Wilbert Hiller

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Wilbert Carl "Dutch" Hiller (May 11, 1915 – November 12, 2005) was a professional hockey player in the NHL.

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[edit] Early life

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Dutch Hiller's photo album of his formative years in Kitchener shows ample evidence of a hockey hotbed that brought future NHLers together on local ponds and rinks. Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer are all pictured in primitive garb learning their trade along with young Hiller.

After Kitchener though, Hiller took a different road to the big leagues, via Sudbury senior hockey and a stint in Britain.

[edit] NHL

He eventually landed in the NHL wearing Ranger blue just in time to join the ranks of a tough, speedy lineup with serious designs on the Stanley Cup. His first Ranger games unfolded in 1937 where, as a member of the "Roughneck" line, he joined Phil Watson and Bryan Hextall in making life difficult for the opposition. But references to Wilbert Hiller as a member of the Roughnecks just didn't fly with the Rangers PR department. So Wilbert was out and "Dutch" was in.

By 1940, Hiller and his mates ousted the Toronto Maple Leafs to win their second-ever Stanley Cup. But the following year, the Rangers failed to repeat as champs, and Hiller was dispatched on a whirlwind of trades that placed him in Detroit, Boston, Montreal, back to New York and finally, back to Montreal again for his final stint in the NHL.

In his second last season, Hiller racked up a personal best 38 points. But his failing eyesight precipitated his departure from the NHL in 1946. An attempt at using an early, crude version of contact lenses failed to cure his problem. So Hiller wound out his hockey career with the Pittsburgh Hornets and the Kitchener Dutchmen.

He died in 2005 in Glendale, California.

[edit] Coaching career

Wilbert "Dutch" Hiller spent 2 years coaching the Los Angeles Monarchs of the PCHL from 1948–1950.

[edit] Awards & Achievements

[edit] External links