Bill Flett

William Mayer "Cowboy" Flett (July 21, 1943 in Vermilion, Alberta, – July 12, 1999 in Edmonton, Alberta) was a professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Atlanta Flames and Edmonton Oilers.
==Playing career==
Flett began his career with the Melville Millionaires of the SJHL. From 1963 through 1967, he played for various minor league teams. Finally, in 1967, the NHL expanded from six to twelve teams and Flett was drafted by the expansion Los Angeles Kings. In his rookie season, playing on right wing, he scored 26 goals and was named The Sporting News NHL West Division rookie of the year.
Flett was nicknamed "Cowboy" because in addition to being a hockey player, he was also a rodeo performer. Flett's rodeo career ended when the Los Angeles King's Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke threatened to fine him $1000 for every rodeo he appeared in. He was well known throughout his career for being one of the few hockey players at the time to sport a full beard, and for being one of the last players to play without a helmet.
Flett scored 24 goals in his sophomore season. His goal production declined significantly in his next two seasons. Fed up with his dwindling production, the Kings traded Flett, along with Eddie Joyal and Ross Lonsberry to the Philadelphia Flyers where he had his best season in 1972–73 with 43 goals. Flett was a member of the Flyers 1974 Stanley Cup champion team. After the season ended, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs where he reverted to his indifferent play, and as a result, the Leafs put him on waivers. The Atlanta Flames picked him from waivers, and Flett had one last productive year in the NHL when he scored 23 goals in 1975–76. In 1976–77, the Flames sold him to the Edmonton Oilers of the WHA where he contributed nicely to the Oilers offence. When Edmonton joined the NHL, he found he had little left and retired after 20 games. He scouted for the Oilers after that.
In May 1999, Flett entered the hospital due to a gall bladder condition which eventually contributed to liver failure. Flett received a liver transplant; however, his body rejected the transplant. Flett died on July 12, 1999 due to liver failure. Flett is survived by his wife Doreen and three sons, Cody, Dean and Shane.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1960–61 	Melville Millionaires	SJHL 	 	27 	16 	2 	18 	14 	 	7 	3 	1 	4 	10
1961–62 	Melville Millionaires	SJHL 	 	24 	8 	14 	22 	44 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1962–63 	Melville Millionaires	SJHL 	 	53 	31 	54 	85 	80 	 	18 	7 	11 	18 	40
1962–63 	Estevan Bruins 	M-Cup 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	6 	1 	1 	2 	2
1963–64 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1963–64 	Charlotte Checkers 	EHL 	 	41 	26 	21 	47 	48 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	6
1963–64 	Denver Invaders 	WHL 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	— 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0
1964–65 	Tulsa Oilers 	CPHL 	 	39 	8 	22 	30 	58 	 	12 	1 	2 	3 	6
1964–65 	Victoria Maple Leafs 	WHL 	 	23 	1 	7 	8 	14 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1965–66 	Tulsa Oilers 	CPHL 	 	55 	23 	23 	46 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1966–67 	Tulsa Oilers 	CPHL 	 	62 	16 	28 	44 	108 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1967–68 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	73 	26 	20 	46 	97 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	8
1968–69 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	72 	24 	25 	49 	53 	 	10 	3 	4 	7 	11
1969–70 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	69 	14 	18 	32 	70 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1969–70 	Springfield Kings 	AHL 	 	5 	2 	6 	8 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1970–71 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	64 	13 	24 	37 	57 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1971–72 	Los Angeles Kings 	NHL 	 	45 	7 	12 	19 	18 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1971–72 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	31 	11 	10 	21 	26 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1972–73 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	69 	43 	31 	74 	53 	 	11 	3 	4 	7 	0
1973–74 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 	 	67 	17 	27 	44 	51 	 	17 	0 	6 	6 	21
1974–75 	Toronto Maple Leafs 	NHL 	 	77 	15 	25 	40 	38 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	2
1975–76 	Atlanta Flames 	NHL 	 	78 	23 	17 	40 	30 	 	2 	0 	0 	0 	0
1976–77 	Atlanta Flames 	NHL 	 	24 	4 	4 	8 	6 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1976–77 	Edmonton Oilers 	WHA 	 	48 	34 	20 	54 	20 	 	5 	0 	2 	2 	2
1977–78 	Edmonton Oilers 	WHA 	 	74 	41 	28 	69 	34 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1978–79 	Edmonton Oilers 	WHA 	 	73 	28 	36 	64 	14 	 	10 	5 	2 	7 	2
1979–80 	Edmonton Oilers 	NHL 	 	20 	5 	2 	7 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	689 	202 	215 	417 	501 	 	52 	7 	16 	23 	42
WHA totals	WHA totals 	WHA totals	 	195 	103 	84 	187 	68 	 	15 	5 	4 	9 	4
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==References==
*Hockey Stars of 1969 by Stan Fischler
*The Complete Handbook of Pro Hockey 1976 by Zander Hollander
 
Category:Atlanta Flames players