Bob Pulford, a key contributor to the Toronto Maple Leafs' four Stanley Cup-winning teams in the 1960s and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, died on Monday. He was 89.
Born in Newton Robinson, Ontario, on March 31, 1936, Pulford excelled as a junior with the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association before being promoted to the Maple Leafs for the 1956-57 season. He quickly proved to be one of the best two-way players in the NHL, exhibiting a knack for shutting down some of the League's top scorers while contributing offensively.
"Pulford is one of my private headaches because he has to be classed as one of hockey's greatest forecheckers," Detroit Red Wings star Gordie Howe once said. "There's a deep knowledge of the game in his forechecking, hook, poke check, strength of arms, quickness, the whole bundle of wax."
Pulford scored at least 17 goals in each season from 1961-62 to 1967-68 and helped Toronto win the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. Perhaps his most important goal came when he scored 8:26 into the second overtime to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the 1967 Final, a series Toronto won in six games.
After 14 seasons with Toronto, Pulford played two for the Los Angeles Kings after being traded for Garry Monahan and Brian Murphy on Sept. 3, 1970. He had 643 points (281 goals, 362 assists) in 1,079 NHL games, including 563 points (251 goals, 312 assists) in 947 games with the Maple Leafs.
Pulford retired in 1972 and was immediately named coach of the Kings. The Kings were 178-150 with 68 ties during his five seasons, and he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in 1975, when Los Angeles finished with 105 points, then a franchise record that was matched in 2024-25. He then moved to the Chicago Blackhawks as coach and general manager in 1977 and had multiple stints in each job during the next three decades.
Pulford was elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 1991 and is the father-in-law to Dean Lombardi, who was GM of the Kings during their Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014.
“Bob Pulford left an indelible mark on the game," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "In a remarkable career that spanned over five decades, he was one of only three people to play in the NHL, serve as President of the NHL players' union, as well as coach and work as a general manager in the League.
“Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player who won four Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs during a 16-season career, Bob forged a similarly impactful post-playing career as a coach, GM and executive with the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks.
“Bob became a friend, counselor and confidant to me -- particularly in my early years as commissioner -- and I had enormous respect for him and all he gave the game. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Roslyn, as well as his children and grandchildren.”
