Phil Maloney

Philip Francis Anthony Maloney (born October 6, 1927) is a retired professional ice hockey player and coach.

Maloney began his career with the Shawinigan Cataractes before signing a free agent contract with the Boston Bruins in 1948. Sent to the American Hockey League's Hershey Bears, he finished with 79 points in his first professional campaign. The next year, he earned a spot an the Bruins' National Hockey League roster. A smooth-skating, playmaking centre, Maloney had an impressive rookie season where he tallied 46 points (15 goals, 31 assists) in 70 games. As a result, he finished second for the 1949-50 Calder Trophy vote for rookie of the year.[1]

Despite the strong start, Maloney soon found himself struggling to find ice time. He played thirteen games with the Bruins the next season before being traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A talented player who was a casualty of the deep talent pool and limited opportunities of the "Original Six" era, Maloney would play only 29 games with the Leafs in 1952-53. He later made NHL appearances with the Chicago Black Hawks, playing 45 games between 1958 and 1960.[2]

Spending much of his career in the minors, Maloney was a force in these lower leagues. He spent 14 years with the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Hockey League. He retired at the end of the 1969-70 season, the year before the Canucks became a part of the NHL, and was the career scoring leader for the franchise with 923 points. Maloney scored a career high 102 points in 1960-61 during a brief two-year stint with the Buffalo Bisons.[3]

Mahoney later was hired as an assistant coach by the NHL's Vancouver Canucks. He became the head bench boss late in the 1973-74 season and coached 232 games with the franchise.