Gordie Drillon

Gordon Arthur Drillon (October 23, 1913 – September 23, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was born in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. From 1936 through to 1942 he was part of one of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s most prolific scoring lines as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won a Stanley Cup during the 1941–42 season, and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Playing career

Drillon played seven seasons in the NHL, six of those with Toronto and one with the Montreal Canadiens. A winger noted for his deadly accurate shot, he created a specific style of play that made him a leading scorer. Drillon's strong frame made it difficult for opposing defencemen to clear him from the front of the net. He was able to securely park himself in front of the opposing netminder to re-direct shots or pick up rebounds. This style of play would earn him a league scoring title in the 1937–38 season, to date the last a Toronto Maple Leaf player has won. Future stars such as Phil Esposito, Dino Ciccarelli, and Dave Andreychuk emulated his innovative style with great success. He scored the series-winning goal for Toronto twice.

Traded to the Montreal Canadiens for the 1943 season, Drillon finished second on the team in goals scored. At season's end, Drillon cut short his hockey career and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving for the remainder of World War II. After the war, he worked as a hockey coach in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland in the 1948/49 season. Drillon later returned to his native New Brunswick where he was employed as a scout for the Maple Leafs, covering the Maritime provinces. He eventually accepted a job with the New Brunswick civil service. In 1975, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Drillon died in Saint John, New Brunswick, in 1986 and was interred there in the Ocean View Memorial Gardens cemetery.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1928–29 Aberdeen High School HS-NB 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1929–30 Moncton Chalmers Club SNBJL 6 8 4 12 2 — — — — — 1930–31 Moncton Athletics MarJHL 6 15 4 19 — — — — — — 1930–31 Aberdeen High School HS-NB 3 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 — 1931–32 Moncton Wheelers MarJHL 6 6 4 10 — 3 5 1 6 5 1932–33 Moncton Hawks MarJHL 4 13 3 16 0 2 2 1 3 4 1932–33 Moncton Swift's MCIHL 7 11 3 14 — 6 13 4 17 — 1933–34 Toronto Young Rangers OHA 11 20 13 33 4 2 5 3 8 4 1933–34 Toronto CCM TMHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1934–35 Toronto Lions OHA 11 17 9 26 2 5 2 1 3 6 1934–35 Toronto Dominion OHA-Sr 11 12 6 18 2 3 2 1 3 4 1935–36 Pittsburgh Yellow Jackets EAHL 40 22 12 34 4 8 3 2 5 0 1936–37 Syracuse Stars IAHL 7 2 3 5 2 — — — — — 1936–37 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 41 16 17 33 2 2 0 0 0 0 1937–38 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 26 26 52 4 7 7 1 8 2 1938–39 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 40 18 16 34 15 10 7 6 13 4 1939–40 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 43 21 19 40 13 10 3 1 4 0 1940–41 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 42 23 21 44 2 7 3 2 5 2 1941–42 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 48 23 18 41 6 9 2 3 5 2 1942–43 Montreal Canadiens NHL 49 28 22 50 14 5 4 2 6 0 1943–44 Toronto Army Daggers OHA-Sr 1 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1944–45 Dartmouth RCAF NSDHL 1 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1944–45 Dartmouth RCAF NSDHL 1 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1944–45 Valleyfield Braves QPHL 8 11 4 15 0 11 8 6 14 2 1945–46 Halifax RCAF NSDHL 3 7 8 15 4 — — — — — 1946–47 Charlottetown Legion NSSHL 4 10 8 18 16 11 41 12 53 4 1947–48 North Sydney Victorias NSSHL 2 0 1 1 0 — — — — — 1948-49 Grand Falls All-Stars NL-Sr. — — — — — — — — — — 1949–50 Saint John Beavers NBSHL 69 48 24 72 40 11 1 4 5 12 NHL totals 311 155 139 294 56 50 25 15 41 10

Awards Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (1938) League Scoring Champion (1938) First All-Star team — (1938, 1939) Second All-Star team — (1942)