Bill Mosienko

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Mosienko won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1945 as the most gentlemanly player, played in four official NHL All-Star Games, and was twice named to the second All-Star team. He left the NHL in 1955 to help bring professional hockey to Winnipeg, helping create the Winnipeg Warriors of the Western Hockey League. He was a three-time All-Star in four years in that league and won the league championship in 1956. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965 and into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in 1980.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Mosienko's career occurred on March 23, 1952, during the final night of the regular season against the New York Rangers. In the third period, Mosienko scored three goals in a span of 21 seconds, all assisted by linemate Gus Bodnar. This feat set a new record for the fastest hat trick by one player in NHL history. The sequence was so rapid that Mosienko nearly scored a fourth goal just 45 seconds later on a shot that deflected off the goalpost. Despite facing frequent physical abuse from larger opponents throughout his career, he refused to retaliate, maintaining a reputation as one of the league's most gentlemanly players.

Reader's Guide

Mosienko's first two NHL goals came on February 9, 1942, but the source does not specify the time interval between them; the 21-second interval refers to his 1952 hat trick. In 1943–44, Mosienko and linemates Clint Smith and Doug Bentley combined for 219 points, at that time an NHL record. In his 1944–45 Lady Byng season, Mosienko did not record a single penalty minute throughout the course of the season.

Did You Know?

• Mosienko scored his famous hat trick on March 23, 1952, against the New York Rangers' Lorne Anderson.
• He was one of 13 children, with eight brothers and four sisters.
• Mosienko's grandson Tyler was also a professional hockey player.
• He died of stomach cancer that spread to his brain on July 9, 1994.