Billy
Reay
1952-1963
| Position | C |
| Shoots | L |
| Weight | 155lbs |
| Height | 5'7" |
| Date of birth | August 21st, 1918 |
| Place of birth | Winnipeg, MB, CAN |
| Deceased on | September 23rd, 2004 |
| Seasons - MTL | 8 |
| SEASON |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
G
Goals - Number of goals the player has scored
|
A
Assists - Number of goals the player has assisted in
|
PTS
Points - Scoring points, calculated as the sum of G and A
|
+/-
Plus/Minus - The number of team goals for minus the number of team goals against while the player is on the ice
|
PIM
Penalties infraction minutes - Number of penalty minutes the player has been assessed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTALS | 475 | 103 | 162 | 265 | 0 | 202 |
| 1945-1946 | 44 | 17 | 12 | 29 | 0 | 10 |
| 1946-1947 | 59 | 22 | 20 | 42 | 0 | 17 |
| 1947-1948 | 60 | 6 | 14 | 20 | 0 | 24 |
| 1948-1949 | 60 | 22 | 23 | 45 | 0 | 33 |
| 1949-1950 | 68 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 0 | 48 |
| 1950-1951 | 60 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| 1951-1952 | 68 | 7 | 34 | 41 | 0 | 20 |
| 1952-1953 | 56 | 4 | 15 | 19 | 0 | 26 |
| SEASON |
GP
Games played - Number of games the player has set foot on the ice
|
G
Goals - Number of goals the player has scored
|
A
Assists - Number of goals the player has assisted in
|
PTS
Points - Scoring points, calculated as the sum of G and A
|
+/-
Plus/Minus - The number of team goals for minus the number of team goals against while the player is on the ice
|
PIM
Penalties infraction minutes - Number of penalty minutes the player has been assessed
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TOTALS | 63 | 13 | 16 | 29 | 0 | 43 |
| 1945-1946 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 1946-1947 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| 1948-1949 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
| 1949-1950 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1950-1951 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 10 |
| 1951-1952 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| 1952-1953 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
A GRITTY, TWO-WAY CENTER, BILLY REAY’S CAREER WAS CUT SHORT BY INJURY – A TESTAMENT TO HIS RUGGED STYLE OF PLAY.
Billy Reay spent eight seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, and the talented two-way centre made the most of his chances during his time with the Habs.
After a Memorial Cup victory with the 1937-38 St. Boniface Seals, the 5-foot-7, 155-pound Winnipeg-born centre spent two years with the Omaha Knights before moving on to the Quebec Aces. He won the 1944 Allan Cup with the Aces, awarded to Canada’s top senior squad.
Reay appeared in four NHL games in his six years as a part of the Red Wings system before he was traded to the Canadiens prior to the start of the 1945-46 season. Cementing a spot for himself in Dick Irvin’s lineup, he remained a solid contributor in Montreal for the next eight seasons.
He scored 17 times in his first campaign in Montreal and ended the season as a Stanley Cup Champion, solidly ensconced on the team’s second line. Reay’s totals swelled as he found the twine 22 times in 1946-47, capping off his year with six postseason goals to tie Maurice Richard for the team lead while the Habs made it through to the Finals.
A crafty playmaker who played a tougher game than his small stature led opponents to believe, Reay was comfortable in traffic, with a precise passing ability that saw him rack up assists during his time with the Canadiens.
Game in and game out, the steadfast pivot performed in the clutch, notching 22 goals again in 1948-49, to lead all Habs in scoring. In 1951-52, Reay notched a career high 34 assists.
The 1952-53 campaign was Reay’s last as an NHL player. His career in Montreal culminated just as it had begun – with a Stanley Cup crown. Reay moved on and took up coaching, running the bench for the Victoria Cougars of the Western Hockey League.
By 1957-58, he was back in the NHL as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, a post he left when Punch Imlach took over a year later. He resurfaced again in 1963-64, this time behind the bench of the Chicago Blackhawks. When he retired 13 years later, he did so as the winningest coach in the team’s history.
