Murray Costello obit

Costello dies at 90, longtime executive inducted into Hall of Fame as Builder

Hockey Canada president helped establish IIHF Worlds, addition of sport to Olympics

 He was not on the list.

Murray Costello, a longtime executive inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2005, died Saturday. He was 90. He was the brother of Les Costello.

"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Murray Costello, whose service to hockey, both in Canada and at the international level, over a seven-decade career fundamentally impacted the game," the NHL said in a statement. "Following a four-season playing career in the NHL, Costello earned induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 as a builder for his transformational leadership of both the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and Hockey Canada, and his vision and passion drove both the establishment of the IIHF Women's World Championship and the addition of women's hockey to the Olympics.

"Additionally, Canada's success at the world junior level is a direct result of Costello's vision in the early 80's to establish a program of excellence that would produce 10 gold medals during his tenure as President of Hockey Canada from 1979 to 1998, including five straight from 1993 to 1997. We send our deepest condolences to Costello's family and many friends in the game all over the world."

Costello was president of Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association for two decades. As CAHA president, he created the Program of Excellence and was instrumental in organizing the first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women's Championship in 1990. Four years later, he led the merger of the CAHA and Hockey Canada, and was a member of the IIHF Council from 1998 to 2012, including five years as vice president.

Costello was born in South Porcupine, Ontario, on Feb. 24, 1934. He played three seasons for Toronto St. Michael's in the Ontario Hockey League, was signed by the Chicago Black Hawks and made his NHL debut Oct. 11, 1953. The forward was traded to the Boston Bruins for defenseman Frank Martin on Oct. 4, 1954, and sent to the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 17, 1956. He had 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in 163 regular-season games and played five Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Costello's playing career ended with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey Association Senior A League in 1959-60. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption University in 1959, a law degree at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law in 1977 and then moved into the business side of hockey, beginning as an executive for Seattle when it won back-to-back Western Hockey League championships in 1967 and 1968. He became an IIHF Lifetime Member in 2012 and was appointed as an officer of the Order of Canada one year later.

Costello was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (2013), the IIHF Hall of Fame (2014) and the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame (2023). He was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2017, joining Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman (inducted as a Builder in 1991) and hockey executive Fran Rider.

In addition to his work on Canadian national hockey, he spent 15 seasons as an executive in the Western Hockey League, and another 14 years as an International Ice Hockey Federation council member. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the IIHF Hall of Fame, the Ottawa Sport Hall of Fame, and the Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, was an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a recipient of the Order of Hockey in Canada.

Costello was noticed by scouts as a teen and was convinced by his older brother Les, to enroll at St. Michael's College School, to play hockey to pay for his education. He played three seasons of junior ice hockey with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors in the Ontario Hockey Association, reaching the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals in the 1952–53 OHA season.

Costello was signed by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1953, and was assigned to their affiliate team, the Galt Black Hawks, for the 1953–54 OHA season. Costello made his professional debut in the 1953–54 NHL season, playing 40 games with Chicago. He finished the season with the Hershey Bears in the American Hockey League, reaching the Calder Cup finals in the 1953–54 AHL season. He was traded to the Boston Bruins for Frank Martin, on October 4, 1954. Costello played 54 games for the Bruins in the 1954–55 NHL season, and 41 games in the 1955–56 NHL season, when he and Lorne Ferguson were traded to the Detroit Red Wings, in exchange for Real Chevrefils and Jerry Toppazzini on January 17, 1956. After 27 games for Detroit without any points, Costello was sent down to the Edmonton Flyers early in the following season, where he finished his professional career. He played 162 games in four seasons in the NHL, and scored 13 goals, 19 assists, and 32 points.

Costello felt that he had the skills to play in the NHL, but not "the mindset to be an NHL player, the way they sacrificed their bodies". Costello finished his playing career with the Windsor Bulldogs in OHA senior hockey, while he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Assumption University in 1959.

After graduation, Costello moved to Seattle, working as the marketing director of the Seattle Totems, and stayed for 15 years. He later became publicity director for the Western Hockey League. Costello rose up the ranks to become director of hockey operations for the Totems, and his team won consecutive Lester Patrick Cup championships in 1967, and 1968. He moved to Ottawa in 1973, did contract work with the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association teaching and working on coaching certification programs, worked as a scout for the Phoenix Roadrunners, and studied at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. He completed his law degree in 1977, then worked in the legal department of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, and later as an arbitrator for the World Hockey Association Players' Association. Costello was formally called to the bar on April 9, 1979.

 

Ice hockey career

Height  6 ft 3 in (191 cm)

Weight 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)

Position            Centre

Shot     Right

Played for            Chicago Black Hawks

Boston Bruins

Detroit Red Wings

Playing career            1950–1965