Billy Harris 1961-62 Parkhurst #15

For Billy Harris, 1960-61 was one of his best seasons in the National Hockey League. It was his sixth year with the Toronto Maple Leafs and he was sixth on the team with 39 points over 66 games. His point total came from 12 goals and 27 assists. In Toronto's short playoff run, he added one goal in five games.

The following year, 1961-62, his numbers were down, sort of. His goal total actually increased to 15 but Harris had only ten helpers for a total of 25 points over 67 regular season games. In the Stanley Cup championship run, Billy added three points over 12 games.

Billy Harris – Junior and Minor Pro

Harris played major junior hockey with the Toronto Marlboros from 1950-51 to 1954-55. However, over his first two years, he played in just a total of five games while playing mostly Junior 'B' hockey with the Weston Dukes. Over 167 regular season games with the Marlies, Billy scored 82 and assisted on 101 for 183 points.

Billy played in 35 playoff games for the Marlies, adding sixteen goals and 41 points. In his final season, the Marlboros reached the Memorial Cup finals and won the championship with a four games to one victory over the host Regina Pats. Harris was teammed with Bob Baun and Bob Pulford on that Turk Broda coached squad.

Harris jumped right to the NHL following junior. However, in his second season, 1956-57, he was dropped down to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League midseason. He played in 43 regular season AHL games with the Amerks and two Calder Cup playoff games. For the Maple Leafs, he appeared in just 23 games.

After moving back up to the NHL, Billy was again returned to the AHL in the later parts of the 1964-65 season. When 48 games saw him produce just one goal with Toronto, he was sent down to the Rochester Americans again.

Harris had a burr under his saddle after being sent down. He played in eleven regular season games for Rochester and contributed 14 points. In the playoffs, he led the Amerks with 17 points over ten games. Rochester won the Calder Cup championship over the Hershey Bears.

Two years later, Billy was on another Calder Cup champion. This time, it was the 1966-67 Pittsburgh Hornets taking out the Quebec Aces in the finals. It would be the swansong for the Hornets with the Penguins entering the NHL for the 1967-68 season. Harris finished eighth in the AHL that season with 34 goals.

Billy Harris – NHL

Harris played in 769 regular season National Hockey League games between 1955-56 and 1968-69 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Oakland Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Over that time, he scored 126 and added 219 assists for 345 points.

In 62 playoff games, Billy added a modest 18 points. He played for two Stanley Cup champions, the 1961-62 and 1963-64 Toronto Maple Leafs. Previous to that, he reached the finals with Toronto in 1958-59 before losing out to the dynastic Montreal Canadiens. That year, he was second on the team in scoring.