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Uploaded By: PRESIDENT on June 15th, 2017

William "Wild Bill" Ezinicki - Born March 11, 1924 in Winnipeg, Manitoba – Died October 11, 2012 in Gloucester, Massachusetts was a Canadian professional ice Hockey right winger.

Ezinicki was best known as a gritty hard-hitting player. He won three Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1947, 1948 and 1949.

Ezinicki played a total 368 games over parts of 9 NHL seasons. He scored 79 goals and 184 points while accumulating over 700 minutes in penalties.

Ezinicki started playing for the Winnipeg Rangers in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League in 1941-42 season. Ezinicki then played for the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey Association from 1942 to 1944, where he helped the Generals in winning the Memorial Cup in 1944.

Ezinicki began his NHL career in 1944-45 when he suited up for eight games with the Toronto Maple Leafs where he had a goal and five points. The following season was split between the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL and the Maple Leafs, where he had four goals and 12 points in 24 games.

In 1946-47, Ezinicki's role on the team grew tremendously as he played in 60 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points. He played three more seasons in Toronto, reaching at least the ten-goal and 20-point mark each year.

Ezinicki was traded to the Boston Bruins with Vic Lynn for Fern Flaman, Ken Smith, Phil Maloney and Leo Boivin, November 16, 1950. Ezinicki played in Boston for a year in a half, scoring 22 goals, 25 assists in 87 games.

Ezinicki then played for the Pittsburgh Hornets from 1952 -53, the Ottawa Senators of the Quebec Hockey League in 1954-55 and the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Hockey League, also in 1954-55, then Ezinicki made a brief stop with the New York Rangers, playing 16 games with them in 1954-55 before deciding to retire to pursue golfing in the Boston area where he became a full-time pro and was soon earning more money golfing than he had ever made playing Hockey.

Ezinicki came back and played 1 season of senior Hockey with the Sudbury Wolves in the Northern Ontario Hockey Association during the 1956-57 season.

Bill Ezinicki is a "Honoured Member" of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, inducted in 1986.

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