Rudy Pilous

Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Rudolph Pilous (August 11, 1914 – December 5, 1994) was a Canadian ice hockey player and coach, born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Pilous won the Stanley Cup coaching the Chicago Black Hawks in 1960–61, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985 in the builder category. He is credited with initiating the action of pulling the goalie for an extra forward when there is a delayed penalty or when a team is losing by a goal in the last few minutes of play.

Pilous played junior ice hockey in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League before becoming a New York Rangers prospect. During 1937–38, Pilous played minor professional hockey with the New York Rovers of the Eastern Hockey League. Unable to reach the National Hockey League, Pilous transferred to the St. Catharines Saints, a senior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association Senior division from 1938 to 1941.

In 1943, Pilous cofounded the St. Catharines Falcons, a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey Association. Pilous left the Falcons in 1946, spending the 1946–47 season as a scout for the nearby Buffalo Bisons. Pilous spent the 1947–48 season in Houston, Texas, winning the USHL Championship. In 1948–49, Pilous led the San Diego Skyhawks to the Pacific Coast Hockey League title. After the PCHL, Pilous returned to the team he founded in St. Catharines, now known as the St. Catharines Teepees. He coached the team to a Memorial Cup championship in the 1954 Memorial Cup. He was its general manager for the 1960 Memorial Cup victory. Pilous coached the Chicago Black Hawks from 1958 to 1963. In the 1961 Stanley Cup Finals, he led the Hawks to Stanley Cup victory. Between 1956 and 1968, he was the only coach to win the Stanley Cup other than Toe Blake and Punch Imlach. Pilous coached the Denver Invaders in 1963–64 to the Western Hockey League's Governor's Trophy. After a brief stint with the Hamilton Red Wings, Pilous was hired to be the initial general manager of the expansion Oakland Seals in 1967. Pilous was quickly dismissed by team owners, and joined the Denver Spurs of the WHL, building them into a first place team by 1972. Pilous returned to his childhood home in Manitoba, with the Brandon Wheat Kings and subsequently coaching the Winnipeg Jets. Pilous later became general manager, and led the Jets to Avco World Trophy championships in 1976, 1978 and 1979. Pilous' coaching career ended where it started in St. Catharines 43 years earlier, at the helm of the St. Catharines Saints from 1983 to 1986.

Pilous died at his home of a heart attack on December 5, 1994. He was survived by his wife Margaret and his two daughters, Rosemarie and Mary Lou.

Team Year Regular season Post season G W L T Pts Division rank Result Chicago Black Hawks 1957–58 37 14 22 1 29 5th in NHL Did not qualify Chicago Black Hawks 1958–59 70 28 29 13 69 3rd in NHL Lost in semi finals Chicago Black Hawks 1959–60 70 28 29 13 69 3rd in NHL Lost in semi finals Chicago Black Hawks 1960–61 70 29 24 17 75 3rd in NHL Won Stanley Cup Chicago Black Hawks 1961–62 70 31 26 13 75 3rd in NHL Lost Stanley Cup Finals Chicago Black Hawks 1962–63 70 32 21 17 81 2nd in NHL Lost in semi finals Winnipeg Jets 1974–75 65 34 26 5 73 3rd in Canadian Did not qualify NHL Totals 387 162 151 74 398 18–22, .450 1 Stanley Cup WHA Totals 65 34 26 5 73