Brian Kilrea

Brian Kilrea
Hockey Hall of Fame, 2003 (Builder)
Born (1934-10-21) October 21, 1934
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 182 lb (83 kg; 13 st 0 lb)
PositionCentre
Shot Right
Played forDetroit Red WingsLos Angeles Kings
Playing career 1955–1970

Brian Blair "Killer" Kilrea (born October 21, 1934) is a Canadian former ice hockey head coach, general manager, and player. He played 26 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings between 1958 and 1967, with the rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1955 to 1970, spent in American Hockey League. Kilrea then became a coach. He coached and managed the Ottawa 67's of the Ontario Hockey League for 32 seasons between 1974 and 2015, after which he continued as general manager. He is a Hockey Hall of Fame member in the Builders category.[1]

Playing career

Kilrea played his first major junior season with the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1954–55. In his playing career, he played only 26 NHL games, although he had great success in the minor leagues. Kilrea spent four seasons with the Troy Bruins of the IHL, where he was named a second-team All-Star in 1958–1959. Most of Kilrea's career was spent with the AHL's Springfield Indians, where he was a multiple All-Star and the franchise's career leader in assists. He has been named to the Springfield Hockey Hall of Fame. Kilrea played under Eddie Shore and credits Shore with teaching him many things that he took into his coaching career.[2]

Kilrea returned to the NHL briefly, with expansion in 1967. Kilrea has the distinction of scoring the first-ever goal for the NHL Los Angeles Kings. It was during his time with the team's AHL franchise that the roots for what would become the National Hockey League Players' Association would arise, as a direct result of the efforts of Kilrea and Alan Eagleson, then the agent for Bobby Orr.[2]

Coaching career

After ending his playing career, Kilrea started coaching minor hockey in Ottawa. He first made a name for himself when his Ottawa West Midget AA team defeated a touring Soviet squad, the only loss by the Soviets on their tour. This caught the attention of the owners of the OHL major junior Ottawa 67's and they soon offered him a coaching job, replacing Leo Boivin at the start of the 1974–75 season. He would continue coaching the 67's until 1984, when he became an assistant coach with the defending Stanley Cup champions, New York Islanders of the NHL. However, after two seasons, he would return to coaching the 67's. Head coach of the Sarnia Sting, Dave McQueen played for Kilrea and said that Kilrea had his players over to his house at Christmas but when you were in his 'dog house' it was often tough to get out.[2]

Except for a brief retirement for the 1994–95 season, Kilrea coached the 67's until the end of the 2008–09 season, and was also the General Manager of the club. He won the Memorial Cup, emblematic of Canada's major junior championship, twice with the 67's (1984 and 1999) and is the winningest coach in junior hockey history – a task completed on January 17, 1997, with his 742nd win. On February 2, 2007, Brian Kilrea coached his 2000th game as head coach of the 67's.

Kilrea also won the Matt Leyden Trophy as OHL Coach of the Year in 1980–81, 1981–82, 1995–96, 1996–97 and 2002–03. Kilrea was also honored with the Bill Long Award in 1994, for distinguished service to the OHL.

In 2003, Brian Kilrea was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builders category. The Brian Kilrea Coach of the Year Award, given annually to the top coach in the Canadian Hockey League, was renamed in his honor shortly after his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Kilrea won the award in 1996–97 when it was known as the CHL Coach of the Year Award.

In twenty-nine seasons with the 67's he has only had six losing seasons – an extraordinary task in junior hockey, which due to age restrictions has a high turnover rate of players.

On September 3, 2008, Kilrea announced that 2008–09 would be his final season as coach of the 67's, though he plans to continue serving as general manager of the club.[3]

On March 15, 2009, Ottawa beat the Kingston Frontenacs 5–3 to give Kilrea a win in his final regular season game, giving him 1,193 wins all-time.

Kilera returned behind the bench on October 17, 2014, for the Ottawa 67's to celebrate his 80th birthday. He became the oldest coach in hockey history, winning career game number 1,194 by a score of 6–3 against the Mississauga Steelheads.

Kilrea served as a recurring assistant coach to Don Cherry in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Personal life

Kilrea is a nephew of former NHL players Wally, Ken, and Hec Kilrea.

Since 1976, Kilrea has co-owned a restaurant with Nick Bouris called Chances R in Ottawa's west end. He is an honorary member of the Rideau View Country Club, a golf club in Manotick, Ontario.

Kilrea had a heart attack on August 12, 2012, and subsequently underwent triple bypass surgery.[4]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeam League GPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1953–54Hamilton Tiger CubsOHA5826346069 61236
1954–55Hamilton Tiger Cubs OHA 492725520 —————
1955–56Troy BruinsIHL6016365222 —————
1956–57Troy Bruins IHL 609354446 —————
1957–58Edmonton FlyersWHL30000 —————
1957–58Detroit Red WingsNHL10000 —————
1958–59Troy Bruins IHL 5433609344 —————
1959–60Springfield IndiansAHL6314274126 80114
1960–61Springfield Indians AHL 7020678747 81562
1961–62Springfield Indians AHL 7020739328 20110
1962–63Springfield Indians AHL 7225507534 —————
1963–64Springfield Indians AHL 7222618328 —————
1964–65Springfield Indians AHL 7223547718 —————
1965–66Springfield Indians AHL 7013476014 63140
1966–67Springfield Indians AHL 6325386329 —————
1967–68Los Angeles KingsNHL 2535812 —————
1967–68Springfield KingsAHL 387253214 40330
1968–69Vancouver CanucksWHL 10110 —————
1968–69Tulsa OilersCHL2411253612 40110
1968–69Rochester AmericansAHL 33211134 —————
1969–70Denver SpursWHL 32514198 —————
AHL totals 623171453624242 28411156
NHL totals 2635812 —————

Coaching record

TeamYearRegular seasonPost season
GWLTOTLPtsFinishResult
Ottawa 67's1974–757033307–73 4th in OMJHL Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 1975–766634239–77 2nd in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1976–776638235–81 1st in Leyden Won J. Ross Robertson Cup
Ottawa 67's 1977–786843187–93 1st in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1978–796830380–60 4th in Leyden Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 1979–806845203–93 2nd in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1980–816845203–93 2nd in Leyden Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 1981–826847192–96 1st in Leyden Lost OHL Finals
Ottawa 67's 1982–837046213–95 1st in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1983–847050182–102 1st in Leyden Won J. Ross Robertson CupWon 1984 Memorial Cup
Ottawa 67's 1986–876633285–71 3rd in Leyden Lost in Second round
Ottawa 67's 1987–886638262–78 2nd in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1988–896630324–64 5th in Leyden Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 1989–906638262–78 4th in Leyden Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 1990–916639252–80 4th in Leyden Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 1991–926632304–68 6th in Leyden Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 1992–936616428–40 8th in Leyden Missed playoffs
Ottawa 67's 1993–9466332211–77 2nd in Leyden Lost in the third round
Ottawa 67's 1995–966639225–83 1st in East Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 1996–976649116–104 1st in East Lost OHL Finals
Ottawa 67's 1997–986640179–89 1st in East Lost OHL Finals
Ottawa 67's 1998–996848137–103 1st in East Lost in second roundWon 1999 Memorial Cup
Ottawa 67's 1999–006843204191 1st in East Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 2000–0168332110480 2nd in East Won J. Ross Robertson Cup
Ottawa 67's 2001–0268362010284 2nd in East Lost in the second round
Ottawa 67's 2002–036844147398 1st in East Lost OHL Finals
Ottawa 67's 2003–046829269471 1st in East Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 2004–056834267176 2nd in East Lost OHL Finals
Ottawa 67's 2005–06682931–866 4th in East Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 2006–07683034–464 4th in East Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 2007–08682934–563 3rd in East Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 2008–09684021–787 2nd in East Lost in the first round
Ottawa 67's 2014–15110–02
OHL totals 21561193771153392578

References

  1. ^Brian Kilrea - Builders Category http://www.hhof.com/htmlinduct/ind03Kilrea.shtml
  2. ^ abc"The Man Behind a Killer Career". The Good Point. May 19, 2009. Archived from the original on May 20, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
  3. ^"Kilrea to retire as Ottawa 67's coach : Winningest coach in OHL history will stay on as GM after coming season". CBC Sports. September 3, 2008.
  4. ^Brian Kilrea's 'second chance' [1]
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