One of the best defensemen of his generation, Pilote played 13 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won the Norris Trophy voted as top defenseman in the NHL for three consecutive seasons (1963-65).
Pilote started skating as a child. But when the only rink he had access to burned down, he did not play his first organized game until he was 17. He played five seasons with Buffalo of the American Hockey League, where he had 96 points (14 goals, 82 assists) in 236 games.
One of the best defensemen of his generation, Pilote played 13 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Chicago Black Hawks. He won the Norris Trophy voted as top defenseman in the NHL for three consecutive seasons (1963-65).
Pilote started skating as a child. But when the only rink he had access to burned down, he did not play his first organized game until he was 17. He played five seasons with Buffalo of the American Hockey League, where he had 96 points (14 goals, 82 assists) in 236 games.
He made his Black Hawks debut Jan. 25, 1956 and would later form a great defense tandem with Elmer "Moose" Vasko. He was named Black Hawks captain entering the 1961-62 season. A shot blocker, he was durable, playing in 376 consecutive NHL games before a dislocated shoulder ended his streak in the 1961-62 season. He was a critical part of the Black Hawks winning the Stanley Cup in 1961 with 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 12 Stanley Cup Playoff games that tied Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings for most during the postseason.
Pilote had 477 points (77 goals, 400 assists) in 821 games for the Black Hawks. He played his final NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who acquired him in a trade with Chicago for forward Jim Pappin on May 23, 1968. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Blackhawks retired his No. 3 at United Center on Nov. 12, 2008. When the Blackhawks won the Cup in 2010, Pilote was part of the parade in Chicago.
"In '61, we had a small parade from one hotel to another, then went to the Bismarck [hotel] for a little party," Pilote said. ìWhen I rode in the parade in 2010, it was crazy. I felt like I'd won the Cup again."
His biography, "Heart of the Blackhawks: The Pierre Pilote Story," which he co-authored with L. "Waxy" Gregoire and David M. Dupuis, was published in 2013. He was also featured on two commemorative stamps issued by Canada Post in 2005 and 2014.
Pilote died Sept. 9, 2017 at age 85.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1960, 1961, 1962)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968)
- Traded to Toronto by Chicago for Jim Pappin, May 23, 1968.
