Nova Scotia hockey legend, Bill Riley, has passed away.
Hockey Nova Scotia says Riley made history as the third black player to play in the NHL and the first of African Nova Scotian descent.
The organization says the Amherst native played over 139 NHL games with the Capitals and Winnipeg Jets and “embodied everything a teammate and competitor should be”.
He was captain of the New Brunswick Hawks and Nova Scotia Voyageurs.
Riley then coached in the QMJHL for the Moncton Wildcats and the Maritime League’s Amherst Ramblers.
“Bill Riley’s legacy goes beyond the stats, championships, and games won behind the bench. He inspired future generations through his determination, spirit and sheer love of the game,” says Hockey Nova Scotia in a social media post.
He was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
Riley was 75.
