpost. This incredible feat is still an NHL record today.

Because he was smaller than many players, Mosienko was often hit hard by bigger opponents. He suffered many injuries because of this. But he rarely fought back. He was known across the league for his gentlemanly behavior. In 14 NHL seasons, he only had 121 penalty minutes. He only had one fight in his entire career.

After the 1953–54 season, Mosienko thought about retiring. But the Black Hawks asked him to play one more season, and he agreed. He played 64 games and scored 27 points in the 1954–55 season. This was his last season in the NHL. He felt the Black Hawks offered him too little money, so he retired from the NHL for good in 1955.

Playing for the Winnipeg Warriors

After leaving the NHL, Mosienko went back to Winnipeg. He was offered a contract with the new Winnipeg Warriors team. They were part of the Western Hockey League. In their first year, 1955–56, he led the Warriors to win the President's Cup championship. The Warriors then beat the Montreal Royals to win the Edinburgh Trophy. This was Canada's championship for minor professional teams. Mosienko scored two goals in the final game, helping his team win 3–1.

He was named to the WHL All-Star team three times: in 1957, 1958, and 1959. In the 1958–59 season, he scored 88 points. After 18 seasons of professional hockey, Mosienko announced his retirement. He coached the Warriors for one season in 1959–60. But he quit after a year because he found it took up too much of his time.

When he retired from the NHL, Bill Mosienko was seventh all-time in league scoring. He had 540 points. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965. He also joined the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1980. The Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame also honors Mosienko. In 2000, he was named to their provincial All-Century first All-Star team.

Bill Mosienko's Life Off the Ice

In 1947, Bill Mosienko and Joe Cooper built a bowling alley in Winnipeg. It opened in 1948. Cooper managed the business while Mosienko was playing hockey. But Mosienko would help out during the summers. When he retired from hockey, Mosienko became more involved. Eventually, he bought out Cooper's share of the business. Mosienko and his family owned and ran the bowling alleys until 2007.

Bill Mosienko was a big supporter of minor hockey in Winnipeg. He also helped out with Manitoba oldtimers' hockey associations. There is an arena in his hometown of Winnipeg named in his honor.

Mosienko had known his wife, Wanda Swita, since they were kids. They got married on July 13, 1946. They had three children: two sons and one daughter. His grandson, Tyler, also became a professional hockey player. Tyler remembers his grandfather as a humble man. He would join Tyler on the family's backyard rink when Tyler was learning to skate.

Bill Mosienko was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1986. He got better at first. But in 1991, doctors found the cancer had spread to his brain. He passed away on July 9, 1994. He was buried in Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg. In October 2021, a book about Mosienko's life was published. It is called Mosienko: The Man Who Caught Lightning In A Bottle by Ty Dilello.

Images for kids

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  Bill Mosienko in 1954.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

Awards and Honours