Pierre Pilote facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pierre Pilote |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1975 | |||
Pilote with the Chicago Black Hawks in the 1960s
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| Born | December 11, 1931 Kénogami, Quebec, Canada |
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| Died | September 9, 2017 (aged 85) Barrie, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 178 lb (81 kg; 12 st 10 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Chicago Black Hawks Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 1955–1969 | ||
Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote (born December 11, 1931 – died September 9, 2017) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player. He was a talented defenceman for the Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Pilote was chosen as an All-Star many times. He was also the team captain for seven seasons. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy three times. This award is given to the best defenceman in the NHL.
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Early Life and Hockey Start
Pierre Pilote was born in Kenogami, Quebec. When he was 14, his family moved to Fort Erie, Ontario. A storm damaged the local ice rink. Because of this, Pierre did not play organized hockey until he was 17.
He first tried out for a junior B team in Niagara Falls. He wanted to play as a centre. However, the team needed a defenceman. So, Pierre practiced playing defence. He joined the team the next season.
Rudy Pilous helped Pilote join the St. Catharines Teepees. This team was part of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Pilote started playing for them in 1950. He then played four full seasons for the Buffalo Bisons. This was a minor professional team in the American Hockey League (AHL). In his fifth season, the Chicago Black Hawks signed him. This started his career in the National Hockey League (NHL).
NHL Career as a Defenceman
Pierre Pilote became a top player for the Chicago Black Hawks. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy three years in a row. This award is for the NHL's best defenceman. He won it in 1963, 1964, and 1965. Only a few other players have done this.
He was named to the First or Second All-Star team every year. This was from 1960 to 1967. Pilote played 376 games in a row. This "iron man" streak lasted over five seasons. He often played alongside Elmer "Moose" Vasko. They were a strong defensive pair.
Winning the Stanley Cup
In 1961, the Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup. This is the biggest trophy in hockey. After this win, the team's captain, Ed Litzenberger, was traded. Pierre Pilote was then named the new captain. He was captain for seven seasons. This was the longest time any Black Hawks player had been captain. Later, Jonathan Toews broke his record.
In 1968, Pilote was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played one season with them. He retired from hockey on April 6, 1969. He finished his career with 80 goals and 418 assists. He played in 890 games.
After His NHL Career
When Pierre Pilote retired, he was the second-highest scoring defenceman in NHL history. Only Doug Harvey had more points. He was also the sixth-highest scorer for the Black Hawks. He was second in assists for the team, behind Stan Mikita. Today, he is still eighth in all-time assists for the Hawks.
Pilote was added to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. This is a special place for the best hockey players. In 1997, The Hockey News ranked him as the 59th greatest hockey player ever.
On July 18, 2008, the Blackhawks honored Pilote. They retired his jersey number, #3. This means no other player on the team will wear that number again. It was a joint ceremony with Keith Magnuson, who also wore #3. A bronze statue of Pilote was put up in Jonquière in 2012. In 2013, a book about his life was published. Pierre Pilote passed away from cancer on September 9, 2017.
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1950–51 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA-Jr. | 54 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 230 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 23 | ||
| 1951–52 | St. Catharines Teepees | OHA-Jr. | 52 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 139 | 14 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 50 | ||
| 1951–52 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 61 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 67 | 2 | 28 | 30 | 108 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1954–55 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 63 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 120 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 18 | ||
| 1955–56 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 20 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 43 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 118 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1956–57 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 79 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1959–60 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 100 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1960–61* | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 165 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 1961–62 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 59 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 97 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1962–63 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 59 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 46 | 53 | 84 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 68 | 14 | 45 | 59 | 162 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 22 | ||
| 1965–66 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 51 | 2 | 34 | 36 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1966–67 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 46 | 52 | 90 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1967–68 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 74 | 1 | 36 | 37 | 69 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 1968–69 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 69 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 890 | 80 | 418 | 498 | 1,251 | 86 | 8 | 53 | 61 | 102 | ||||
* Stanley Cup Champion.
Sources:
Awards and Honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NHL | ||
| Stanley Cup Champion | 1961 | |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | 1963, 1964, 1965 | |
| 8x NHL All-Star | 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 | |
| 5x First All-Star team | 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967 | |
| 3x Second All-Star team | 1960, 1961, 1962 | |
See also
In Spanish: Pierre Pilote para niños
