Vic Heyliger
Victor Heyliger (September 26, 1912 – October 4, 2006) was a National Hockey League center and the head coach of the University of Michigan ice hockey team.[1]
Vic Heyliger from the 1950 Michiganensian | |
Biographical details | |
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Born | Concord, Massachusetts, U.S. | September 26, 1912
Died | October 4, 2006 94) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. | (aged
Playing career | |
1934–1937 | Michigan |
1937–1938 | St. Paul Saints |
1937–1938 | Chicago Blackhawks |
1938–1939 | Detroit Holzbaugh |
1943–1944 | Chicago Blackhawks |
Position(s) | Center |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1939–1943 | Illinois |
1944–1957 | Michigan |
1961–1963 | West Germany National Team |
1965–1966 | US National Team |
1968–1974 | Air Force |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 352-157-21 (.684) |
Tournaments | 16-4 (.800) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
1948 NCAA National Championship 1951 NCAA National Championship 1952 NCAA National Championship 1953 MCHL Regular Season Championship 1953 NCAA National Championship 1955 NCAA National Championship 1956 WIHL Regular Season Championship 1956 NCAA National Championship | |
Awards | |
1954 Spencer Penrose Award 1974 US Hockey Hall of Fame 1980 University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor 1982 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey Award 1988 John MacInnes Award | |
Records | |
Most NCAA ice hockey championships: (6) Most consecutive NCAA ice hockey championships: (3) Most consecutive Frozen Four appearances: (10) |
Career
Born in Concord, Massachusetts, he attended the Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts and as an All-American at Michigan set a school record of 116 goals. He played for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1938 and 1944,[2] bookending his tenure as coach at the University of Illinois from 1939–43,[3] posting a record of 59–29–4.[4]
Returning to Michigan as coach of the Wolverines, he led the team to six NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championships in his thirteen years from 1944 to 1957: 1948 (the first NCAA title), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956. His teams reached the Frozen Four in each of the first ten seasons it was held.
In 1954 he received the Spencer Penrose Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association as the University Division Coach of the Year. Heyliger had an overall Michigan record of 228–61–13. After coaching the U.S. national team in 1966, he coached at the United States Air Force Academy from 1966–74, where he was 85–77–3.[5]
He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in its second class of inductees in 1974. In 1988 he was awarded the John MacInnes Award by the AHCA, an honor which recognizes those individuals who have displayed an interest in amateur hockey and youth programs, as well as fostering high graduation rates among their players.
He died at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, aged 94.[6][7]
Head coaching record
College
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Illinois Fighting Illini (Division I Independent) (1939–1943) | |||||||||
1939–40 | Illinois | 3–11–0 | |||||||
1940–41 | Illinois | 17–3–1 | |||||||
1941–42 | Illinois | 10–4–2 | |||||||
1942–43 | Illinois | 9–1–0 | |||||||
Illinois: | 39–19–3 | ||||||||
Michigan Wolverines (Division I Independent) (1944–1951) | |||||||||
1944–45 | Michigan | 3–6–0 | |||||||
1945–46 | Michigan | 17–7–1 | |||||||
1946–47 | Michigan | 13–7–1 | |||||||
1947–48 | Michigan | 20–2–1 | NCAA National Champion | ||||||
1948–49 | Michigan | 20–2–3 | NCAA Consolation Game (Win) | ||||||
1949–50 | Michigan | 23–4–0 | NCAA Consolation Game (Win) | ||||||
1950–51 | Michigan | 22–4–1 | NCAA National Champion | ||||||
Michigan: | 118–32–7 | ||||||||
Michigan Wolverines (MCHL) (1951–1953) | |||||||||
1951–52 | Michigan | 22–4–0 | 9–3–0 | T–2nd | NCAA National Champion | ||||
1952–53 | Michigan | 17–7–0 | 12–4–0 | T–1st | NCAA National Champion | ||||
Michigan: | 39–11–0 | 21–7–0 | |||||||
Michigan Wolverines (WIHL) (1953–1957) | |||||||||
1953–54 | Michigan | 15–6–2 | 12–3–1 | 2nd | NCAA Consolation Game (Win) | ||||
1954–55 | Michigan | 18–5–1 | 13–5–0 | 2nd | NCAA National Champion | ||||
1955–56 | Michigan | 20–2–1 | 15–2–1 | 1st | NCAA National Champion | ||||
1956–57 | Michigan | 18–5–2 | 13–4–1 | 2nd | NCAA Runner–Up | ||||
Michigan: | 71–18–6 | 53–14–3 | |||||||
Air Force Falcons (Division I Independent) (1968–1974) | |||||||||
1968–69 | Air Force | 6–12–0 | |||||||
1969–70 | Air Force | 11–17–1 | |||||||
1970–71 | Air Force | 15–11–2 | |||||||
1971–72 | Air Force | 25–6–0 | |||||||
1972–73 | Air Force | 16–16–0 | |||||||
1973–74 | Air Force | 12–15–0 | |||||||
Air Force: | 85–77–3 | ||||||||
Total: | 352–157–21 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
- "Vic Heyliger". HockeyDB.com.
- "Vic Heyliger". Hockey-Reference.com.
- Charles Bartlett (December 5, 1941). "HEYLIGER SEES BIG FUTURE FOR COLLEGE HOCKEY: Illini Coach Says It May Rival Golf". Chicago Daily Tribune.
- "Vic Heyliger". Legends of Hockey.
- "16 Greatest Coaches". Inside College Hockey. September 17, 2003.
- "Legendary Michigan Coach Vic Heyliger Dies: Led Wolverines To Six NCAA Titles, Was First Air Force Varsity Coach". USCHO.
- "Vic Heyliger, former national hockey team coach, dies at 87". Associated Press Archive. October 4, 2006.
- "Vic Heyliger Year-By Year Coaching Record". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
- "Michigan Wolverines Through the Years" (PDF). Michigan Wolverines. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
- "2013-14 Air Force Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Hockey-Reference.com, or Legends of Hockey, or The Internet Hockey Database
Awards and achievements | ||
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Preceded by John Mariucci |
Spencer Penrose Award 1953–54 |
Succeeded by Cooney Weiland |