Bill Hanley (ice hockey)

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Middle-aged man with thinning black hair, wearing a dark blue suit jacket, white dress shirt, and a dark necktie
Bill Hanley
Three-storey building clad in red bricks and a downtown street scene
The Ontario Hockey Association offices were located in Somerset House, upstairs from a Canadian Bank of Commerce branch at 51 Carlton Street in Toronto.[1]

William Hanley (February 28, 1915 – September 17, 1990)[2] was a Canadian ice hockey administrator inducted into the builder category of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early life[edit]

Hanley was born in the village of Ballyeaston when his mother was visiting what is now Northern Ireland, and he returned to Canada when he was only a few weeks old and grew up in Toronto.[3] During high school, Hanley played on the Oakwood Collegiate Institute hockey team.[1] After high school, Hanley attended the Ontario Agricultural College, and later worked on his parents' farm.[3] Hanley joined the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II,[3] and also served with Conn Smythe's 30th Battery that was part of the 7th Toronto Regiment, RCA.[1]

Ice hockey career[edit]

His career in hockey started as a timekeeper for the Toronto Marlboros games at Maple Leaf Gardens and eventually assumed the same responsibilities for the Toronto Maple Leafs.[3] In 1951, Ontario Hockey Association president Jack Roxburgh hired Hanley as business manager, a position he retained until 1973.[1][4] When W. A. Hewitt retired in 1966, Hanley also assumed the position of secretary-manager.[4][5] When Hanley retired in 1973, he was succeeded by David Branch.[1][4]

Hanley received the OHA Gold Stick Award in 1965.[6] He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1986 into the builder's category.[2] The Ontario Hockey League named the William Hanley Trophy in his honour, awarded annually to the most sportsmanlike player in the league.[7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Young, Scott (1989). 100 Years of Dropping the Puck. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. pp. 202–216, 251–255. ISBN 0-7710-9093-5.
  2. ^ a b "Hanley, Bill—Honoured Builder". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d "Hanley, Bill—Biography". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "OHA History". Ontario Hockey Association. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  5. ^ Gladman, Jerry (May 2, 1966). "Senior Players Now Being Scouted". The Sault Star. Sault St. Marie, Ontario. The Canadian Press. p. 10.Free access icon
  6. ^ "Gold Stick Award". Ontario Hockey Association. 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  7. ^ "OHL Awards". Ontario Hockey League. 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.