Pierre Pilote
Encyclopedia
Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote (born December 11, 1931) is a former professional ice hockey
defenceman
. After playing junior hockey for the St. Catharines Teepees
in the Ontario Hockey Association
, Pilote played minor professional hockey for the Buffalo Bisons
in the American Hockey League
. Pilote played 890 games in the National Hockey League
. He scored 80 goals and 418 assists for 498 points in 13 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks
and one year for the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
His family moved to Fort Erie, Ontario
- across the Peace Bridge
from Buffalo, New York
- when he was very young. Because the local rink collapsed in a storm, Pilote did not play his first organized hockey game until he was 17 years of age.
Pilote was a three-time recipient of the Norris Trophy as outstanding defenceman in 1963, 1964, and 1965 as well as runner-up in 1962, 1966 and 1967. He was on the first or second all-star team every year from 1960 to 1967. During his playing career, he was respected as an iron man playing 376 consecutive games. Wearing his familiar number 3, Pilote played his best hockey teamed with Elmer 'Moose' Vasko
on the Chicago blue line. Together they formed one of the great all-time defence pairings. " Pete" was one of the greatest offensive blue-liners, who often carried the puck up ice. He was a fixture on the Chicago power play on the point due to his ability to handle the puck. Pilote was noted for wearing a snappy crew cut, donning the helmet in later years.
In 1961, the Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup
and at the beginning of the following season, Pilote was named captain
of the team.
Pilote was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1975. In 1998, he was ranked number 59 on The Hockey News
list of the 100 greatest hockey players. In 2005, in a series of stamps honouring great hockey stars, Canada Post
honoured Pilote.
On July 18, 2008, the Blackhawks announced that the #3 jersey worn by Pilote and Keith Magnuson
would be retired in a joint ceremony. The ceremony was held on November 12, 2008, before the Blackhawks faced off against the Boston Bruins
in an Original Six
matchup at the United Center
. The Bruins ultimately won in the shootout 2-1.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
. After playing junior hockey for the St. Catharines Teepees
St. Catharines Teepees
The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:...
in the 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...
, Pilote played minor professional hockey for the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
in 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...
. Pilote played 890 games 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...
. He scored 80 goals and 418 assists for 498 points in 13 seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
and one year for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
His family moved to Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly across the river from Buffalo, New York....
- across the Peace Bridge
Peace Bridge
The Peace Bridge is an international bridge between Canada and the United States at the east end of Lake Erie at the source of the Niagara River, about upriver of Niagara Falls. It connects the City of Buffalo, New York, in the United States to the Town of Fort Erie, Ontario, in Canada...
from Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
- when he was very young. Because the local rink collapsed in a storm, Pilote did not play his first organized hockey game until he was 17 years of age.
Pilote was a three-time recipient of the Norris Trophy as outstanding defenceman in 1963, 1964, and 1965 as well as runner-up in 1962, 1966 and 1967. He was on the first or second all-star team every year from 1960 to 1967. During his playing career, he was respected as an iron man playing 376 consecutive games. Wearing his familiar number 3, Pilote played his best hockey teamed with Elmer 'Moose' Vasko
Elmer Vasko
Elmer "Moose" Vasko was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks and Minnesota North Stars and won the Stanley Cup in 1961.-Personal:He was one of the few players of Slovak descent in the NHL's younger years...
on the Chicago blue line. Together they formed one of the great all-time defence pairings. " Pete" was one of the greatest offensive blue-liners, who often carried the puck up ice. He was a fixture on the Chicago power play on the point due to his ability to handle the puck. Pilote was noted for wearing a snappy crew cut, donning the helmet in later years.
In 1961, the Black Hawks won 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...
and at the beginning of the following season, Pilote was named captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the team.
Pilote was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
in 1975. In 1998, he was ranked number 59 on The Hockey News
The Hockey News
The Hockey News, commonly abbreviated to THN, is a North American ice hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The Hockey News was founded in 1947 by Ken McKenzie and Bill Côté, and has since been the most recognized hockey publication in North America...
list of the 100 greatest hockey players. In 2005, in a series of stamps honouring great hockey stars, Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
honoured Pilote.
On July 18, 2008, the Blackhawks announced that the #3 jersey worn by Pilote and Keith Magnuson
Keith Magnuson
Keith Arlen Magnuson was a professional ice hockey defenceman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan who played in the National Hockey League between 1969 and 1979...
would be retired in a joint ceremony. The ceremony was held on November 12, 2008, before the Blackhawks faced off against 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...
in an 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...
matchup at the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
. The Bruins ultimately won in the shootout 2-1.
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 | ||
| 1951–52 | St. Catharines Teepees St. Catharines Teepees The St. Catharines Teepees were a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1947 to 1962. The team was based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.-History:... |
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... |
52 | 21 | 32 | 53 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1951–52 1951–52 AHL season The 1951–52 AHL season was the 16th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 68 games each in the schedule. The Pittsburgh Hornets won their first F. G... |
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... |
60 | 25 | 48 | 73 | 122 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 1952–53 AHL season The 1952–53 AHL season was the 17th season of the American Hockey League. The league loses two teams, bringing an end to East & West Divisions. The F. G. "Teddy" Oke Trophy is now awarded to the regular season champions. Seven teams played 64 games each in the schedule... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 61 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 85 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 1953–54 AHL season The 1953–54 AHL season was the 18th season of the American Hockey League. Six teams played 70 games each in the schedule. The Cleveland Barons won their seventh Calder Cup championship.-Final standings:... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 67 | 2 | 28 | 30 | 108 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1954–55 1954–55 AHL season The 1954–55 AHL season was the 19th season of the American Hockey League. Six teams played 64 games each in the schedule. The "Carl Liscombe Trophy" for the league's top scorer is renamed to the John B. Sollenberger Trophy. The All-Star game is revived, with the AHL All-Stars taking on the... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 63 | 10 | 28 | 38 | 125 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 18 | ||
| 1955–56 1955–56 AHL season The 1955–56 AHL season was the 20th season of the American Hockey League. Six teams played 64 games each in the schedule. The Providence Reds finished first overall in the regular season, and won their fourth Calder Cup championship.-Final standings:... |
Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 43 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 118 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1955–56 | Chicago Black Hawks | 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... |
20 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1956–57 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 117 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1957–58 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 24 | 30 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1958–59 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 30 | 37 | 79 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1959–60 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 38 | 45 | 100 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1960–61 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 29 | 35 | 165 | 12 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 8 | ||
| 1961–62 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 59 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 97 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1962–63 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 59 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 57 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | ||
| 1963–64 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 7 | 46 | 53 | 84 | 7 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | ||
| 1964–65 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 68 | 14 | 45 | 59 | 162 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 22 | ||
| 1965–66 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 51 | 2 | 34 | 36 | 60 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1966–67 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 70 | 6 | 46 | 52 | 90 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1967–68 | Chicago Black Hawks | NHL | 74 | 1 | 36 | 37 | 69 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 1968–69 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 69 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 890 | 80 | 418 | 498 | 1251 | 86 | 8 | 53 | 61 | 102 | ||||