Mel Hill
Encyclopedia
John Melvin Hill was an ice hockey
right winger
who was perhaps best known for his record three overtime goals in a playoff series in the 1939 playoffs which earned him the moniker, "Sudden Death".
of the National Hockey League
in 1937–38
, and played only six games, scoring two goals. The next season he scored ten goals and had twenty points, but it was in the playoffs that year that he rose into prominence. In the semi-finals that year against the New York Rangers
, he scored three sudden-death overtime goals to help the Bruins knock off the Rangers and go on to win the Stanley Cup
. All in all, he had six goals and nine points in twelve games in the playoffs that year.
Hill was traded to the Brooklyn Americans for cash on June 27, 1941. He only played one season in Brooklyn as the team folded, but he scored 37 points in 47 games there. After the season his rights were transferred to the Toronto Maple Leafs
in the dispersal draft. The 1942–43
proved to be Hill's best in the NHL, as he scored seventeen goals and forty-four points in forty-nine games. He would go on to produce for the Leafs for three more seasons, before moving down to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League
.
Hill finished his NHL career with 89 goals and 198 points in 324 games, and managed to win three Stanley Cups Boston Bruins 1939, 1941, Toronto 1945.
and Canada Dry
bottling plant in Regina, Saskatchewan
. Hill died at the age of 82 in 1996.
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...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who was perhaps best known for his record three overtime goals in a playoff series in the 1939 playoffs which earned him the moniker, "Sudden Death".
Playing career
Hill started playing for the Boston BruinsBoston 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...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
in 1937–38
1937–38 NHL season
-European tour:After the Stanley Cup final finished, the Detroit Red Wings and the Montreal Canadiens played a nine-game exhibition series in Europe, becoming the first NHL teams to play outside North America. Six games were played in England, three in France...
, and played only six games, scoring two goals. The next season he scored ten goals and had twenty points, but it was in the playoffs that year that he rose into prominence. In the semi-finals that year against 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...
, he scored three sudden-death overtime goals to help the Bruins knock off the Rangers and go on to win the 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...
. All in all, he had six goals and nine points in twelve games in the playoffs that year.
Hill was traded to the Brooklyn Americans for cash on June 27, 1941. He only played one season in Brooklyn as the team folded, but he scored 37 points in 47 games there. After the season his rights were transferred to 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...
in the dispersal draft. The 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:...
proved to be Hill's best in the NHL, as he scored seventeen goals and forty-four points in forty-nine games. He would go on to produce for the Leafs for three more seasons, before moving down to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
.
Hill finished his NHL career with 89 goals and 198 points in 324 games, and managed to win three Stanley Cups Boston Bruins 1939, 1941, Toronto 1945.
After hockey
After his hockey career he owned and operated a Pepsi-ColaPepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
and Canada Dry
Canada Dry
Canada Dry is a brand of soft drinks owned since 2008 by the Texas-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group. For over a century Canada Dry has been known for its ginger ale, though the company also manufactures a number of other soft drinks and mixers...
bottling plant in Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
. Hill died at the age of 82 in 1996.
Awards and achievements
- Stanley CupStanley CupThe 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...
Championships (1939, 1941 & 1945) - “Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of FameManitoba Hockey Hall of FameThe Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Museum was established in 1985 when the first honoured members were named and plaques were erected in their honour. The first group of inductees was large in order to recognize the accomplishments of Manitoba players, coaches, builders and teams at the...