Former NHL player and Hall of Fame director Bill Hay has died at the age of 88

Former Chicago Black Hawks player Bill “Red” Hay, yes died at the age of 88. Hay played eight seasons in the NHL before starting his career as general manager of the Calgary Flames and then president and chief operating officer of Hockey Canada. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2015 and honored with the Order of Hockey Canada in 2021. He was born into a wealthy hockey family — the son of Charles Hay, who was also president of Hockey Canada at one point. Hay’s uncle, Earl Miller, was also a prolific professional hockey player, playing six seasons in the IHL and five in the NHL, including playing for the Black Hawks 20 years before his nephew joined the team.

Red Hay rose to fame in hockey long before his professional career. He played junior hockey with the Regina Pats in 1952 and 1954 – interrupted by five short games at the University of Saskatchewan. He scored 78 points in 62 WJHL games with Regina and helped the team to a runner-up finish in the 1955 Memorial Cup, where his tournament-leading 23 points in 15 games were not enough to top Mike Nykoluk’s Toronto Marlboros squad. After finishing a difficult junior career, Hay transferred to Colorado College in 1955 and joined their hockey team in 1956. He had two legendary seasons with the Tigers program, scoring a total of 153 points in 69 games at the school and leading them to the NCAA Championship Tournament Championship in 1957. This is the most recent championship in Colorado College men’s hockey history, although the team continues to play at the highest level.

Hay moved up to the senior WHL for a year with the Calgary Stampeders in 1958, then began his career with the NHL’s Black Hawks in 1959. He made an immediate splash, scoring 55 points in 70 games as a rookie – enough to beat Murray Oliver, Ken Schinkel and 19-year-old Stan Mikita to the Calder Trophy in 1960. Hay’s production continued to increase over the next two seasons, even supporting Chicago until winning the Stanley Cup in 1961. This season motivated Hay to start his career in 1961–62 – when he scored 63 points in 60 games – although he ultimately lost in returning to the Cup Final, losing to the Maple Leafs program led by Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon . Hay continued his success after a disappointing end, eventually scoring 386 points in 506 games over eight seasons with Chicago. His professional career came to an end in 1967 when the 31-year-old Hay was drafted by St. Louis Blues in the 1967 expansion draft and chose to pursue a managerial career rather than play for his franchise’s new rival. In the early 1990s, he was named Calgary’s general manager and president of Hockey Canada, and years later played a key role in the merger of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association.

Hay was born into a successful hockey family and carried the torch in leading roles for over 40 years. His influence continues through the success of Colorado College, the Calgary Flames and Hockey Canada as a whole. Pro Hockey Rumors sends its condolences to his friends, family and all those impacted by his half-century career impacting top hockey.