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EditWilliam George "The Western Wizard" Hay (Born January 10, 1898 in Listowel, Ontario, Canada – Died July 13, 1975 in Stratford, Ontario, Canada) was a Canadian professional ice Hockey forward.
Hay spent his early amateur days playing Hockey in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he was a teammate of future Hall of Fame member Dick Irvin Sr. while they both played for the Winnipeg Monarchs, and were Allan Cup Champions in 1915. His Hockey career was put on hold while he served overseas during World War I but after the war Hay returned to the game and played senior Hockey in Regina, Saskatchewan for 2 seasons with the Regina Victorias of the Saskatchewan Senior Hockey League between 1919 and 1921.
Hay turned professional with the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League in 1921 and played four years with the Capitals before the franchise was transferred to Portland, Oregon, USA in time for the 1925-26 season, and became the Portland Rosebuds.
During his time in the WCHL Hay was named to the First All-Star Team on three consecutive occasions, from 1922-24. When the WCHL became the WHL in its final season of 1925-26, Hay was again named a First Team All-Star.
When the WHL league collapsed in 1926, the Portland Rosebuds were sold in their entirety to the National Hockey League / NHL and became the Chicago Black Hawks.
Hay joined the team in Chicago for the 1926–27 NHL season, and on November 17, 1926 scored the first goal in the history of the Chicago Black Hawks. He completed the season in Chicago but was traded, along with Percy Traub, to the Detroit Cougars in exchange for $15,000 after the seasons conclusion.
Hay played his finest NHL season in 1927–28, leading the team in goals and points, and was named to an unofficial all-star team. The 10 NHL coaches selected an All-Star team that year and he was named on the forward line with Howie Morenz and Bill Cook. In his five NHL seasons, Hay scored 73 goals and had 54 assists.
He played seven seasons in the Detroit organization, and retired one game into the 1933–34 season to take over as the coach of their minor league team, the Detroit Olympics, whom he spent three years with before leaving the game
Hay has been honoured by the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame.
George Hay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958.