Gilles Villemure facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gilles Villemure |
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Villemure in 1976
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| Born | May 30, 1940 Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) | ||
| Position | Goaltender | ||
| Caught | Right | ||
| Played for | New York Rangers Chicago Black Hawks |
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| Playing career | 1963–1977 | ||
Joseph Hector Gilles Villemure, born on May 30, 1940, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was a talented goalie who played for famous teams like the New York Rangers and the Chicago Black Hawks during the 1960s and 1970s. Gilles Villemure was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.
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Gilles Villemure's Hockey Journey
Starting in Junior and Minor Leagues
Gilles Villemure began his hockey career in the junior leagues. He played one season with the Guelph Biltmores in the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). After that, he spent ten years playing in the minor leagues. He mostly played for the Vancouver Canucks in the WHL. He also played for the Baltimore Clippers and the Buffalo Bisons in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Gilles was a real star in the minor leagues. In his last two seasons in the AHL, 1968-69 and 1969-70, he won the Les Cunningham Award. This award is given to the league's most valuable player. He led all goalies in the playoffs during his second year. This helped the Bisons win the Calder Cup in their final season. During his time in the minor leagues, he was the best goalie in his league three times for goals-against average. He also had the most shutouts five times. The New York Rangers signed him in 1964, and he was called up to play for them a few times during this period.
Becoming an NHL Star
The 1970-71 season was a big one for Villemure. He joined the NHL for good as the backup goalie for the Rangers, playing alongside Eddie Giacomin. For the next three seasons, Gilles had an amazing record. He won 66 games, lost 27, and tied 10. He also had ten shutouts, which means he didn't let the other team score any goals in those games. His goals-against average (GAA) was always very low, never higher than 2.30.
In 1971, he shared the Vezina Trophy with Eddie Giacomin. This award goes to the best goaltender in the NHL. Gilles was chosen to play in the NHL All-Star Game for three years in a row: 1971, 1972, and 1973. He only let in one goal during all his All-Star Game appearances. This gave him the lowest career GAA of any All-Star Game goalie! The Rangers were a very strong team back then. They even made it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1972.
Later Career and Retirement
By the 1974-75 season, both Gilles and Eddie Giacomin were getting older. Villemure became the main goalie for the New York Rangers. However, his success was not as great as before. After that season, he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. He played as a backup to Tony Esposito there. Gilles only played 21 games over two years with the Black Hawks. He decided to retire after the 1976-77 season.
In 2009, a book called 100 Ranger Greats ranked Gilles Villemure as the 48th best player in the history of the New York Rangers. This is a big honor, considering how many players have played for the team!
Life After Hockey
When he wasn't playing hockey, Gilles Villemure had another interesting hobby. He was a professional harness racehorse driver. Today, he lives in Levittown, New York.
Awards and Honors
- Rookie of the Year in the WHL in 1963.
- Named to the WHL's First All-Star Team in 1966.
- Named to the AHL's Second All-Star Team in 1967.
- Won the Hap Holmes Memorial Award in 1969 and 1970.
- Won the Les Cunningham Award in 1969 and 1970.
- Named to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1969 and 1970.
- Calder Cup championship in 1970.
- Vezina Trophy winner in 1971 (shared with Eddie Giacomin).
- Named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
