Bill McNeill

William Ronald McNeill (January 26, 1936 – August 31, 2007) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who appeared in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings between 1956 and 1963. He was first called up to Detroit in 1956 following injuries to Alex Delvecchio and Bill Dineen, and over the following seasons was recalled from the minor-league Edmonton Flyers on several occasions, playing 257 NHL games. Much of his playing career, which ran from 1953 to 1971, was spent in the minor Western Hockey League. McNeill assisted on Gordie Howe's record-breaking 545th goal in November 1963.