Former Blackhawks All-Star, Hall of Fame hockey executive Bill Hay dead at 88

CALGARY — Former Chicago Blackhawks star and Hall of Fame hockey executive Bill Hay has died. He was 88.

Hockey Canada, where Hay was president and chief operating officer from 1990-1995, confirmed Hay's death in a release Saturday. A cause of death was not provided.

“Bill Hay lived a remarkable hockey life that reflected the very best of our sport," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "The National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to his family and many friends throughout the hockey world.”

Hay played eight NHL seasons with the Blackhawks and was named the league's rookie of the year in the 1959-60 season when he had 24 goals and 30 assists in 70 games.

The centre from Saskatoon had 11 goals and 48 assists in the following regular season and added two goals and five assists in 12 playoff games while anchoring a line with Bobby Hull to help the Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup.

Hay had 113 goals and 273 assists over 506 career NHL games and was a two-time all-star before retiring in 1967.

He continued in the game post-retirement, serving as president and chief executive officer of the Calgary Flames from 1991-95 alongside his role with Hockey Canada.

He was instrumental in the merger of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in the mid-1990s.

He was also a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee from 1980-97 and a member of the hall's board of directors from 1995 until his retirement in 2013, including 15 years as chairman.

Hay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2015 and invested into the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2021.

His father, Charles Hay, helped organize the 1972 Summit Series and is also enshriend in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 26, 2024.