Bud Poile
Encyclopedia
Norman Robert "Bud" Poile (February 10, 1924 – January 4, 2005) was a professional ice hockey
player, coach, general manager, and league executive.
, Ontario
and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers. He began his professional career in 1942 as an 18-year-old right winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs
and—after a break in his career to serve in the Second World War—was a member of the Leafs' Stanley Cup
-winning team of 1947. The next season, he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks
in a multi-player deal for Max Bentley
. A year later he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings
. Before the 1949–50 season he was acquired by the New York Rangers
and was traded mid-season to the Boston Bruins
, which would be his final stop in the NHL.
Poile would spend five more years playing in minor professional leagues as a player-coach, first for the Tulsa Oilers of the United States Hockey League
in 1950–51. he then rejoined the Red Wings organization in 1951–52 as player coach of the Red Wings' Maritime Major Hockey League
affiliate, the Glace Bay Miners. He moved up to the Wings' Western Hockey League
affiliate, the Edmonton Flyers
, in 1952–53. He retired as a player in 1954, but would continue to coach the Flyers until 1962. Poile then became head coach of the San Francisco Seals from 1962 to 1966.
With the NHL expansion in 1967, Poile became general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers
, acquiring key members of the team that would win the Stanley Cup in the 1970s. In 1970, Poile became general manager of another NHL expansion team, the Vancouver Canucks
, building that club until leaving in 1973 to join the World Hockey Association
as executive vice-president. He left the WHA in May 1976.
In August 1976, Poile became president of the Central Hockey League. During the 1983–84 season he also became commissioner of the International Hockey League. The CHL wound down its operations at the end of that season, and Poile continued in his role with the IHL until retiring in 1989.
Poile was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
as a builder in 1990 after a hockey career that spanned six decades. He died in Vancouver on January 4, 2005 after a prolonged struggle with Parkinson's disease
. His son, David Poile
, has also had a long management career in the National Hockey League and was the first (and current) general manager of the Nashville Predators
.
Poile has had two professional hockey trophies named after him. The first was the N.R. "Bud" Poile Trophy of the International Hockey League, awarded from 1989 to 2001 to the most valuable player of the Turner Cup Playoffs. The second is the Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy of the American Hockey League, awarded to the team that finishes the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference.
1 Midseason replacement
² Replaced midseaseon
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player, coach, general manager, and league executive.
Overview
Poile was born in Fort WilliamFort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers. He began his professional career in 1942 as an 18-year-old right winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and—after a break in his career to serve in the Second World War—was a member of the Leafs' Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
-winning team of 1947. The next season, he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in a multi-player deal for Max Bentley
Max Bentley
Maxwell Herbert Lloyd Bentley was a Canadian ice hockey forward who played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League as part of a professional and senior career that spanned 20 years...
. A year later he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. Before the 1949–50 season he was acquired by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and was traded mid-season to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
, which would be his final stop in the NHL.
Poile would spend five more years playing in minor professional leagues as a player-coach, first for the Tulsa Oilers of the United States Hockey League
United States Hockey League
The United States Hockey League is the top junior ice hockey league in the United States. The USHL has 16 member teams located in the Midwestern United States, consisting of players who are 20 years of age and younger...
in 1950–51. he then rejoined the Red Wings organization in 1951–52 as player coach of the Red Wings' Maritime Major Hockey League
Maritime Major Hockey League
The Maritime Major Hockey League was a professional men's ice hockey league which operated for four seasons from 1950 to 1954 in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The league was financially supported by teams of the National Hockey League as a 'feeder' league....
affiliate, the Glace Bay Miners. He moved up to the Wings' Western Hockey League
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
affiliate, the Edmonton Flyers
Edmonton Flyers
The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time...
, in 1952–53. He retired as a player in 1954, but would continue to coach the Flyers until 1962. Poile then became head coach of the San Francisco Seals from 1962 to 1966.
With the NHL expansion in 1967, Poile became general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, acquiring key members of the team that would win the Stanley Cup in the 1970s. In 1970, Poile became general manager of another NHL expansion team, the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, building that club until leaving in 1973 to join the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
as executive vice-president. He left the WHA in May 1976.
In August 1976, Poile became president of the Central Hockey League. During the 1983–84 season he also became commissioner of the International Hockey League. The CHL wound down its operations at the end of that season, and Poile continued in his role with the IHL until retiring in 1989.
Poile was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
as a builder in 1990 after a hockey career that spanned six decades. He died in Vancouver on January 4, 2005 after a prolonged struggle with Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
. His son, David Poile
David Poile
David Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....
, has also had a long management career in the National Hockey League and was the first (and current) general manager of the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Poile has had two professional hockey trophies named after him. The first was the N.R. "Bud" Poile Trophy of the International Hockey League, awarded from 1989 to 2001 to the most valuable player of the Turner Cup Playoffs. The second is the Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy of the American Hockey League, awarded to the team that finishes the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference.
Awards
- Awarded the Lester Patrick TrophyLester Patrick TrophyThe Lester Patrick Trophy has been presented by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey since 1966 to honor a recipient's contribution to ice hockey in the United States. It is considered a non-NHL trophy because it may be awarded to players, coaches, officials, and other personnel outside the NHL...
in 1989. - Inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1942–43 1942–43 NHL season -NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring leaders:Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes-Leading goaltenders:... |
Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 48 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1943–44 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 11 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1945–46 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 9 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1946–47 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 59 | 19 | 17 | 36 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1947–48 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Chicago Black Hawks Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10... |
NHL | 54 | 23 | 29 | 52 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 56 | 21 | 21 | 42 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1949–50 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 28 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1949–50 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 38 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1950–51 | Tulsa Oilers Tulsa Oilers (hockey team) The Tulsa Oilers are a professional ice hockey team in the Central Hockey League. The Oilers played their home games at the Maxwell Center until 2008, when they moved into the new BOK Center. For many years, the Tulsa Oilers name was shared with Tulsa's former minor-league baseball team that... |
USHL | 60 | 15 | 38 | 53 | 48 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | ||
| 1951–52 | Glace-Bay Miners | MMHL | 84 | 33 | 60 | 93 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 | Edmonton Flyers Edmonton Flyers The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time... |
WHL | 70 | 20 | 29 | 49 | 62 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 12 | ||
| 1953–54 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 49 | 12 | 39 | 51 | 34 | 13 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 1954–55 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 311 | 107 | 122 | 229 | 91 | 35 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 18 | ||||
Coaching statistics
| Season | Team | League | Type | G | W | L | T | OTL | Pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952–53 | Edmonton Flyers Edmonton Flyers The Edmonton Flyers are a defunct ice hockey team that was based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The team existed from 1940 until 1963, playing in various senior and minor professional leagues during that time... |
WHL | Head Coach | 60 | 21 | 28 | 11 | 0 | .442 |
| 1953–54 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 29 | 30 | 11 | 0 | .493 |
| 1954–55 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 39 | 20 | 11 | 0 | .636 |
| 1955–56 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 33 | 34 | 3 | 0 | .493 |
| 1956–57 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 39 | 27 | 4 | 0 | .586 |
| 1957–58 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach1 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0 | ? |
| 1959–60 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 37 | 29 | 4 | 0 | .557 |
| 1960–61 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 27 | 43 | 0 | 0 | .386 |
| 1961–62 | Edmonton Flyers | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 39 | 27 | 4 | 0 | .586 |
| 1962–63 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 44 | 25 | 1 | 0 | .636 |
| 1963–64 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | Head Coach2 | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0 | ? |
| 1964–65 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | Head Coach | 70 | 31 | 37 | 2 | 0 | .457 |
| 1965–66 | San Francisco Seals | WHL | Head Coach² | ? | ? | ? | ? | 0 | ? |
1 Midseason replacement
² Replaced midseaseon
See also
- Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy (AHL)
- Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy (IHL)