Stanley Cup champion Bob Pulford passes away at 89
One of the winningest players in NHL history has passed away.
It was announced on Monday that Hockey Hall of Famer Bob Pulford died at the age of 89.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Bob Pulford, one of the most respected figures in the history of hockey. Bob’s remarkable career spanned decades and left an enduring mark on the game at every level.
As a player, Bob proudly wore the sweaters of the Toronto Maple Leafs… pic.twitter.com/b4pD7z7Igp
Pulford was a staple of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the team’s heyday in the 1960s. He was part of four Stanley Cup championship teams, helping the team win three straight Cups from 1962 to 1964, as well as the franchise’s last title in 1967.
A solid secondary scorer, the Newton Robinson, Ont. native spent 14 seasons with the Leafs, playing in 947 regular-season games, good for seventh in franchise history. He hit the 50-point mark three times, including a career-best 56 points during the 1965-66 campaign.
Pulford’s last two seasons in action were with the Los Angeles Kings. He appeared in 1,079 regular-season games, scoring 281 goals and 362 assists for 643 points, with another 51 points in 89 postseason affairs.
After retiring following the 1971-72 season, he was named head coach of the Kings, a role he held for five seasons, during which L.A. qualified for the postseason four times. Pulford won the Jack Adams Award after a successful 1974-75 season and coached Team USA at the inaugural Canada Cup in 1976.
After leaving the Kings in 1977, he stepped behind the bench of the Chicago Black Hawks. In seven seasons across three stints, Puflord guided his team to a record of 182-176-68, and sits third in the franchise’s history in regular-season games won as a coach, trailing Joel Quenneville and Billy Reay.
In 829 games as a coach, Pulford had a record of 363-330-136, with a playoff record of 27-43.
In 1991, Pulford was inducted into the Hall of Fame.