Costello dedicated his life to the task of growing and improving hockey in Canada.
The hockey world is morning the loss of Murray Costello, who died Saturday at the age of 90.
Born in South Porcupine Ontario, Costello's hockey career spanned seventy years as a player and an executive.
He spent three seasons playing for the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the OHL. During his second and third season in the OHL, Costello scored 105 points in 107 games played.
He moved on to play in the NHL, where he recorded 13 goals and 19 assists over the course of five seasons. He signed with the Chicago Blackhawks before the 1953-54 season and subsequently played two seasons for the Boston Bruins and later the Detroit Red Wings.
At the conclusion of his playing career, Costello began a long and impactful career as a hockey executive. Costello acted as the president of both the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) and Hockey Canada from 1979 to 1998. He was critical in orchestrating the merger between the two groups in 1994.
He also played a large role in forming the Program of Excellence which has gone on to be a large part of how Hockey Canada develops its elite talent.
The dominance of Canada's U-20 team at the World Junior Championships especially in the 1990s is a direct result of the changes that Costello implemented during his tenure as president of both Hockey Canada and CAHA.
Costello is best remembered for the important role he played in the advancement of Canada's Women's Hockey program. He played a large role in the formation of Canada's National Women's Team as well as organizing the first IIHF World Women's Championship in 1990.
Costello's work in the 1990s is a huge part of why women's hockey is what it is today.
He was a member of the IIHF Council from 1998 to 2012 and acted as vice president for five of those years.
As a result of his work, Costello was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2005. He became an IIHF Lifetime Member in 2012 and was appointed an officer in the Order of Canada in 2013.
His individual accolades grew with an induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, being named to the Order of Hockey in Canada and an induction into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
After a life time of service to hockey, Costello died surrounded by family. His dedication and passion forged a legacy that will continue to speak through those organizations and events he helped to create.