Billy MacMillan

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For the British academic, see Bill MacMillan (academic). For other people, see William MacMillan.
Billy MacMillan
Bill MacMillan.png
with the St. Michaels Majors, c. 1961
Born (1943-03-07) March 7, 1943 (age 78)
Charlottetown, PEI, Canada
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 1966–1978

William Stewart MacMillan (born March 7, 1943) is a Canadian former hockey coach and player. MacMillan played and later coached in the National Hockey League (NHL). After several years with the Canadian national team, including playing at two World Championships and the 1968 Winter Olympics, winning a bronze medal, MacMillan made his NHL debut in 1970 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played for Toronto, the Atlanta Flames, and New York Islanders between 1970 and 1977, and retired from playing in 1978. He became a coach during his final year, spent in the minor CHL and moved to the NHL in 1979 when he became an assistant coach for the Islanders. He was named the head coach of the Colorado Rockies in 1980, also serving as general manager the next season. MacMillan stayed with the team as they relocated in 1982 to become the New Jersey Devils, and was let go early in the 1983–84 season. Billy is the brother of Bob MacMillan.

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.[1][2]

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 1972 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.[1][2]

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 dual 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.[1][2]

In 1985, Billy MacMillan was inducted into the .

Career statistics[]

Regular season and playoffs[]

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1959–60 St. Michael's Buzzers OHA-B — — — — — — — — — —
1959–60 St. Michael's Majors OHA 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 1 1 0
1960–61 St. Michael's Majors OHA 46 7 12 19 31 7 1 1 2 4
1960–61 St. Michael's Majors M-Cup — — — — — 4 2 1 3 0
1961–62 St. Michael's Majors OHA 32 14 15 29 0 9 12 2 14 41
1961–62 St. Michael's Majors M-Cup — — — — — 5 1 0 1 7
1962–63 Sudbury Wolves EPHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1962–63 Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons MTJHL 32 25 12 37 11 10 9 11 20 9
1962–63 Toronto Neil McNeil Maroons M-Cup — — — — — 6 1 4 5 18
1963–64 St. Dunstan's University MIAU 11 25 11 36 17 — — — — —
1964–65 St. Dunstan's University AUAA 20 25 — 25 12 — — — — —
1965–66 Canadian National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — —
1966–67 Canadian National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — —
1967–68 Ottawa Nationals OHA Sr 20 13 8 21 20 — — — — —
1967–68 Canadian National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — —
1968–69 Canadian National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — —
1969–70 Tulsa Oilers CHL 3 1 6 7 0 — — — — —
1969–70 Canadian National Team Intl — — — — — — — — — —
1970–71 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 76 22 19 41 42 6 0 3 3 2
1971–72 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 61 10 7 17 39 5 0 0 0 0
1972–73 Atlanta Flames NHL 78 10 15 25 52 — — — — —
1973–74 New York Islanders NHL 55 4 9 13 16 — — — — —
1974–75 New York Islanders NHL 69 13 12 25 12 17 0 1 1 23
1975–76 New York Islanders NHL 64 9 7 16 10 13 4 2 6 8
1976–77 Fort Worth Texans CHL 12 1 7 8 2 — — — — —
1976–77 Rhode Island Reds AHL 2 1 1 2 4 — — — — —
1976–77 New York Islanders NHL 43 6 8 14 13 12 2 0 2 7
1977–78 Fort Worth Texans CHL 59 5 13 18 26 14 2 2 4 2
NHL totals 446 74 77 151 184 53 6 6 12 40

International[]

Medal record
Representing Canada Canada
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Grenoble
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1966 Yugoslavia
Bronze medal – third place 1967 Austria
Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1966 Canada WC 7 2 2 4 6
1967 Canada WC 7 3 2 5 0
1968 Canada OLY 6 1 2 3 0
Senior totals 20 6 6 12 6

Coaching record[]

Team Year Regular season Post season
G W L T Pts Finish Result
Colorado Rockies 1980–81 80 22 45 13 57 5th in Smythe Missed playoffs
New Jersey Devils 1982–83 80 17 49 14 48 5th in Patrick Missed playoffs
New Jersey Devils 1983–84 20 2 18 0 4 5th in Patrick (fired)
Total 180 41 112 27

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "Billy Stewart MacMillan". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame.
  2. ^ a b c "William Stewart (Billy) MacMillan". PEI Sports Hall of Fame. August 2013.

External links[]

Preceded by Head coach of the Colorado Rockies
1980–81 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Colorado Rockies coaches
Marshall Johnston
 Head coach of the New Jersey Devils
1982–83 		Succeeded by
Preceded by General manager of the Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils
1981–83 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""