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Inducted
into the Hall of Fame in 1989. A native of Montreal
Quebec, born August 20th, 1919 Bill Booth didn’t take up
playing hockey until aged fourteen, despite having learned to skate by
the time he was eight years old. As a twenty year old, he
joined Lachute of the Montreal Senior Provincial League and later on
moved to play for the Valleyfield Braves. In 1943, while serving with
the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps, under two former NHL coaches he
played in exhibition games against the Boston Bruins and Montreal
Canadiens. The following year, Bill Booth crossed the Atlantic on active
service with the Canadian army. When the war ended, he played services
hockey both in Europe and later at Wembley. Before demobilisation in
1946, Booth received an offer to join the Brighton Tigers and from the
September, he became resident in Britain. He played three seasons as a
Tiger, including a memorable debut season when the tigers swept all
before them winning the English Autumn Cup, the National Tournament and
the National League. The Tigers again won the National League crown in
the 47/48 season and in 158 games for the Brighton club, Bill Booth
recorded 67 points from 26 goals and 41 assists, taking 250 penalty
minutes. In 1949, Bill booth
moved to Durham taking the post of player/coach with the Wasps, a role
in which he was to be a tremendous influence over the following fifteen
years. Under Booth, the Wasps headed the northern Tournament standing no
less than seven times and won the playoff final on three occasions in
the fifties. Between 1961 and 1963 the Durham club had no home ice and
Booth kept the club going even though it meant every game being played
away from home. In the spring of 1963 Bill Booth retired from playing
having suffered a jaundice attack, nevertheless he continued to coach
the Wasps, who had regained their own home ice, for one more season. After retiring, he
married Isobel, a local girl and pursued a career in insurance, though
he retained his interest in the sport. Through the sixties he
contributed articles to the monthly magazine “The Hockey Fan,”
and in the eighties he was the northeastern correspondent for the
revived “Ice Hockey World.” Regarded during his
playing days as a sound if unspectacular defenceman, Bill Booth is
remembered as a member of one of the great British National League sides
and, above all, as an influential coach and father figure to a whole
generation of hockey players in the north east. Bill Booth died on
September 25th, 1986. Compiled
with research, provided by Martin C.Harris – April 1989. |
