Bob Bailey (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Bailey began his professional career at age 16 with the Windsor Hettche Spitfires of the International Hockey League, playing 22 games. After further development with the Stratford Kroehlers, he returned to the IHL for two games with the Toledo Mercurys in 1951–52. His rights were traded by the Detroit Red Wings to the Cleveland Barons along with his brother John Bailey for Lou Jankowski and Bill Dineen in June 1951. Bailey flourished in the American Hockey League with Cleveland, recording 46 points and a team-high 115 penalty minutes in 54 games, catching the attention of the Toronto Maple Leafs. On May 30, 1953, Toronto traded Chuck Blair and $30,000 to Cleveland for Bailey and Gerry Foley.

Bailey made his NHL debut with the Maple Leafs in the 1953–54 season, playing 48 games and scoring 9 points. During the playoffs against Detroit, he had an altercation with Maurice 'Rocket' Richard, who butt-ended Bailey with his stick after Bailey slammed Richard into the boards. Richard repeatedly tried to renew the attack and refused to leave the ice after a slash when ordered by the referee. Bailey split the next two seasons between Toronto and the Pittsburgh Hornets. While playing for the Hornets in 1956, he was suspended from the remainder of the playoffs and fined $575 for assaulting referee Jerry Olinski on April 2.

Bailey was traded multiple times in 1956 and 1957, eventually joining the Chicago Black Hawks via the NHL Intra-League Draft on June 5, 1957. On December 17, 1957, he was traded with Jack McIntyre, Nick Mickoski, and Hec Lalonde for Earl Reibel, Billy Dea, Lorne Ferguson, and Bill Dineen. During the 1958 playoffs with Detroit, a bench-clearing brawl started after Bailey charged Montreal goaltender Jacques Plante; referee Frank Udvari sent both teams to their dressing rooms and added the remaining 5:22 of the second period to the third. The 1957–58 season was Bailey's last in the NHL.

Reader's Guide

Bob Bailey's significance lies in his extensive minor league career and his role as a journeyman frequently used in trades. He was involved in trades for over twenty players, including three separate trades for Bill Dineen, illustrating how he was a movable asset in the hockey business of the 1950s and 1960s. After his NHL career ended in 1958, Bailey continued to play in the minors, moving through several teams and leagues. His most notable success came with the Dayton Gems of the International Hockey League, where he played his last four seasons. In the 1965–66 season, he scored a career-high and team-leading 132 points, including a league-record 87 assists. Over four years with the Gems, he amassed 319 points, nearly half his total career points. He was inducted into the Dayton Hockey Hall of Fame on March 17, 1970. Longtime Fort Wayne General Manager Ken Ullyot called him 'the last of the great stick handlers,' and Gems goaltender Pat Rupp said Bailey was 'the best to ever play hockey in Dayton.' His career reflects the path of a skilled minor league star who had brief NHL stints and left a lasting impression in the IHL.

Did You Know?

• Bailey was involved in three separate trades for Bill Dineen during his career.
• In the 1965–66 season, Bailey set a Dayton Gems record with 87 assists and scored a career-high 132 points.