Saturday, March 2, 2024

Tim Eccleston obit

Ecclestone, original Blues forward, dies at 76, played in 3 Stanley Cup Finals

Was 1971 NHL All-Star, had 359 points in 692 regular-season games for 4 teams 

He was not on the list.


Tim Ecclestone, a forward and original member of the St. Louis Blues, died Saturday. He was 76.

The Toronto native was chosen by the New York Rangers with the No. 9 pick in the 1964 NHL Draft and was traded to St. Louis following the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. He helped the Blues reach the Stanley Cup Final in their first three seasons, getting swept in the best-of-7 series by the Montreal Canadiens in 1968 and 1969, and by the Boston Bruins in 1970.

The Blues traded Ecclestone and forward Red Berenson to the Detroit Red Wings for forwards Wayne Connelly and Garry Unger on Feb. 6, 1971. He finished that season with an NHL career-high 19 goals and 53 points in 74 games and scored 18 goals in each of his next two seasons with the Red Wings while equaling his career high in points in 1971-72.

Ecclestone, a 1971 NHL All-Star, had 359 points (126 goals, 233 assists) in 692 regular-season games for the Blues, Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames and 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 48 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He retired following the 1977-78 season and was an assistant coach for the Flames for the next two seasons before they relocated to Calgary in 1980.

He played one more season of Juniors, his time in Junior A with the Kitchener Rangers. Ecclestone signed with the New York Rangers following the 1966–67 season with Kitchener. However, his rights were traded to the St. Louis Blues immediately following the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. Ecclestone played three seasons with the Blues before management became unhappy with Red Berenson's association with the NHL Players' Association and cleaned house. Since Ecclestone had some involvement with the NHLPA the Blues decided to trade him to the Detroit Red Wings. The Wings were perennial losers at the time and after four seasons in Detroit, Ecclestone requested to be traded. The Wings accommodated his request and he was shipped off to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Following a shoulder injury in his second season in Toronto, the leafs traded Ecclestone to the Washington Capitals who in turn traded him to the Atlanta Flames, on the same day. Following a knee injury during the 1977–78 season he served as an assistant coach for the Flames. Ecclestone retired at the end of the season but remained with the Flames as an assistant coach until they relocated to Calgary in 1980.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season             Playoffs

Season Team            League            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM            GP            G            A            Pts            PIM

1965–66            Etobicoke Indians            MetJHL          —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —            —

1966–67            Kitchener Rangers            OHA            48            27            37            64            35            13            3            12            15            14

1967–68            St. Louis Blues            NHL            50            6            8            14            16            12            1            2            3            2

1967–68            Kansas City Blues            CHL            13            4            4            8            9            —            —            —            —            —

1968–69            St. Louis Blues            NHL            68            11            23            34            31            12            2            2            4            20

1969–70            St. Louis Blues            NHL            65            16            21            37            59            16            3            4            7            48

1970–71            St. Louis Blues            NHL            47            15            24            39            34            —            —            —            —            —

1970–71            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            27            4            10            14            13            —            —            —            —            —

1971–72            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            72            18            35            53            33            —            —            —            —            —

1972–73            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            78            18            30            48            28            —            —            —            —            —

1973–74            Detroit Red Wings            NHL            14            0            5            5            6            —            —            —            —            —

1973–74            Toronto Maple Leafs            NHL            46            9            14            23            32            4            0            1            1            0

1974–75            Toronto Maple Leafs            NHL            5            1            1            2            0            —            —            —            —            —

1974–75            Atlanta Flames NHL            62            13            21            34            34            —            —            —            —            —

1975–76            Atlanta Flames NHL            69            6            21            27            30            —            —            —            —            —

1976–77            Atlanta Flames NHL            78            9            18            27            26            3            0            2            2            6

1977–78            Atlanta Flames NHL            11            0            2            2            2            1            0            0            0            0

1977–78            Tulsa Oilers   CHL            6            1            3            4            0            —            —            —            —            —

NHL totals            692            126            233            359            344            48            6            11            17            76

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