Bob Fillion
Joseph Louis Robert Edgar Fillion (July 12, 1920 – August 13, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played seven seasons for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1943 and 1950. He was a member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams during his career with Montreal; in 1944 and 1946. He also spent time with the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL and the Sherbrooke Saints of the Quebec Senior Hockey League (QSHL). He died on August 13, 2015.[1][2] At the time of his death, Fillion was the last surviving member of the Canadiens' 1944 Stanley Cup team.
| Bob Fillion | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born |
July 12, 1920 Thetford Mines, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Died |
August 13, 2015 (aged 95) Longueuil, Quebec, Canada | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens | ||
| Playing career | 1939–1951 | ||
Fillion hockey playing family
Born in Thetford Mines, Quebec, Fillion is a member of Thetford Mines' and one of Quebec's most famous hockey family, being one of seven hockey playing siblings. Right winger Marcel also reached the National Hockey League, playing one game for the Boston Bruins in 1944–1945 and playing in the Eastern Hockey League, the American Hockey League and the Quebec Senior Hockey League from 1944 to 1952. Right winger Dennis played in the United States Hockey League, the Pacific Coast Hockey League, the American Hockey League, the Maritime Major Hockey League, the Quebec Senior Hockey League and the Atlantic Coast Senior League from 1948 to 1956. Defenceman Georges was invited to the Montreal Canadiens training camp at the same time as Bob but decided to return home to Thetford Mines because he did not speak English very well. He played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League. Nelson, Fernand and Jean-Marie Fillion also played in the Quebec Senior Hockey League and various Senior Hockey leagues throughout the years. All seven Fillion brothers played on the same team, the Thetford Chappies of the Ligue Intermédiaire de Hockey du Québec during the 1940s. This was where Bob and Georges were spotted by a Canadiens scout.
Post Hockey
Fillion returned to Thetford Mines to work as a manager at the mines, later moving to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and died in Longueuil, Quebec.[3]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1938–39 | Verdun Maple Leafs | QJAHA | 11 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1938–39 | Verdun Maple Leafs | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 1939–40 | Verdun Maple Leafs | QJAHA | 11 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1939–40 | Verdun Maple Leafs | QSHL | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1940–41 | Shawinigan Falls Cataractes | QSHL | 24 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 15 | ||
| 1941–42 | Shawinigan Falls Cataractes | MDSL | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 4 | ||
| 1942–43 | Montreal Army | QSHL | 33 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1943–44 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 41 | 7 | 23 | 30 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1944–45 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 31 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1945–46 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 50 | 10 | 6 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1946–47 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 57 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1947–48 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 32 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1947–48 | Buffalo Bisons | AHL | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1948–49 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 59 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1949–50 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 57 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1950–51 | Sherbrooke Saints | QSHL | 44 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 45 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| NHL totals | 327 | 42 | 61 | 103 | 84 | 33 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 10 | ||||
References
- "Le doyen des Anciens du Canadien, Bob Fillion, mort à 95 ans". ICI.Radio-Canada.ca. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
- "Décès de l'ancien joueur du Canadien Bob Fillion | Hockey". La Presse. Lapresse.ca. 13 August 2015. Retrieved 2015-08-14.
- "Décès de l'ancien joueur du Canadien Bob Fillion | La Presse". La Presse. 13 August 2015.
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database