Bill MacMillan

William Stewart "Billy" MacMillan (born March 7, 1943) is a Canadian former coach and player. MacMillan played and later coached in the National Hockey League (NHL).

MacMillan grew up in Prince Edward Island and excelled at a variety of sports, including hockey, rugby, and track. He left home as a teenager for the more fertile hockey ground of Ontario. He appeared in three Memorial Cup tournaments with the powerful St. Michael's Majors junior team. He later played university hockey at the now merged Saint Dunstan's University, after returning to PEI to complete his academic studies. He subsequently appeared in various minor leagues.[1][2]

A powerful body checker and solid defensive forward, MacMillan was a late bloomer who did not make an NHL roster until age 27. He scored a surprising 22 goals as a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but saw his playing time reduced the next season. He was selected in the 1973 expansion draft by the Atlanta Flames, playing in a checking role with the team during its inaugural season. He was then traded to the New York Islanders, where he played for an additional four years. After failing to make the NHL roster in 1977, he played one year with the Fort Worth Texans before retiring. [1][2]

MacMillan was hired as an assistant coach by Al Arbour with the New York Islanders for the 1979-80 season, and he helped lead this franchise to its first Stanley Cup. The next season, he was hired by the Colorado Rockies to serve a duel role as general manager and head coach. After one season, he was relieved of his coaching duties, but after the team moved and became the New Jersey Devils in 1982, he returned to a capacity behind the bench. He was fired 20 games into the following season.[1][2]