In memory of Billy MacMillan, New Jersey Devils first coach and GM

[byrone12]

The first coach and GM of the New Jersey Devils passed away recently

Billy MacMillan

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-billy-macmillan-dies-1.6908331

Click to read more...

 

[Bleedred]

Interesting that he worked for the Prince Edward Island liquor control commission after he got out of hockey. Just an everyday type of job, outside of hockey.

Kind of makes sense. I know someone who knew him in the early 80's in Colorado, and he didn't get the feeling that he was a guy that would stay working in the hockey world for very long. And he never did have a job in the NHL after being here in 1983, unless he was some type of scout or something and it isn't listed on either his hockeydb or elite prospects profile.

 

[FooteBahl]

This may very well be a dumb question, but he was the first coach AND GM? Like at the same time? Did he not have time to also be the head scout and Sheriff of East Rutherford as well? We have come a looong way.

That’s some Reggie Dunlop type shit right there!

 

[Bleedred]

This may very well be a dumb question, but he was the first coach AND GM? Like at the same time? Did he not have time to also be the head scout and Sheriff of East Rutherford as well? We have come a looong way.

That’s some Reggie Dunlop type shit right there!

I think he was head coach first in 80-81 in Colorado, after coming over from the Islanders, where he was an assistant coach and won the cup the season before.

Then he was promoted to GM in the summer of 1981 and stepped down as head coach for that season, but named himself head coach again upon the team moving to New Jersey the next summer.

It's been a long time since we've had a dual GM/head coach in the league, aside from GM's coming down to interim head coach out the remainder of a season. I think Bob Murray did it with the Ducks most recently in 2018-2019 for the last couple of months of that season.

Though it hasn't been that long ago that we've seen it in a full time capacity. Darryl Sutter was both head coach and GM in Calgary from like 2002-2006. He stayed on as GM, but stepped down as head coach after a few years. Then he hired Mike Keenan to replace him as head coach and eventually his brother Brent after he left here.

Jacques Martin was also both GM and head coach for the Panthers in the 2000's. I think Mike Keenan may have also been a head coach and GM there with the Panthers at the same time in the early 2000's.

I also remember Bryan Murray as the GM and head coach of the Senators, but I think he was head coach for a while, then got promoted to GM and stepped down from the head coaching position, before firing the head coach and interim'ing the remainder of the season in a real Lou/Sather type of move.

After Nashville announced Poile was retiring at the conclusion of the season and that Barry Trotz would take over to replace him as GM, I often wondered if maybe we would see him also replace Hynes behind the bench at the conclusion of the year. He did let go of Hynes, but did not make himself head coach.

I think the dual GM/head coach position was actually much more common in the 70's and 80's though.

 

[byrone12]

Obituary for William "Billy" Stewart MacMillan | Belvedere Funeral Home

Share memories & support the family

www.belvederefh.com

 

[AZviaNJ]

I went to a bunch of Devil games during their first 2 years in NJ when Billy was GM. Those were horrifically bad teams (not necessarily his fault) but he played a key role in drafting foundational players Dano, Verbeek, Johnnie Mac and the 2 Russians, Fetisov and Kasatonov, even though they didn't play for the Devils until years later (we'll excuse the Rocky Trottier pick).

One thing everyone said about Billy back then is what a great guy he is/was.

RIP Billy.

 

[My3Sons]

I went to a bunch of Devil games during their first 2 years in NJ when Billy was GM. Those were horrifically bad teams (not necessarily his fault) but he played a key role in drafting foundational players Dano, Verbeek, Johnnie Mac and the 2 Russians, Fetisov and Kasatonov, even though they didn't play for the Devils until years later (we'll excuse the Rocky Trottier pick).

One thing everyone said about Billy back then is what a great guy he is/was.

RIP Billy.

Was he the guy who traded the puck that became Lafontaine for Bob Lorimer?