Bob Pulford

Robert Jesse Pulford (March 31, 1936 – January 5, 2026) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League. Born in Newton Robinson, Ontario, he played in his youth in the Weston, Ontario Minor Hockey League before joining minor league teams within the Toronto Maple Leafs farm system. Pulford played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros for three seasons from 1953 to 1956, winning two Memorial Cups under coach Turk Broda. He moved up to the Maple Leafs for the 1956–57 season and remained with the team for 14 seasons, wearing jersey number 20. He was an important member of the Leaf teams that won four Stanley Cups, in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. When the National Hockey League Players' Association was formed, Pulford became the organization's first president in the spring of 1967. He later finished his playing career with the Los Angeles Kings. After retiring as a player, he served as head coach of the Kings before spending 30 years with the Chicago Blackhawks as a coach and general manager.