Billy Taylor

This article is about the player who was born in 1919. For the player of the same name who was born in 1942, please see Billy Taylor (1942).

William James "Billy" Taylor (May 3, 1919, in Winnipeg, Manitoba – June 12, 1990) was a professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1939 to 1948.

Playing Career
He played junior hockey with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey Association, leading the league in scoring in 1938-39. The Generals won the Memorial Cup in 1940.

Billy Taylor began his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1939–40. He played in Toronto for five seasons, and won the Stanley Cup in 1942 before being traded for the start of the 1946–47 season to the Detroit Red Wings for Harry Watson. While in Detroit, he set an NHL record for most assists in one game (7) against the Chicago Black Hawks. Wayne Gretzky has since matched that record. After only one season in Motown, he was dealt to the Boston Bruins for his last NHL season, 1947–48. That last season saw him play 39 games for the Bruins and two games for the Rangers. His career was cut short when Clarence S. Campbell suspended him for gambling violations in 1948. In 323 career regular season games, Taylor scored 87 goals and 267 points.

He briefly played in the International Hockey League for the Chatham Maroons in 1951-52 and the Grand Rapids Rockets in 1952-53.