Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on December 9, 1935, Bill Hay inherited athletic genes from both his father and mother. Charles Hay was a goaltender, leading the University of Saskatchewan Huskies to the Allan Cup final in 1921, and later served as president of Hockey Canada, his legacy including negotiations in creating the Summit Series of 1972. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 1974. Bill's mother, Florence Miller, was a track and field star. Bill's maternal uncle, Earl Miller, played in the NHL during the 1920s and 1930s.
Bill first played hockey in Regina, Saskatchewan, later enjoying a fine junior career with the Regina Pats of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in 1952-53 and 1954-55. The Montreal Canadiens owned Hay's rights, but rather than report to their training camp in the fall of 1955, he hitchhiked to Colorado Springs, Colorado and convinced Colorado College to give him and a friend an athletic scholarship and allow them to play hockey. Hay led the league in scoring in 1957-58, and in both 1956-57 and 1957-58, he was selected to the first WCHA All-Star team as well as the NCAA West First All-American team. In 1957, the Colorado College Tigers won the national college championship. Hay is regarded as one of the pioneers of U.S. college hockey helping to develop NHL players. While playing hockey at Colorado College, Hay also earned a geology degree.
In 1958-59, Hay attended Montreal Canadiens training camp, but during their dynasty run, the Canadiens were well-stocked with talented players. Hay was loaned to the Calgary Stampeders of the Western Hockey League, which was affiliated with the Chicago Black Hawks at the time. After an impressive season, Chicago bought Hay from Montreal.
Bill Hay debuted with the Black Hawks in 1959-60, and with 18 goals and 37 assists for 55 points, was selected as the NHL's top rookie, earning the Calder Trophy. Hay centred the 'Million Dollar Line' with Bobby Hull on the left wing and Murray Balfour on the right. In his second season, he was made an alternate captain, and by the conclusion of the 1960-61 season, the Black Hawks had captured the Stanley Cup. Hay's best offensive season occurred in 1961-62 when he had 63 points. He scored a career-high 23 goals in 1963-64.
He decided to retire at the end of the 1965-66 season to pursue a career in business, but was convinced to return to Chicago part way through the through the 1966-67 season. But that summer, knowing that he might retire, the Hawks left Hay unprotected in the Expansion Draft of 1967 and he was claimed by the St. Louis Blues. Rather than report to the Blues, Bill Hay retired, although just 31 years of age. Through eight NHL seasons, Hay scored 113 goals and 273 assists for 386 points in 506 regular season games. He added 15 goals and 21 assists for 36 points in 67 playoff games.
Bill Hay went into the oil business, where he enjoyed great success, though he never strayed too far from hockey. In 1990 he would follow in his father's footsteps as President and COO of Hockey Canada. In this role he was instrumental in combining Hockey Canada and the Canadian Hockey Association into one organization. He would then go on to join the Calgary Flames organization in 1991 where he would serve as President and CEO until 1995.
In 1980, Hay joined the Selection Committee of the Hockey Hall of Fame, serving until 1997. He was a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame's board of directors from 1995 until his retirement in 2013, including 15 years as Chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, the Hockey Hall of Fame strengthened its relations with key partners, including the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the National Hockey League the National Hockey League Players' Association and Hockey Canada. In addition, Hay oversaw the planning and development of the Hockey Hall of Fame's D.K. 'Doc' Seaman Hockey Resource Centre in 2009 and was an active member of the IIHF's "Ad-Hoc committee" from 2008-2012.
