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Inducted in the Hall of Fame in 1951. Born
March 14th 1924 in Portage-la-Prairie, some fifty miles west
of Winnipeg in Manitoba, Bill Glennie was to become one of fourth round
of inductees into the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Before
coming to Britain in 1946, Bill Glennie played the first post-war season
with the Washington Lions in the Eastern Hockey League. He first came to
England with the Canadian Army during the war with his buddy, Wyn Cook.
Stationed in Hampshire, both men married English girls. As
a right-winger of some standing, he was also described as having few
equals defensively. In twelve seasons with the Harringay teams. Always a
big scorer, he
posted phenomenal figures as he tallied over 1,000 points in this
country, scoring 516 goals and 527 assists In 613 games in ENL
competitions. He took 538 penalty minutes
– little wonder the critics of the day unanimously endorsed him a
Canadian post-war player rating alongside the greatest right-wingers of
the past.
Other highlights of his career
include playing on the English National League (ENL) Select team which
beat Canada and the USA to win the Churchill Cup; and leading Racers to
victory in 1955 over the previously unbeaten Penticton Vees, who won the
World Championships that year, competing as Canada. During
his time with Harringay, Bill Glennie was a three-time All Star A-team
selection, 1947, ’49 and ’50, as well as receiving four B-Team
nominations, 1952, ’53, ’56 and ’58. At
one time early in his career he wore spectacles, but Brighton Tigers'
'artful dodger', Bobby Lee, knocked them off one night and
'accidentally' skated over them. After that, Bill wore contact
lenses. Compiled with research, provided by Martin C.Harris and Stewart Roberts |