Garnet Bailey

Garnet Edward "Ace" Bailey (June 13, 1948 – September 11, 2001) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and scout who was a member of Stanley Cup and Memorial Cup winning teams. He died at age of 53 when United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City during the September 11 attacks.

Early life

Garnet Edward "Ace" Bailey was born June 13, 1948 in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Bailey grew up playing ice hockey. His father, Irvine Bailey, also nicknamed "Ace", was a star forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1920s and 1930s.^[1][2][3]

Career

Bailey played junior hockey with the Edmonton Oil Kings from 1964 to 1967. He went with his team to the Memorial Cup final in 1965 and won the Cup the following year. As a professional, he joined the Boston Bruins in 1968 and was a member of their Stanley Cup championship teams in 1970 and 1972. He later played for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and the Washington Capitals. Bailey returned to Edmonton to play with the Edmonton Oilers of the World Hockey Association in 1978–79, where he took rookie Wayne Gretzky under his wing. He was head coach of the Wichita Wind, the Oilers' Central Hockey League affiliate, in the 1980–81 season. Bailey then worked as a scout with the Oilers from 1981 to 1994. He won five Stanley Cup rings with Edmonton as a scout (1984–85–87–88–90). His name was engraved on three of five Stanley Cups won during that period: 1985, 1987 and 1990.^{[citation needed]}

In an NHL career spanning 10 seasons and 568 games, Bailey scored 107 goals and 171 assists with 633 penalty minutes. His most productive season offensively was 1975, when he scored 19 goals and 58 points for the Blues and the Capitals. In his sole WHA season, he scored 5 goals and 4 assists with 22 penalty minutes in 38 games.^{[citation needed]}

At the end of his life, he worked as the Kings' director of pro scouting.^[4]

Death and legacy

Bailey's name is located on Panel S-3 of the National September 11 Memorial's South Pool, along with those of other passengers of Flight 175.

Bailey died aged 53 when the plane in which he was traveling, United Airlines Flight 175, crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City during the September 11 attacks. Bailey and amateur scout Mark Bavis were traveling from Boston to Los Angeles for the Kings' organizational meetings when the flight was hijacked.^[4]

Bailey, and his fellow Flight 175 passenger Mark Bavis are mentioned in the Boston-based Dropkick Murphys song "Your Spirit's Alive." Denis Leary wore a Bailey memorial T-shirt as the character Tommy Gavin in the season 1 episode "Immortal" and the fourth season episode "Pussified" in the TV series Rescue Me. In his memory, the Los Angeles Kings named their new mascot "Bailey".^[5][6][7]

Bailey's family founded the Ace Bailey Children's Foundation in his honor and memory. The foundation raises funds to benefit hospitalized children, infants and their families.^[8][9]

At the National September 11 Memorial, Bailey and Bavis are memorialized at the South Pool, on Panel S-3.^[10] After the Los Angeles Kings won the 2012 Stanley Cup, a Stanley Cup champions hat was placed on Mark Bavis and Bailey's names at the Memorial.^[11] Krasne visited the National September 11 Memorial on the very same day as the Kings parade and placed his Stanley Cup Champions cap between their names and tweeted, "As a kings fan in NYC, I couldn't let Mark Bavis or Ace Bailey miss the festivities."^[12] On October 14, 2012 the Stanley Cup was brought to the Memorial, and placed on panels featuring Bailey and Bavis' names, so that the families of Bailey and Bavis could "[have] their day with the Stanley Cup". Kings general manager Dean Lombardi was also in attendance.^[4]

Awards and achievements

• 1969-70 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Boston)
• 1971-72 - National Hockey League - Stanley Cup (Boston)
• 1986–87 - National Hockey League - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)
• 1989–90 - NHL - Stanley Cup (Edmonton)

Career statistics

Transactions

• Drafted by the Boston Bruins in the 3rd round, (13th overall) from the Edmonton Oil Kings in the 1966 NHL Amateur Draft, April 25, 1966.
• Traded by the Boston Bruins with future considerations (Murray Wing), to the Detroit Red Wings for Gary Doak, March 1, 1973.
• Traded by the Detroit Red Wings with Ted Harris and Bill Collins to the St. Louis Blues for Chris Evans, Bryan Watson and Jean Hamel, February 14, 1974.
• Traded by the St. Louis Blues with Stan Gilbertson to the Washington Capitals for Denis Dupere, February 10, 1975.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Garnet Bailey.

• Garnet Bailey's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Garnet Bailey's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database