Bill Ranford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Ranford |
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Ranford in 2014
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| Born | December 14, 1966 Brandon, Manitoba, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Left | ||
| Played for | Boston Bruins Edmonton Oilers Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Detroit Red Wings |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 52nd overall, 1985 Boston Bruins |
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| Playing career | 1985–2000 | ||
William Edward Ranford (born December 14, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He is currently the director of goaltending for the Los Angeles Kings. Bill was picked by the Boston Bruins in the third round of the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He was the 52nd player chosen overall.
Over fifteen seasons in the NHL, Ranford played for several teams. These included the Boston Bruins, Edmonton Oilers, Washington Capitals, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Detroit Red Wings. He won two Stanley Cups, a Canada Cup, and the 1994 Men's Ice Hockey World Championships while playing for Canada. Bill Ranford is the only goaltender in history to be named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canada Cup/World Cup, and Men's Ice Hockey World Championship.
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Early Life and Hockey Start
Bill Ranford was born in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. Because his dad was in the Canadian Armed Forces, Bill lived in many different places. He grew up across Canada and even spent a few years living in Germany.
When he was a child, Bill took figure skating lessons. But he soon decided he wanted to be a hockey goaltender instead. He played for local teams in places like Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and Red Deer, Alberta.
Playing in the WHL
Bill went to New Westminster Secondary School. While there, he played for the Western Hockey League's (WHL) New Westminster Bruins. He finished school in 1985. That same month, the Boston Bruins drafted him into the NHL.
His first year after being drafted was the 1985–86 season. He was named to the WHL Second All-Star Team. After the WHL season ended, he played his first NHL games for Boston. He won three out of four games.
Moving to the NHL
For the next season, Boston sent him to the Moncton Golden Flames in the AHL. He started strong, winning his first three games. He then spent the rest of that year with the Boston Bruins.
Later, the Bruins got a new coach, Terry O'Reilly. Bill Ranford was traded on March 8, 1988. He went from the Boston Bruins to the Edmonton Oilers. Geoff Courtnall also went to Edmonton in the trade. In return, Boston received Andy Moog. Before this trade, Bill had mostly played in the minor leagues. This was the last time he played at that level.
NHL Career Highlights
Bill Ranford won his first Stanley Cup in 1988. He was the backup goaltender to Grant Fuhr for the Edmonton Oilers.
Becoming a Star Goaltender
In 1990, the Oilers' main goalie, Grant Fuhr, was injured. Bill Ranford stepped up and became a top goaltender. He led the Oilers to another Stanley Cup victory. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy, which is given to the most valuable player in the playoffs. This was the last Stanley Cup won by the famous Edmonton Oilers team of that era.
Ranford played for the Oilers for six more seasons. On January 11, 1996, he was traded back to the Boston Bruins. The Oilers received Mariusz Czerkawski, Sean Brown, and a draft pick in return.
Later NHL Teams
After less than two seasons with Boston, Ranford was traded again. On March 1, 1997, he went to the Washington Capitals. Adam Oates and Rick Tocchet also went to Washington. In exchange, Boston got Jason Allison, Anson Carter, and Jim Carey.
Bill Ranford started as the main goalie for Washington. But he got injured in the first game of the 1997–98 season. He missed a lot of games. When he came back, Olaf Kölzig had taken over as the starting goalie. The Capitals made it to the Stanley Cup Finals that year. It was Ranford's third time reaching the Finals, but Kolzig played every minute of those playoffs.
On June 18, 1998, Bill was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He played for Tampa Bay at the start of the next season. Then, on March 23, 1999, he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings. This was his final playoff appearance. He played in four games when Detroit's starting goalie, Chris Osgood, was injured. Ranford won two of those games and had his fourth career playoff shutout.
His last year in the NHL was the 1999–00 season. Ranford returned to the Edmonton Oilers as a free agent. He was the backup goalie to Tommy Salo. Bill Ranford announced his retirement from playing hockey on April 24, 2000.
Playing for Canada
| Medal record | ||
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| Representing Canada |
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| World Championships | ||
| Gold | 1994 Milan | |
| Canada Cup | ||
| Gold | 1991 Canada | |
Bill Ranford played for Team Canada several times.
Canada Cup and World Championships
He was the starting goaltender in the 1991 Canada Cup. He did not lose any games, playing in all seven of Canada's matches. He was named to the tournament's all-star team.
In 1994, he was Canada's starting goalie at the World Championships. He helped Canada win its first gold medal in that tournament since 1961. In the gold medal game, he stopped the last Finnish shooter, Mika Nieminen, in a shootout. After the win, Ranford jumped into the air and was celebrated by his teammates.
He was chosen to play for Canada a third time in 1996 at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. However, he was the third-string goalie behind Curtis Joseph and Martin Brodeur, so he did not play in any games.
After Playing Hockey
After retiring from playing, Bill Ranford stayed involved in hockey.
Special Games and Movies
Ranford played goalie for the Edmonton Oilers alumni team in the 2003 Heritage Classic. This was the first outdoor regular-season game in NHL history. Ranford and Grant Fuhr played in goal and helped the Oilers alumni team win 2–0 against the Montreal Canadiens alumni team.
Bill Ranford also acted in the 2004 movie Miracle. He performed the on-ice scenes as the goaltender for Team USA, Jim Craig. He was chosen because he had a similar playing style to Craig.
Coaching and Management
Ranford worked as the goalie coach for the WHL Vancouver Giants for two seasons (2004–2005 and 2005–2006). On July 10, 2006, he became the goaltending coach for the Los Angeles Kings. In May 2023, Ranford was named the Kings' Director of Goaltending. His name was added to the Stanley Cup two more times, in 2012 and 2014, for his work as a coach.
He also partly owns the Coquitlam Express, a junior hockey team in British Columbia. The Bill Ranford Trophy is an award given to the best goaltender in Alberta Midget AAA hockey.
Personal Life
Bill Ranford is the uncle of professional ice hockey player Brendan Ranford. He is married to Kelly, and they have two daughters, Cassady and Tristan.
Awards and Achievements
- 1986 – WHL West Second All-Star Team
- 1988, 1990 – Stanley Cup champion (as a player)
- 1990 – Conn Smythe Trophy (Playoff MVP)
- 1991 – National Hockey League All-Star Game
- 1991 – Canada Cup champion (with Team Canada)
- 1991 – Canada Cup MVP
- 1994 – Ice Hockey World Championships champion (with Team Canada)
- 1994 – Ice Hockey World Championships MVP
- 2012, 2014 – Stanley Cup champion (as a goaltending coach)
