William Alexander "Bill" Gadsby - Born August 8, 1927 in Calgary, Alberta - Died March 10, 2016 in Farmington Hills, Michigan was a Canadian/American ice Hockey defenceman and coach.

- Prince of Wales Trophy Champion 1965 with Detroit Red Wings.

Stanley Cup finalist 1963, 1964, 1966 with Detroit Red Wings.

Gadsby made his NHL debut with Chicago Black Hawks on November 20, 1946 vs Detroit Red Wings at Chicago Stadium in a 8-6 Detroit win. He had 1 assist in the game.

Gadsby scored his 1st NHL goal vs Bill Durnan of Montreal Canadiens at 17:20 of 2nd period on January 1, 1947 at Chicago Stadium in a 5-2 Canadiens win.

On March 12, 1955 Gadsby lined up a rushing Maple Leafs Tim Horton and hit him with a solid clean check that broke Horton's jaw and right leg, knocking him unconscious and ultimately setting his career back two seasons. "Thank God it wasn't a dirty check," Gadsby recalled, NHL senior referee Bill Chadwick having told him amid the chaos it was the hardest hit he'd ever witnessed.

Gadsby played in 1248 regular season NHL games, scoring 130 goals (14 GWG), 438 assists with 1539 penalty minutes and 67 NHL playoff games, scoring 4 goals, 23 assists with 92 penalty minutes.

Gadsby played in NHL All-Star Games 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1965.

Gadsby was selected to NHL First All-Star Team in 1956, 1958, 1959.

When Gadsby retired after the 1965-66 season, Gadsby was the NHL's career scoring leader among defensemen with 568 points (130 goals, 438 assists). In 1958–59, he also set a record for assists by a defenceman, with 46.

Bill Gadsby was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1970.

Bill Gadsby was inducted to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 1986 as an athlete.

NOTE
Gadsby and his mother survived the wartime Nazi submarine's torpedo sinking of the British ocean liner S.S. Athenia in 1939.