Vic Heyliger

Vic Heyliger
Vic Heyliger from the 1950 Michiganensian
Biographical details
Born(1912-09-26)September 26, 1912
Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedOctober 4, 2006(2006-10-04) (aged 94)
Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Playing career
1934–1937Michigan
1937–1938St. Paul Saints
1937–1938Chicago Black Hawks
1938–1939Detroit Holzbaugh
1943–1944Chicago Black Hawks
Position(s)Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1939–1943Illinois
1944–1957Michigan
1961–1963West Germany National Team
1965–1966US National Team
1968–1974Air Force
Head coaching record
Overall353-158-21 (.683)
Tournaments16-4 (.800)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1948 NCAA National Championship
1951 NCAA National Championship
1952 NCAA National Championship
1953 MCHL Regular Season Championship
1953 NCAA National Championship
1955 NCAA National Championship
1956 WIHL Regular Season Championship
1956 NCAA National Championship
Awards
1954 Spencer Penrose Award
1974 US Hockey Hall of Fame
1980 University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor
1982 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey Award
1988 John MacInnes Award
Records
Most NCAA ice hockey championships: (6)
Most consecutive NCAA ice hockey championships: (3)
Most consecutive Frozen Four appearances: (10)

Victor Heyliger (September 26, 1912 – October 4, 2006) was an American ice hockey player and coach. He played 33 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks between 1937 and 1944 and then worked as the head coach in several places, including the University of Michigan ice hockey team from 1944 to 1957.[1]

Career

Born in Concord, Massachusetts, he attended the Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts and as an All-American at Michigan set a school record of 116 goals. He played for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1938 and 1944,[2] bookending his tenure as coach at the University of Illinois from 1939–43,[3] posting a record of 59–29–4.[4]

Returning to Michigan as coach of the Wolverines, he led the team to six NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championships in his thirteen years from 1944 to 1957: 1948 (the first NCAA title), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956. His teams reached the Frozen Four in each of the first ten seasons it was held.

In 1954, he received the Spencer Penrose Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association as the University Division Coach of the Year. Heyliger had an overall Michigan record of 228–61–13. After coaching the U.S. national team in 1966, he coached at the United States Air Force Academy from 1966–74, where he was 85–77–3.[5]

He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in its second class of inductees in 1974. In 1988, he was awarded the John MacInnes Award by the AHCA, an honor that recognizes those individuals who have displayed an interest in amateur hockey and youth programs, as well as fostering high graduation rates among their players.

He died at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, aged 94.[6][7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1928–29 Concord High School HS-NH — — — — — — — — — —
1929–30 Concord High School HS-NH — — — — — — — — — —
1930–31 Concord High School HS-NH — — — — — — — — — —
1931–32 Concord High School HS-NH — — — — — — — — — —
1932–33 Groton School HS-MA — — — — — — — — — —
1934–35 University of Michigan NCAA — 19 11 30 — — — — — —
1935–36 University of Michigan NCAA — — — — — — — — — —
1936–37 University of Michigan NCAA — 43 — — — — — — — —
1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 7 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1937–38 St. Paul Saints AHA 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
1938–39 Detroit Holzbaugh MOHL 27 5 13 18 38 2 1 1 2 2
1943–44 Chicago Black Hawks NHL 26 2 3 5 2 — — — — —
NHL totals 33 2 3 5 2 — — — — —

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Illinois Fighting Illini Independent (1939–1943)
1939–40 Illinois 3–11–0
1940–41 Illinois 17–3–1 Western Intercollegiate Champion
1941–42 Illinois 10–4–2 Western Intercollegiate Champion
1942–43 Illinois 10–2–0 Western Intercollegiate Champion
Illinois: 40–20–3
Michigan Wolverines Independent (1944–1951)
1944–45 Michigan 3–6–0
1945–46 Michigan 17–7–1 Western Intercollegiate Champion
1946–47 Michigan 13–7–1
1947–48 Michigan 20–2–1 NCAA National Champion
1948–49 Michigan 20–2–3 NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1949–50 Michigan 23–4–0 NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1950–51 Michigan 22–4–1 NCAA National Champion
Michigan: 118–32–7
Michigan Wolverines (MCHL) (1951–1953)
1951–52 Michigan 22–4–0 9–3–0 T–2nd NCAA National Champion
1952–53 Michigan 17–7–0 12–4–0 T–1st NCAA National Champion
Michigan: 39–11–0 21–7–0
Michigan Wolverines (WIHL) (1953–1957)
1953–54 Michigan 15–6–2 12–3–1 2nd NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1954–55 Michigan 18–5–1 13–5–0 2nd NCAA National Champion
1955–56 Michigan 20–2–1 15–2–1 1st NCAA National Champion
1956–57 Michigan 18–5–2 13–4–1 2nd NCAA Runner–Up
Michigan: 71–18–6 53–14–3
Air Force Falcons Independent (1968–1974)
1968–69 Air Force 6–12–0
1969–70 Air Force 11–17–1
1970–71 Air Force 15–11–2
1971–72 Air Force 25–6–0
1972–73 Air Force 16–16–0
1973–74 Air Force 12–15–0
Air Force: 85–77–3
Total: 353–158–21

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

[8][9][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vic Heyliger". HockeyDB.com.
  2. ^ "Vic Heyliger". Hockey-Reference.com.
  3. ^ Charles Bartlett (December 5, 1941). "HEYLIGER SEES BIG FUTURE FOR COLLEGE HOCKEY: Illini Coach Says It May Rival Golf". Chicago Daily Tribune. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
  4. ^ "Vic Heyliger". Legends of Hockey.
  5. ^ "16 Greatest Coaches". Inside College Hockey. September 17, 2003.
  6. ^ "Legendary Michigan Coach Vic Heyliger Dies: Led Wolverines To Six NCAA Titles, Was First Air Force Varsity Coach". USCHO.
  7. ^ "Vic Heyliger, former national hockey team coach, dies at 87". Associated Press Archive. October 4, 2006.
  8. ^ "Vic Heyliger Year-By Year Coaching Record". USCHO.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  9. ^ "Michigan Wolverines Through the Years" (PDF). Michigan Wolverines. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
  10. ^ "2013-14 Air Force Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-07-11.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Spencer Penrose Award
1953–54 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award
1982 		Succeeded by