Bill Huard
Encyclopedia
William John Huard is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey
player. Huard had a professional career of over 600 games, including parts of 7 seasons at the NHL
level with the Boston Bruins
, Ottawa Senators
, Quebec Nordiques
, Dallas Stars
, Edmonton Oilers
and Los Angeles Kings
.
of the OHL
, after making the team as a walk-on player. After completing his junior eligibility, he signed as a free agent with the Carolina Thunderbirds
of the ECHL where he won an ECHL Championship and lead the team in playoff points. He then caught the attention of the NHL's New Jersey Devils
, who signed Huard to play with their farm club, the Utica Devils
of the American Hockey League
.
Following that off-season Huard joined a local boxing gym Napper's Boxing Club where Canadian Boxing champ Tom Glesby
assisted training him in boxing. Following his third year with the Utica Devils
he was named the toughest player in the league by an AHL coaches poll.
Although Huard failed to make the parent New Jersey Devils, he showed enough that Tom McVie
(now coach of the Boston Bruins
) convinced his organization to sign him. It was during his single season with the Providence Bruins
that Huard got his first NHL action. Huard's first NHL game (against the Hartford Whalers
) was extremely short. During the first period of play, Huard had to leave the bench after GM Harry Sinden
and Mike Milbury
recognized a contract mishap with him. Huard was sent back to Providence following the game, only to be recalled a week later for two more games at the NHL level. The following summer Huard signed with Ottawa, and spent the next next seven seasons in the NHL, with the Senators, Nordiques, Stars and Oilers. It was in Ottawa that Huard was given the nickname "Babyface" by the local sports media.
Although Huard briefly showed scoring ability at the ECHL, the AHL and the NHL level, his time there was mostly spent as an enforcer, and his penalty minutes consistently outpaced his point production.
Injury's contributed to a decline in Huard's play, in particular, a battered left hand hastened his exit from the NHL. Huard played his last game with the Los Angeles Kings (although he was traded to the expansion Atlanta Thrashers
franchise, he only played for their farm club). He finished his professional career in Britain, playing for the London Knights.
After just two games, Huard's wife, who was seven months pregnant, had a medical scare, and returned to Canada with Huard to see their family doctor. Huard had played his last professional game.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
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...
player. Huard had a professional career of over 600 games, including parts of 7 seasons at 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...
level with the 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...
, Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Quebec Nordiques
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
, Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The 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...
, 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 ....
and Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Playing career
Huard played two junior seasons with the Peterborough PetesPeterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
of the OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
, after making the team as a walk-on player. After completing his junior eligibility, he signed as a free agent with the Carolina Thunderbirds
Carolina Thunderbirds
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989...
of the ECHL where he won an ECHL Championship and lead the team in playoff points. He then caught the attention of the NHL's New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, who signed Huard to play with their farm club, the Utica Devils
Utica Devils
The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
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...
.
Following that off-season Huard joined a local boxing gym Napper's Boxing Club where Canadian Boxing champ Tom Glesby
Tom Glesby
Thomas Glesby is a retired boxer, who represented Canada twice at the Summer Olympics: in 1988 and 1992. Nicknamed "The Bomb" he won the bronze medal in the men's heavyweight division at the 1991 Pan American Games in Havana, Cuba.-References:*...
assisted training him in boxing. Following his third year with the Utica Devils
Utica Devils
The Utica Devils were an ice hockey team of the American Hockey League. The team played in Utica, New York at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
he was named the toughest player in the league by an AHL coaches poll.
Although Huard failed to make the parent New Jersey Devils, he showed enough that Tom McVie
Tom McVie
Tom McVie was a coach in the National Hockey League. He coached the Washington Capitals from the 1975–76 season to the middle of the 1978–79 season. He moved to the Winnipeg Jets, then in the World Hockey Association, and coached the team with Bill Sutherland in its first two NHL seasons, 1979–80...
(now coach of the 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...
) convinced his organization to sign him. It was during his single season with the Providence Bruins
Providence Bruins
The Providence Bruins are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and are the primary development team for the NHL's Boston Bruins. They play in Providence, Rhode Island at the Dunkin' Donuts Center.-History:...
that Huard got his first NHL action. Huard's first NHL game (against the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
) was extremely short. During the first period of play, Huard had to leave the bench after GM Harry Sinden
Harry Sinden
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series...
and Mike Milbury
Mike Milbury
Michael Milbury is an American sportscaster currently working as an ice hockey analyst for the New England Sports Network , Hockey Night in Canada and the NHL on NBC. He played twelve seasons in the National Hockey League , all of them as a defenseman for the Boston Bruins...
recognized a contract mishap with him. Huard was sent back to Providence following the game, only to be recalled a week later for two more games at the NHL level. The following summer Huard signed with Ottawa, and spent the next next seven seasons in the NHL, with the Senators, Nordiques, Stars and Oilers. It was in Ottawa that Huard was given the nickname "Babyface" by the local sports media.
Although Huard briefly showed scoring ability at the ECHL, the AHL and the NHL level, his time there was mostly spent as an enforcer, and his penalty minutes consistently outpaced his point production.
Injury's contributed to a decline in Huard's play, in particular, a battered left hand hastened his exit from the NHL. Huard played his last game with the Los Angeles Kings (although he was traded to the expansion Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
franchise, he only played for their farm club). He finished his professional career in Britain, playing for the London Knights.
After just two games, Huard's wife, who was seven months pregnant, had a medical scare, and returned to Canada with Huard to see their family doctor. Huard had played his last professional game.
Personal Life
- In Huard's hometown of Welland, the local hockey arena has a tribute to his playing career.
Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985-86 Peterborough Petes OHL 7 1 1 2 2 -- -- -- -- --
1986-87 Peterborough Petes OHL 61 14 11 25 61 12 5 2 7 19
1987-88 Peterborough Petes OHL 66 28 33 61 132 12 7 8 15 33
1988-89 Flint Spirits IHL 1 0 0 0 2 -- -- -- -- --
1988-89 Carolina Thunderbirds ECHL 40 27 21 48 177 10 7 2 9 70
1989-90 Utica Devils AHL 27 1 7 8 67 5 0 1 1 33
1989-90 Nashville Knights ECHL 34 24 27 51 212 -- -- -- -- --
1990-91 Utica Devils AHL 72 11 16 27 359 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 Utica Devils AHL 62 9 11 20 233 4 1 1 2 4
1992-93 Providence Bruins AHL 72 18 19 37 302 6 3 0 3 9
1992-93 Boston Bruins NHL 2 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 Ottawa Senators NHL 63 2 2 4 162 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 Quebec Nordiques NHL 7 2 2 4 13 1 0 0 0 0
1994-95 Ottawa Senators NHL 26 1 1 2 64 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 Dallas Stars NHL 51 6 6 12 176 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 Michigan K-Wings IHL 12 1 1 2 74 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Dallas Stars NHL 40 5 6 11 105 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Edmonton Oilers NHL 30 0 1 1 72 4 0 0 0 2
1998-99 Edmonton Oilers NHL 3 0 0 0 0 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Houston Aeros IHL 38 9 5 14 201 10 0 0 0 8
1999-00 Los Angeles Kings NHL 1 0 0 0 2 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Orlando Solar Bears IHL 19 4 2 6 85 3 0 0 0 10
1999-00 Lowell Lock Monsters AHL 13 2 2 4 65 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 London Knights BISL 1 1 0 1 4 -- -- -- -- --
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NHL Totals 223 16 18 34 594 5 0 0 0 2
Transactions
- October 1, 1989 - Huard signs with New Jersey
- December 4, 1992 - Huard signs with Boston
- June 30, 1993 - Huard signs with Ottawa
- April 7, 1995 - Ottawa trades Huard to Quebec for the rights to Mika StrombergMika StrömbergMika Strömberg is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman. He was drafted by the Quebec Nordiques as their eleventh-round pick, #211 overall, in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft....
and a 4th round pick in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft1995 NHL Entry DraftThe 1995 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. The drafting order was now set partially by a lottery system whereby teams would not be guaranteed first pick if they finished last. Instead, a draft lottery was instituted in which the winner of the lottery could move... - July 1, 1995 - Quebec transfers Huard to Colorado after franchise relocation
- October 2, 1995 - Dallas claims Huard from Colorado in NHL Waiver Draft
- July 22, 1997 - Huard signs with Edmonton
- January 23, 1999 - Huard signs with Houston AerosHouston AerosThe Houston Aeros are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. The team plays in Houston, Texas, at the Toyota Center. They are the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.- History :...
of the IHL - July 19, 1999 - Huard signs with Los Angeles
- January 25, 2000 - Los Angeles trades Huard to Atlanta for future considerations