The Maritime Junior Hockey League extends its condolences to the family and friends of the legendary Bill Riley.
From the Amherst Ramblers organization:
The Amherst Ramblers organization would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Bill Riley on his recent passing.
Billy was a cornerstone of the Amherst hockey community. His passion for the game, commitment to developing players, and unwavering support for local hockey left a lasting impact on countless athletes, coaches, and fans. Whether behind the scenes or at the rink, Bill’s presence helped shape the culture of hockey in Amherst and inspired generations to join the sport.
On Dec. 26, 1974, Bill made history with the Washington Capitals, becoming the third Black player to play in the NHL. The Amherst native went on to play parts of five NHL seasons with the Capitals and the Winnipeg Jets. Following his playing career, Bill moved behind the bench to join the Ramblers as head coach, guiding the franchise to its only Junior A Championship.
Beyond our community, Bill’s influence was felt across North America. Through his dedication, knowledge, and love for hockey, he built connections and left a positive mark on the sport at every level he touched.
Bill’s legacy will live on in the players he mentored, the teams he supported, the Bill Riley Award and Scholarship from Hockey Nova Scotia, and the community he helped build. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
The Amherst, Nova Scotia native played two seasons with the hometown Ramblers in what was then called the Metro Valley Junior Hockey League. He finished second in regular season league scoring to Grant Veinot of the Windsor Royals in 1968-69 with 29 goals and 29 assists for a team that went 7-21-2 in its inaugural season. In 1969-70, Riley was third in league scoring with 33 goals and 28 assists as the Ramblers improved to 13-10-7 and finished the season in third place.
On December 26th, 1974, Riley became the first African Nova Scotian and third Black player to play in the National Hockey League (NHL) when he suited up for the Washington Capitals against the Philadelphia Flyers. He played parts of three more seasons with Washington and part of the 1979-80 season with the Winnipeg Jets, tallying 31 goals and 30 assists in 139 games. After his NHL career, Riley spent time in the AHL, including serving as captain of the Calder Cup champion New Brunswick Hawks in 1982 and as captain of the Nova Scotia Voyageurs.
Riley returned to Amherst after retiring from professional play to be the head coach and general manager of the Ramblers in 1989-90. He won Coach of the Year for that first season behind the bench in Amherst as the team won the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) championship. From 1989 to 1996, Riley’s Amherst teams went a combined 160-125-37-1 (W-L-T-OTL). He would later join the Miramichi Timberwolves as head coach and GM in 2003-04, helping guide the team to a division title and its first playoff appearance since the team’s inception in 2000-01 with a record of 32-15-3-2; third-best in the league. In between those stints in the MJAHL, Riley organized and built the brand-new Moncton Wildcats in the QMJHL, serving as both the head coach and general manager until the end of the 1997-98 season.
Riley was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in 1998. His #8 jersey was retired by the Amherst Ramblers in 2013. Hockey Nova Scotia announced two new awards in his name in 2022 to honour his legacy. The Bill Riley Award will be presented annually to a player in Nova Scotia of African descent who embodies the characteristics and traits that Riley demonstrated during his hockey career. The second is the $2,000 Bill Riley Scholarship. Like Riley, the recipient should be a driven, hard-working student who is passionate about hockey. In 2018, Riley was inducted into the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Amherst. He was awarded the MHL’s Moe Bent Builders Award in 2024.