Barry James Wilkins (February 28, 1947 – June 26, 2011) was a professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

player who played in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

and the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...

during the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for scoring the first-ever goal for the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

in the NHL on October 9, 1970. Wilkins was born in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, and died at the age of 64 from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

Playing career

Wilkins was signed by the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

as a teenager and came through their junior system where he was a teammate of

Bobby Orr Robert Gordon Orr (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest players of all time. Orr used his skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the ...

and

Wayne Cashman Wayne Cashman (born June 24, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He played seventeen seasons for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and helped them win the Stanley Cup twice, and was the last ac ...

with the

Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor (commercial), sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. ...

. He was recalled from junior to make his NHL debut in 1966–67, playing a single game for the Bruins, and turned pro the following season. He would spend most of the next three seasons with the Oklahoma City Blazers, Boston's top minor-league affiliate, but found it difficult to crack an increasingly deep Bruin roster. He scored his first NHL goal in his only appearance during the 1968–69 season, and appeared in 6 games for the 1969–70 Bruin team which would ultimately win the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...

. By the 1969–70 season, Wilkins was a dominant defender in the CHL with Oklahoma City, finishing the year with 52 points and 204 penalty minutes, and he would receive his big break when he was selected by the

in the 1970 NHL Expansion Draft. He started his Canuck career with a bang, scoring the team's first-ever goal (one of only five he scored all season) in their first game, against the

Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The Kings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. ...

on October 9, 1970. Wilkins would be one of Vancouver's top defenders for the first several years of the franchise's history. After a disappointing 1971–72 campaign, he bounced back in 1972–73 to record a career-high 11 goals and 28 points, and he was named the club's top defender. In 1973–74, he recorded three goals and 28 assists for 31 points while continuing to provide his usual high level of hard-nosed defensive play. Early in the

1974–75 NHL season The 1974–75 NHL season was the 58th season of the National Hockey League. Two new teams, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts, were added, increasing the number of teams to 18. To accommodate the new teams, the NHL re-organized its ...

, Wilkins was dealt to the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

for

Ab DeMarco, Jr. Albert Thomas "Ab" DeMarco Jr. (born February 27, 1949) is an American-born Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA) during the 1970s. DeMarco was noted fo ...

, leaving André Boudrias as the last remaining original Canuck (Wilkins was also the last remaining player selected by the team in the 1970 Expansion Draft). In Pittsburgh, Wilkins would have the best offensive year of his career, finishing the season with five goals and 35 points in just 66 games between the Canucks and Penguins. He would have another solid year in 1975–76, registering 27 points for the Penguins. Wilkins' NHL career came to an abrupt end when he jumped to the rival WHA for the 1976–77 season to play for the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

. After a year with the Oilers, he was dealt to the

Indianapolis Racers The Indianapolis Racers were a major league ice hockey team that played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square ...

for 1977–78. After spending one last professional season in the AHL, Wilkins retired in 1979. Wilkins appeared in 418 NHL games, recording 27 goals and 125 assists for 152 points, along with 663 penalty minutes. He also appeared in 130 WHA contests, notching six goals and 45 assists for 51 points, along with 154 penalty minutes.

Career statistics

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wilkins, Barry 1947 births 2011 deaths Boston Bruins players Canadian ice hockey defencemen Edmonton Oilers (WHA) players Ice hockey people from Toronto Indianapolis Racers players Niagara Falls Flyers players Oklahoma City Blazers (1965–1977) players Oshawa Generals players Philadelphia Firebirds (AHL) players Pittsburgh Penguins players Vancouver Canucks players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen