Bill Ezinicki

William "Wild Bill" Ezinicki (born 11 March 1924; died October 11, 2012) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs (1944-1950), the Boston Bruins (1950-1952), and the New York Rangers (1954-1955) of the NHL. Ezinicki was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was best known as a gritty hard-hitting player.
==Playing Career==
He played junior hockey for the Winnipeg Rangers and the Oshawa Generals. Ezinicki won the Memorial Cup with the Generals in 1944.
Ezinicki won three Stanley Cups with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1947, 1948 and 1949.
He played in 368 NHL games, scoring 79 goals and 105 assists.
Ezinicki became a professional golfer after retiring from hockey. He was head professional at The International in Bolton, Massachusetts. He won several tournaments in the New England region including four state opens in 1960. He was elected to the New England section of the PGA Hall of Fame in 1997.
Ezinicki, a long-time resident of Bolton, Massachusetts, died at the age of 88 on October 11, 2012.
==Achievements and Awards==
*Memorial Cup Championship (1944)
*Stanley Cup Championships (1947, 1948, & 1949)
*“Honoured Member” of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
*New England Section PGA Hall of Fame 1997
==Golf tournament Wins (10)==
this list may be incomplete
*1956 New England PGA Championship
*1958 New England PGA Championship, Rhode Island Open, New Hampshire Open
*1959 Rhode Island Open
*1960 Massachusetts Open,Rhode Island Open, New Hampshire Open, Maine Open
*1964 Massachusetts Open
==Gallery==
1947-Mar15-Mortson-Carveth-Marquess-Barilko-Ezinicki-Henderson.jpg|Gus Mortson, Joe Carveth, #19 Mark Marquess, Bill Barilko, Bill Ezinicki, Murray Henderson, March 15, 1947.
1949Mar-Watson_scores.jpg|Leafs #4 Harry Watson scores the winner assisted by Ezinicki in Game 2 of the 1949 Semi-finals, March 24, 1949.
==External Links==
*
*Bill Ezinicki's biography at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
*Bill Ezinicki’s biography at Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame
*Profile at New England section PGA Hall of Fame
==References==
Category:Born in 1924
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Memorial Cup winners
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Oshawa Generals alumni
Category:Pittsburgh Hornets players
Category:Stanley Cup champions
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:Vancouver Canucks (WHL) players
Category:Winnipeg Rangers players