Brian Kilrea
| Brian Kilrea | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2003 | |||
| Born |
October 21, 1934 Ottawa, Ontario |
||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Troy Bruins (IHL) Detroit Red Wings (NHL) Edmonton Flyers (WHL) Springfield Indians (AHL) Los Angeles Kings (NHL) Springfield Kings (AHL) Rochester Americans (AHL) Tulsa Oilers (CHL) Vancouver Canucks (WHL) Denver Spurs (WHL) |
||
| Playing career | 1955–1970 | ||
Brian Blair "Killer" Kilrea (born October 21, 1934 in Ottawa, Ontario) is a Canadian retired ice hockey head coach, general manager, and player. He is most notable for his 35-year association with the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League. Kilrea is an esteemed member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders' category.
Kilrea played his first major junior season with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1954–55. In his playing career he played only 26 NHL games, although he had great success in the minor leagues. Kilrea spent four seasons with the Troy Bruins of the IHL, where he was named a second team All-Star in 1958–1959. Most of Kilrea's career was spent with the AHL's Springfield Indians, where he was a multiple All-Star and the franchise's career leader in assists. He has been named to the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame. Kilrea played under Eddie Shore and credits Shore with teaching him many things that he took into his coaching career.
Kilrea returned to the NHL, briefly, with expansion in 1967. Kilrea has the distinction of scoring the first-ever goal for the NHL Los Angeles Kings. It was during his time with the team's AHL franchise, however, that the roots for what would become the National Hockey League Players Association would arise, as a direct result of the efforts of Kilrea and Alan Eagleson, then the agent for Bobby Orr.
After ending his playing career, Kilrea started coaching minor hockey in Ottawa. He first made a name for himself when his Ottawa West Midget AA team defeated a touring Soviet squad, the only loss by the Soviets on their tour. This caught the attention of the owners of the OHL major junior Ottawa 67's and they soon offered him a coaching job, replacing Leo Boivin. He began coaching the at the start of the 1974–75 season. He would continue coaching the 67's until 1984, when he became an assistant coach with the defending Stanley Cup champions, New York Islanders of the NHL. However, after two seasons, he would return to coaching the 67's. Head coach of the Sarnia Sting, Dave McQueen played for Kilrea and says that Kilrea had his players over to his house at Christmas but when you were in his 'dog house' it was often tough to get out.
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