Billy Dea

William Fraser Dea (born April 3, 1933) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre and head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played in the NHL from 1953 to 1971, and then served as a coach during the 1981–82 season.

Playing career A minor league standout, Dea began his NHL career with a brief fourteen-game assignment with the New York Rangers during the 1953–54 season. On August 18, 1955, the Rangers traded the NHL rights to Dea and Aggie Kukulowicz to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Bronco Horvath and Dave Creighton.

In 1957, he joined the Red Wings as a starting two-way forward. The next season, he was traded mid-season to the Chicago Black Hawks. For the next nine years, Dea would play exclusively in the American Hockey League, before expansion gave him another crack at the NHL. During the 1967–68 and 1968-69 campaigns, he was a regular on the Pittsburgh Penguins. He then returned to the Red Wings for an additional two years, ending his career with 67 goals and 54 assists in 397 games.

Dea earned the nickname "Hard Rock" for his punishing style of play. He is an uncle to former NHL defenceman James Wisniewski.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1949–50 Lethbridge Native Sons WCJHL 29 20 13 33 4 10 4 0 4 0 1950–51 Lethbridge Native Sons WCJHL 38 25 22 47 6 — — — — — 1951–52 Lethbridge Native Sons WCJHL 41 44 29 73 10 — — — — — 1952–53 Saskatoon Quakers WHL 3 2 1 3 0 — — — — — 1952–53 Lethbridge Native Sons WJHL 34 34 21 55 53 14 12 9 21 12 1952–53 Lethbridge Native Sons M-Cup — — — — — 11 11 4 15 6 1953–54 New York Rangers NHL 14 1 1 2 2 — — — — — 1953–54 Vancouver Canucks WHL 53 21 13 34 8 12 6 5 11 4 1954–55 Vancouver Canucks WHL 59 18 13 31 13 4 0 1 1 0 1955–56 Edmonton Flyers WHL 70 29 42 71 14 3 2 1 3 4 1956–57 Detroit Red Wings NHL 69 15 15 30 14 5 2 0 2 2 1957–58 Detroit Red Wings NHL 29 4 4 8 6 — — — — — 1957–58 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 34 5 8 13 4 — — — — — 1958–59 Buffalo Bisons AHL 70 25 45 70 19 11 5 4 9 4 1959–60 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 28 26 54 20 — — — — — 1960–61 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 35 39 74 10 4 1 2 3 0 1961–62 Buffalo Bisons AHL 70 30 22 52 17 11 0 2 2 2 1962–63 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 20 12 32 25 13 2 8 10 0 1963–64 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 25 16 41 4 — — — — — 1964–65 Buffalo Bisons AHL 72 21 19 40 15 9 3 0 3 0 1965–66 Buffalo Bisons AHL 70 32 23 55 17 — — — — — 1966–67 Buffalo Bisons AHL 71 25 39 64 5 — — — — — 1966–67 Chicago Black Hawks NHL — — — — — 2 0 0 0 2 1967–68 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 73 16 12 28 6 — — — — — 1968–69 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 66 10 8 18 4 — — — — — 1969–70 Baltimore Clippers AHL 7 0 1 1 2 — — — — — 1969–70 Detroit Red Wings NHL 70 10 3 13 6 4 0 1 1 2 1970–71 Detroit Red Wings NHL 42 6 3 9 2 — — — — — 1970–71 Fort Worth Wings CHL 26 8 15 23 10 4 0 4 4 0 1971–72 Tidewater Wings AHL 72 7 7 14 8 — — — — — AHL totals 720 248 249 497 182 48 11 16 27 6 NHL totals 397 67 54 121 44 11 2 1 3 6

NHL coaching record Team Year Regular season Postseason G W L T Pts Finish Result Detroit Red Wings 1981-82 11 3 8 0 6 6th in Norris Missed playoffs