Bob Pulford, who died at 89 years old, not only spent 14 seasons as a player on the Toronto Maple Leafs but also more than 30 years in coaching and management roles with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Hockey Hall of Fame center Bob Pulford has died, the NHL Alumni Association announced on Monday.
He was 89. No cause of death was announced.
Pulford worked in the NHL as a player, coach and in management. He also became the first president of the NHL Players' Union in 1967, which laid the foundation for the NHL Players Association and collective bargaining with the league.
As a player, Pulford played 1,079 NHL games from 1956 to 1972, recording 281 goals and 362 assists for 643 points. He spent 14 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs before playing his final two campaigns with the Los Angeles Kings. Pulford also skated in the NHL All-Star Game five times from 1960 to 1968.
"With Toronto, he won four Stanley Cups and earned a reputation as one of the toughest, most dependable centers of his era," the NHL Alumni Association said in a statement. "He later brought that same leadership and competitive spirit to the Los Angeles Kings, continuing to influence the game through his experience and professionalism."
Pulford won the Stanley Cup with the Leafs in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. Pulford and his teammates on the 1967 Cup-winning Leafs squad were awarded the 2024 NHL Alumni Keith Magnuson Man of the Year Award.
In 1972-73, Pulford became the Kings' coach, holding that role for five seasons before being named coach-GM of the Chicago Black Hawks in 1977-78. Pulford coached 822 games between the Kings and Hawks, wininng the Jack Adams Award in 1974-75 and posting a combined record of 360 wins, 326 losses and 136 ties.
Pulford was GM for 1,539 games with the Hawks over 20 seasons, including four separate stints from 1977-78 to 2003-04. But during that time, he also held the senior VP of hockey operations role for Chicago at times.
The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Pulford in 1991.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his beloved wife, Roslyn Pulford, and his children, Wanda Lombardi (Dean), Rob Pulford (Elaine), Lindsay Barrett (Daniel) and Jennifer MacRitchie, as well as his grandchildren," the NHL Alumni Association said. "Please know that your entire family is in our thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.
"May you find comfort in Bob's extraordinary legacy and in the countless lives he touched both on and off the ice as an integral part of the NHL Alumni Family."