Bill MacMillan

For the British academic, see Bill MacMillan (academic).
Bill MacMillan

with the St. Michaels Majors, c. 1961
Born (1943-03-07) March 7, 1943
Charlottetown, PE, CAN
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Right Wing
Shot Left
Played for Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlanta Flames
New York Islanders
National team  Canada
Playing career 19661978
Olympic medal record
Men's Ice hockey
1968 Grenoble Ice hockey

William Stewart "Billy" MacMillan (born March 7, 1943) is a Canadian former coach and player. MacMillan played and later coached in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Early career

MacMillan grew up in Prince Edward Island and excelled at a variety of sports, including hockey, rugby, and track. He left home as a teenager for the more fertile hockey ground of Ontario. He appeared in three Memorial Cup tournaments with the powerful St. Michael's Majors junior team. He later played university hockey at the now merged Saint Dunstan's University, after returning to PEI to complete his academic studies. He subsequently appeared in various minor leagues.

NHL career

A powerful body checker and solid defensive forward, MacMillan was a late bloomer who did not make an NHL roster until age 27. He scored a surprising 22 goals as a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but saw his playing time reduced the next season. He was selected in the 1973 expansion draft by the Atlanta Flames, playing in a checking role with the team during its inaugural season. He was then traded to the New York Islanders, where he played for an additional four years. After failing to make the NHL roster in 1977, he played one year with the Fort Worth Texans before retiring.

Coaching career

MacMillan was hired as an assistant coach by Al Arbour with the New York Islanders for the 1979-80 season, and he helped lead this franchise to its first Stanley Cup. The next season, he was hired by the Colorado Rockies to serve a duel role as general manager and head coach. After one season, he was relieved of his coaching duties, but after the team moved and became the New Jersey Devils in 1982, he returned to a capacity behind the bench. He was fired 20 games into the following season.

Coaching record

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Colorado Rockies1980–81 80224513575th in SmytheMissed playoffs
New Jersey Devils1982–83 80174914485th in PatrickMissed playoffs
New Jersey Devils1983–84 202180(41)5th in Patrick(fired)
Total 1804111227

External links

Preceded by
Don Cherry
Head coach of the Colorado Rockies
198081
Succeeded by
Bert Marshall
Preceded by
Colorado Rockies coaches
Marshall Johnston
Head coach of the New Jersey Devils
1982–83
Succeeded by
Tom McVie
Preceded by
Ray Miron
General manager of the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils
198183
Succeeded by
Max McNab
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