Bill Goldsworthy
Encyclopedia
William Alfred Goldsworthy (August 24, 1944 – March 29, 1996) was a professional ice hockey
right winger
who played in the National Hockey League
for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars
.
of the NHL as a teenager, Goldsworthy played his junior days with the Bruins' Ontario Hockey Association
affiliate Niagara Falls Flyers
, a powerful team with future NHL stars Derek Sanderson
, Bernie Parent
, Jean Pronovost
, Don Marcotte
, Doug Favell
and Rosaire Paiement
among numerous others. Even with such a strong squad, Goldsworthy finished second and third in team scoring his final two seasons with the club, en route to a Memorial Cup
finals appearance in 1963 and winning it outright in 1965 in a series marked by brawls and suspensions. The latter season saw Goldsworthy's NHL debut, playing two scoreless games with the Bruins.
With big league jobs tight in the days of the Original Six
, Goldsworthy served a minor league apprenticeship the next two seasons, playing with the Oklahoma City Blazers
of the Central Hockey League and the Buffalo Bisons
of the American Hockey League
between occasional callups to Boston.
As with many other players, league expansion in 1967
gave Goldsworthy his chance. Drafted in the midrounds by the Minnesota North Stars, he became an immediate starter, showing his promise in the playoffs in Minnesota's 1968 debut season, scoring eight goals and fifteen points in fourteen games as the North Stars came within a game of reaching the Stanley Cup
finals. His true breakout season came in 1970, when he scored 36 goals to begin a stretch where, teamed with skilled playmakers such as Dennis Hextall
and Jude Drouin
, he scored thirty or more goals in five of the next six seasons to become the North Stars' first great scoring star.
His best offensive season was the 1974 season, when he set career highs in goals with 48 and points with 74, which saw him just missing a nomination to the Second All-Star Team at right wing. He cemented his popularity with Minnesota fans with the "Goldy Shuffle," a celebration Goldsworthy performed after each goal at home. Named team captain in 1975 after Ted Harris' trade, Goldsworthy served in that capacity for two seasons.
By 1976, the North Stars were in a rebuilding mode, having failed to make the playoffs in three years. In a decline due to an alcoholism problem which would become chronic, Goldsworthy was dealt to the New York Rangers. Early the next season, his skills in a sharp decline, he was the first NHL player traded outright to a World Hockey Association
squad, the Indianapolis Racers
. He was further dealt to the Edmonton Oilers
for the 1979 season, where he played 17 games to finish out his playing career.
After his retirement, Goldsworthy went into coaching, most notably for the San Antonio Iguanas
of the CHL.
Bill Goldsworthy died in 1996 of complications from AIDS
, the first professional hockey player publicly known to have the disease. He was diagnosed in November 1994, and told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1995 that his health problems stemmed from drinking and promiscuity. He was buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Goldsworthy is survived by daughter, Tammy Lynn (b. ~1969), and son, William Sean (b. ~1972).
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for 14 seasons between 1964 and 1978, most notably for the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
.
Playing career
Signed by the Boston BruinsBoston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the NHL as a teenager, Goldsworthy played his junior days with the Bruins' Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
affiliate Niagara Falls Flyers
Niagara Falls Flyers
----The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982....
, a powerful team with future NHL stars Derek Sanderson
Derek Sanderson
Derek Michael Sanderson, nicknamed "Turk", , is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who is now a bank executive and restaurateur....
, Bernie Parent
Bernie Parent
Bernard Marcel Parent , better known as Bernie Parent, is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 13 National Hockey League seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, Boston Bruins, and Toronto Maple Leafs, and also spent one season in the World Hockey Association with the...
, Jean Pronovost
Jean Pronovost
Jean Joseph Denis Pronovost is a retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Atlanta Flames and Washington Capitals...
, Don Marcotte
Don Marcotte
Donald Michel Marcotte is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who served his entire National Hockey League career for the Boston Bruins and was noted as a premier defensive forward, while being versatile enough to play any forward position.After playing his junior league hockey for...
, Doug Favell
Doug Favell
Douglas Robert Favell is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, most notably for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League. He was also a box lacrosse player.-Playing career:...
and Rosaire Paiement
Rosaire Paiement
Joseph Rosaire Wilfrid Paiement is a retired a Canadian professional ice hockey forward. He is the older brother of Wilf Paiement....
among numerous others. Even with such a strong squad, Goldsworthy finished second and third in team scoring his final two seasons with the club, en route to a Memorial Cup
Memorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
finals appearance in 1963 and winning it outright in 1965 in a series marked by brawls and suspensions. The latter season saw Goldsworthy's NHL debut, playing two scoreless games with the Bruins.
With big league jobs tight in the days of the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
, Goldsworthy served a minor league apprenticeship the next two seasons, playing with the Oklahoma City Blazers
Oklahoma City Blazers
The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white...
of the Central Hockey League and the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
of the American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
between occasional callups to Boston.
As with many other players, league expansion in 1967
1967 NHL expansion
The National Hockey League undertook a major expansion for the 1967–68 season, adding six new franchises to double the size of the league. This marked the first change in the composition of the league since 1942, when the Brooklyn Americans folded. Thus, the expansion ended the era of the Original...
gave Goldsworthy his chance. Drafted in the midrounds by the Minnesota North Stars, he became an immediate starter, showing his promise in the playoffs in Minnesota's 1968 debut season, scoring eight goals and fifteen points in fourteen games as the North Stars came within a game of reaching the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
finals. His true breakout season came in 1970, when he scored 36 goals to begin a stretch where, teamed with skilled playmakers such as Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall
Dennis Hextall is a former professional hockey forward who spent most of his career with the Minnesota North Stars and Detroit Red Wings...
and Jude Drouin
Jude Drouin
Jude Drouin is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward.-Playing career:Drafted in the third round of the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft, 17th overall, by the Montreal Canadiens, Drouin played for their junior team, the Montreal Junior Canadiens of the Quebec Major Junior League, in the 1966 season, playing...
, he scored thirty or more goals in five of the next six seasons to become the North Stars' first great scoring star.
His best offensive season was the 1974 season, when he set career highs in goals with 48 and points with 74, which saw him just missing a nomination to the Second All-Star Team at right wing. He cemented his popularity with Minnesota fans with the "Goldy Shuffle," a celebration Goldsworthy performed after each goal at home. Named team captain in 1975 after Ted Harris' trade, Goldsworthy served in that capacity for two seasons.
By 1976, the North Stars were in a rebuilding mode, having failed to make the playoffs in three years. In a decline due to an alcoholism problem which would become chronic, Goldsworthy was dealt to the New York Rangers. Early the next season, his skills in a sharp decline, he was the first NHL player traded outright to a World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
squad, the Indianapolis Racers
Indianapolis Racers
The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978. They competed in five seasons, folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena...
. He was further dealt to the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
for the 1979 season, where he played 17 games to finish out his playing career.
International play
Goldsworthy was a part of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, but played in only three games, scoring a goal and an assist.Retirement
Goldsworthy played 771 career NHL games, scoring 283 goals and 258 assists for 541 points, and added 18 goals and 19 assists in 40 playoff games. The North Stars retired his jersey number 8 on February 15, 1992.After his retirement, Goldsworthy went into coaching, most notably for the San Antonio Iguanas
San Antonio Iguanas
The San Antonio Iguanas were a minor league professional ice hockey team based in San Antonio, Texas. The first expansion team in the Central Hockey League, they were active for seven seasons from 1994–1997 and 1998-2002. Their home arena was the Freeman Coliseum. Bill Goldsworthy initially...
of the CHL.
Bill Goldsworthy died in 1996 of complications from AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, the first professional hockey player publicly known to have the disease. He was diagnosed in November 1994, and told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1995 that his health problems stemmed from drinking and promiscuity. He was buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.
Goldsworthy is survived by daughter, Tammy Lynn (b. ~1969), and son, William Sean (b. ~1972).
Awards and achievements
- Played in four NHL All-Star Games (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976).
- Retired as the leading goal and point scorer for the North Stars franchise.
- Was the first player for an expansion team to score 200 and 250 goals.
- Currently eighth in career points for the Minnesota/Dallas franchiseDallas StarsThe Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
and fifth in career goals.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1963–64 | Niagara Falls Flyers Niagara Falls Flyers ----The Niagara Falls Flyers were two junior ice hockey franchises that played in the top tier in the Ontario Hockey Association. The first, a Junior "A" team existed from 1960 until 1972, and the second in Tier I Junior "A" from 1976 until 1982.... |
OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
56 | 21 | 47 | 68 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | Niagara Falls Flyers | OHA | 54 | 28 | 27 | 55 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–65 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | Oklahoma City Blazers Oklahoma City Blazers The Oklahoma City Blazers were a professional ice hockey team that played in the Northwest Division of the Central Hockey League. The Blazers played at the Ford Center, located in downtown Oklahoma City. Their colors were burgundy, gold and white... |
CPHL | 22 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1965–66 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Oklahoma City Blazers | CPHL | 11 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 1966–67 AHL season The 1966–67 AHL season was the 31st season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Pittsburgh Hornets finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship since being resurrected in 1961–62... |
Buffalo Bisons Buffalo Bisons (AHL) The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
22 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 18 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1967–68 | Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
NHL | 68 | 14 | 19 | 33 | 68 | 14 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 12 | ||
| 1968–69 | Memphis South Stars | CHL | 6 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1968–69 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 68 | 14 | 10 | 24 | 110 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1969–70 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 75 | 36 | 29 | 65 | 89 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1970–71 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 77 | 34 | 31 | 65 | 85 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1971–72 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 78 | 31 | 31 | 62 | 59 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | ||
| 1972–73 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 75 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 97 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1973–74 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 74 | 48 | 26 | 74 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 71 | 37 | 35 | 72 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 68 | 24 | 22 | 46 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL | 61 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | New York Rangers | NHL | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 1977–78 AHL season The 1977–78 AHL season was the 42nd season of the American Hockey League. The season was in jeopardy when the last of the original eight franchises of the "International-American Hockey League", the Rhode Island Reds folded in the offseason, and the AHL was left with five teams... |
New Haven Nighthawks New Haven Nighthawks The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings... |
AHL | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Indianapolis Racers Indianapolis Racers The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1978. They competed in five seasons, folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena... |
WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
32 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
WHA | 17 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 11 | ||
| NHL totals | 771 | 283 | 258 | 541 | 793 | 40 | 18 | 19 | 37 | 30 | ||||