Billy Reay

William Tulip Reay (August 21, 1918 – September 23, 2004) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. Reay played ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He then coached from 1957 to 1959 in the NHL and again from 1963 to 1977.

Billy Reay
Reay in 1973
Born	(1918-08-21)August 21, 1918 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died	September 23, 2004(2004-09-23) (aged 86) Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg; 11 st 1 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Montreal Canadiens
Playing career	1943–1953

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he played in the NHL for ten seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings. In 479 games, he scored 105 goals and 267 points and in 63 playoff games, he scored 13 goals and 29 points. He won two Stanley Cups in 1946 and 1953, both with the Montreal Canadiens. He was the head coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1957–1959) and the head coach for the Chicago Black Hawks (1963–1977). He has won the most games for a Chicago Black Hawks coach. Although he coached the Black Hawks to three Stanley Cup finals (1965, 1971, and 1973), he was never able to win.

Before beginning a career from which he retired with the second most victories in NHL history, Reay was a Canadiens centre who is believed to be the first player to raise his arms and stick to celebrate a goal when he did so after scoring in a game in 1947.[1] [2]

He died of liver cancer in Madison, Wisconsin.