Bill Heindl Jr.

William Wayne Heindl Jr. (May 13, 1946 – March 1, 1992) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 18 games in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers, scoring 2 goals and 1 assist in the 1970s. He also played one season in the World Hockey Association with the Cleveland Crusaders, and was a member of Team Canada at the 1969 World Ice Hockey Championships.

Bill Heindl Jr.
Born (1946-05-13)May 13, 1946
Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
Died March 1, 1992(1992-03-01) (aged 45)
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Left Wing
Shot Left
Played for Minnesota North Stars
New York Rangers
Cleveland Crusaders
National team  Canada
Playing career 1966–1977

Playing career

Heindl began his junior hockey career in Winnipeg, Manitoba, playing for the Winnipeg Braves, and then joined the Oshawa Generals of the OHA for the 1965–66 season.[1] That year Oshawa played in the Memorial Cup, and Heindl put up impressive numbers, scoring 13 goals and 21 points in the playoffs that year.[2] After one season in Oshawa, Heindl joined the Eastern Hockey League's Clinton Comets, where he had his most productive season as a professional scoring 52 goals in 1967–68.[1] He then spent a couple years with the Canadian National Team and was a member of the squad that played in the 1969 World Ice Hockey Championships. He had four goals and an assist in nine games for the fourth place Canadians.[3]

While his NHL rights were held by the Boston Bruins, Heindl never played for the parent club,[2] and in 1970 was claimed by the Minnesota North Stars from Boston in the NHL reverse draft.[1][4] Over the next two seasons, Heindl spent more time playing for Minnesota's American Hockey League affiliate the Cleveland Barons than in the NHL, and was left unprotected for the 1972 NHL Expansion Draft, where he was claimed by the incoming Atlanta Flames.[4] Atlanta quickly traded him to the New York Rangers for Bill Hogaboam, and he played four games for New York, which was the end of his NHL career.[5] The following season Heindl joined the World Hockey Association's Cleveland Crusaders, who had acquired his WHA rights from the Winnipeg Jets.[4] After two seasons playing in Sweden with BK Backen, Heindl retired from professional hockey in 1977. He turned to coaching, serving for a time as the bench boss of the Steinbach Huskies who reached the 1979 Allan Cup final, but lost the Canadian senior championship to the Petrolia Squires.[6]

His father was Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame and Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Honoured Member Bill Heindl Sr., who also played for – and won – the Memorial Cup in 1941 with the Winnipeg Rangers.[7]

Personal life

Heindl's coaching career was ended by a car accident in which he suffered a serious back injury. Coupled with the death of his father and a failed marriage, he fell into alcoholism and depression. He attempted suicide in 1980 by jumping off a bridge in Winnipeg. Heindl survived, but was left a paraplegic.[6] He was supported by his former hockey teammates, including Bobby Orr, with whom he played in Oshawa as a junior. Orr organized a charity game in Winnipeg to raise money for Heindl.[8] The game, played April 25, 1980, was played between former professional players and former members of the Canadian National Team and was attended by over 15,000 people at the Winnipeg Arena.[9] Over $85,000 was raised for Heindl's recovery.[10] Among the players to join Orr was Wayne Gretzky, and the event marked the only time the two NHL superstars played in the same game.[10]

Heindl's outlook improved, and he became an administrative assistant with the Canadian Paraplegic Association.[6] He encouraged his friends and associates to help raise money for spinal cord research, the result of which became an annual golf tournament in Winnipeg which had raised over $200,000 in its first nine years.[10] The event, called "The Will To Win" helped fund Winnipeg's Spinal Chord Research Centre.[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs
    Regular season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1963–64 Winnipeg Braves MJHL 26 7 7 14 18 — — — — —
1963–64 Victoriaville Bruins Mem-Cup — — — — — 11 3 4 7 10
1964–65 Winnipeg Braves MJHL 45 27 33 60 22 15 5 5 10 10
1965–66 Oshawa Generals OHA 48 15 26 41 46 17 4 5 9 10
1965–66 Oshawa Generals Mem-Cup — — — — — 14 13 8 21 8
1966–67 Clinton Comets EHL 72 17 20 37 7 9 3 2 5 13
1967–68 Clinton Comets EHL 72 52 53 105 20 14 10 5 15 7
1970–71 Minnesota North Stars NHL 12 1 1 2 0 — — — — —
1970–71 Cleveland Barons AHL 60 25 11 36 22 8 3 5 8 0
1971–72 Cleveland Barons AHL 70 22 25 47 19 6 0 3 3 2
1972–73 New York Rangers NHL 4 1 0 1 0 — — — — —
1972–73 Providence Reds AHL 66 21 43 64 10 4 1 0 1 2
1973–74 Cleveland Crusaders WHA 67 4 14 18 4 5 0 1 1 2
1973–74 Jacksonville Barons AHL 9 3 2 5 0 — — — — —
1974–75 Cape Codders NAHL 74 23 36 59 8 — — — — —
1975–76 BK Backen SWE-2 20 16 16 32 48 — — — — —
1976–77 BK Backen SWE-2 33 14 3 17 — — — — — —
NHL totals 18 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
WHA totals 67 4 14 18 4 5 0 1 1 2

International
Year Team Comp   GP G A Pts PIM
1969 Canada WC 9 4 1 5 2

Source: Legends Of Hockey (HHOF)[1]

Awards and achievements

References
  1. "Bill Wayne Heindl". Legends of Hockey. Hockey Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  2. "Bill Heindl #23". Players. NHL.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  3. Podnieks, Andrew, ed. (2011). IIHF Guide & Record Book 2012. International Ice Hockey Federation. pp. 173, 476. ISBN 978-0-7710-9598-6.
  4. "Bill Heindl #23". Players – notes. NHL.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  5. "Bill Heindl". All Time Roster. New York Rangers. Archived from the original on 7 September 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  6. Podnieks, Andrew (2003). Players: The ultimate A–Z guide of everyone who has ever played in the NHL. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. p. 342. ISBN 0-385-25999-9.
  7. "Bill Sr. Heindl (May 16, 1922 – April 13, 1979)". Honoured Members Database. Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  8. Grant, Vic (11 July 2008). "Excuse Me" (PDF). CJOB radio via the University of Manitoba. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  9. Davis, Reyn (1980-04-26). "Billy Heindl's night Veli Ketola's game". Winnipeg Free Press. p. 95.
  10. Sigurdson, Hal (1992-03-06). "Heindl inspired others to reach for goals". Winnipeg Free Press. p. F57.
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