Bob Pulford, a Hall of Fame left winger who committed his whole life to hockey, has died. He was 89.
His death was announced by the NHL Alumni Association, which lauded him as someone who “left an enduring mark on the game at every level.”
As a player, Pulford starred for the Toronto Maple Leafs and later the Los Angeles Kings, winning four Stanley Cups with Toronto in the 1960s. He skated in 1,079 career games, scoring 643 points with an additional 51 points in 89 playoff games.
In 1967, the same year he won his final Cup with the Maple Leafs, Pulford was elected as the first player president of the NHLPA, a role he held until he retired from playing in 1972. His efforts at the time helped get the NHLPA officially recognized by the NHL and its owners.
Following his playing career, Pulford moved into coaching, first with the Kings and then the Chicago Blackhawks, where he also served as GM when he was hired in 1977. He remained with the Blackhawks in a variety of roles until 2005.
Pulford won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach in 1975 while behind the bench for the Kings. His coaching career included three division titles and a 363-330-136 record over 12 seasons.
Pulford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 1991.
