Hockey icon played with Howe, coached him with the Aeros
Bill Dineen, who played with Gordie Howe and later coached the hockey great in Houston with the Aeros, died Saturday. He was 84.
The American Hockey League confirmed in a statement that Dineen died at his home in Lake George, N.Y.
Dineen, born in Arvida, Quebec, played 324 games in the National Hockey League with Detroit and Chicago, winning two Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings alongside Howe. Dineen made more of an impact as a player in the AHL, where he was a four-time 20-goal scorer over six seasons with Buffalo, Cleveland, Rochester and Quebec.
“Bill Dineen devoted his career to our sport, winning two Stanley Cups with the Detroit Red Wings, shaping the lives of numerous players during decades of coaching and crafting a hockey legacy that carries on today through his sons,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Dineen went into coaching after retiring as a player, taking the reins of the World Hockey Association Aeros for six years starting with the 1972-73 season. He helped the Aeros win Avco Cup titles in 1974 and ‘75 with teams that featured Howe and his sons, Mark and Marty.
Dineen was named WHA coach of the year with the Aeros in 1977 and 1978. He spent a final WHA season as coach of the New England Whalers but was fired after 71 games with his team in fourth place.
Dineen later coached the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers for two season (1991-93), which gave him a chance to coach son Kevin.
Dineen also spent six years as coach of the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings, leading them to league titles in 1986 and 1989. Dineen was inducted into the AHL Hall of Fame in 2014.
Dineen’s sons Shawn, Peter, Gord, Kevin and Jerry all went on to professional hockey careers as players and coaches.