Hal Laycoe

Athlete (1986)

Hockey

Born June 23, 1922, in Sutherland, Hal excelled in all team sports throughout his elementary and high school years. In hockey, he worked his way up from bantam to senior competition and was on many Saskatchewan championship teams.

After the Second World War, Hal began his professional hockey career. He spent 11 seasons in the NHL, two with the New York Rangers, three with the Montreal Canadiens and six with the Boston Bruins. One of the few players at that time to wear glasses, Laycoe compiled 102 points in 531 games. Hal retired from competition in 1956, but he stayed in hockey as a coach and general manager in the Western Hockey League and the NHL. With the WHL Portland Buckaroos, his team won seven league titles in nine years.

In 1965, he was selected as Oregon's man of the Year in sport. He coached the Netherlands National hockey team in the 1976-77 season, and then became a special assignment scout for the New York Islanders.

** Deceased