Bill Riley (ice hockey, born 1950) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bill Riley |
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| Born | September 20, 1950 Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb) | ||
| Position | Right wing | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Washington Capitals Winnipeg Jets |
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| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1974–1984 | ||
William James Riley (born September 20, 1950) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He made history as the third black player in the National Hockey League (NHL). Bill Riley played for the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets between 1974 and 1980. He also spent many years playing in minor hockey leagues. His career lasted from 1974 to 1984.
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Bill Riley's Early Life and Hockey Start
Bill Riley grew up in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada. His parents worked hard to support the family. They made sure Bill had the hockey gear he needed to play. He started playing hockey when he was very young.
Even though there were not many black hockey players to look up to, Bill loved the game. He played for the Amherst Ramblers for two seasons. At that time, he didn't think he would play hockey professionally.
In 1973, Bill was working in a factory. He was also playing senior hockey for the Kitimat Eagles in British Columbia. He was an amazing player, scoring 206 points in 80 games over two seasons! A future NHL coach, Tom McVie, noticed Bill's talent. He invited Bill to try out for the Dayton Gems in the IHL. Bill accepted the offer and joined the team in 1974.
Bill Riley's Professional Hockey Career
Bill Riley got a chance to try out for the Washington Capitals in their first season, 1974-75. He played in one game for them. However, he spent most of his time playing in the minor leagues. He played mainly for the Dayton Gems. There, he played for coach Tom McVie again.
The Capitals signed Bill as a free agent in 1976. He played for the Capitals for parts of the next three seasons. In 1979, the Winnipeg Jets picked Bill in the 1979 NHL Expansion Draft. He played 14 games for the Jets. After that, he went back to the minor leagues. He played for teams like the New Brunswick Hawks and the Nova Scotia Voyageurs. Bill retired from playing hockey after the 1983–84 season.
After his professional career, Bill became a player-coach and captain. He led the St. John's Capitals in the Newfoundland Senior Hockey League for three seasons in the late 1980s.
Coaching Hockey
After retiring as a player, Bill Riley started coaching in 1989. He became the head coach of the Amherst Ramblers. This was the same team he played for when he was younger! Later, he was the head coach, general manager, and director of player personnel for the Miramichi Timberwolves. Both teams are in the Maritime Junior A Hockey League. He also coached the Moncton Wildcats during the 1996–97 season.
Bill Riley's Life Off the Ice
Bill Riley has a son named Billy Jr. Sadly, Billy Jr. passed away in a car accident in 2011 at age 35.
In 2017, Bill saw a TV show about Toronto Maple Leafs legend Bill Barilko. Bill Riley then asked his daughter, Tracey, to visit Barilko's grave. She cleaned his tombstone as a sign of respect.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Bill Riley has received several awards and honors for his contributions to hockey:
- Calder Cup (as a player) - 1982
- Callaghan Cup (as a coach) - 1990
- Inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame - 1998
- His Number 8 jersey was retired by the Amherst Ramblers - 2013
Career Statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1968–69 | Amherst Ramblers | MJHL | 48 | 32 | 32 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Amherst Ramblers | MJHL | 30 | 34 | 28 | 62 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1970–71 | Amherst Square M's | MJHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Kitimat Eagles | BCSHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Kitimat Eagles | BCSHL | 40 | 56 | 32 | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | Kitimat Eagles | BCSHL | 40 | 76 | 42 | 118 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Dayton Gems | IHL | 63 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 279 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 29 | ||
| 1975–76 | Dayton Gems | IHL | 69 | 35 | 31 | 66 | 301 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 54 | ||
| 1976–77 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 43 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Dayton Gems | IHL | 30 | 19 | 15 | 34 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 57 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 125 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 24 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Hershey Bears | AHL | 51 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 118 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1979–80 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 63 | 31 | 33 | 64 | 157 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 46 | 12 | 25 | 37 | 107 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 49 | ||
| 1981–82 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 80 | 32 | 30 | 62 | 104 | 15 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 6 | ||
| 1982–83 | Moncton Alpines | AHL | 73 | 33 | 30 | 63 | 134 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 78 | 24 | 24 | 48 | 79 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1986–87 | St. John's Capitals | NFLD | 44 | 29 | 33 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | St. John's Capitals | NFLD | 37 | 39 | 63 | 102 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | St. John's Capitals | NFLD | 29 | 25 | 36 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| AHL totals | 391 | 147 | 157 | 304 | 699 | 47 | 14 | 16 | 30 | 73 | ||||
| NHL totals | 139 | 31 | 30 | 61 | 320 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
