Cecil Dillon

Cecil Dillon
File:Cecil Dillon 1939.jpg
Born	(1908-04-26)April 26, 1908 Toledo, OH, USA
Died	Meaford, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Left
Played for	NHL New York Rangers Detroit Red Wings AHL Indianapolis Capitals Providence Reds Pittsburgh Hornets
Playing career	1930–1942

Cecil Graham “Ceece” Dillon (April 26, 1908 - November 13, 1969) was an American-Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers and the Detroit Red Wings. He won the Stanley Cup in 1933 with the New York Rangers against the Toronto Maple Leafs three games to one on April 13, 1933.

Early life

Born in Toledo, Ohio, Dillon was one of the first American born NHL players as well as being the first person born in Ohio to join the NHL. In 1914, at the age of 6, his family moved from Toledo to Thornbury, Ontario, Canada.

Career

In 1927, Cecil turned professional. He played one season with the Owen Sound Crescents before playing for the Springfield Indians.

NHL

For the 1930 season, Dillon was called up to the National Hockey League by the New York Rangers where he would stay until 1939.

New York Rangers

Dillon famously never missed a single game during his time with the New York Rangers. A left handed shooter, Cecil scored 167 goals in total and led the New York Rangers in scoring during the 1935-36, 1936–37, and 1937–38 seasons averaging about 34 points per season. In the 1933 season, Cecil played an integral part in winning the Stanley Cup. Cecil had goals in the first five games of the playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He scored the winner in the first game and another in game 3. He was selected as one of the games stars for his work in holding the Primeau-Conacher-Jackson line to no goals in the final. His best season saw him score 25 goals in 48 games in 1934–35. He was a member of the First All-Star Team in 1937-38, and the Second All-Star Team in 1935-36 as well as 1936-37. He played his final game for the New York Rangers on March 19, 1939 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Detroit Red Wings On May 17, 1939, Dillon was traded to the Detroit Red Wings by the New York Rangers. This would be his final year in the National Hockey League. He played a total of 44 games and acquired seven goals and ten assists as a Red Wing.

Later Career After leaving the Red Wings, he played another 2 years of hockey before retiring altogether. In 1940 he played 49 games with Indianapolis in the AHL and then 51 games with the Pittsburgh Hornets in 1941-42 scoring 13 goals along with 23 assists.

Post-Hockey Career

Going into retirement at the age of 34, Dillon moved back to Thornbury where he would remain until he moved to Meaford, Ontario. He began to work with a telephone company until his death in 1969 at the age of 61.

Personal life

He was married to Bessie Marion Dillion (née Brooks) with whom he had one child, Garry Matthew Dillon, born on September 25, 1937. Garry died in a car crash on May 19, 1953 when a friend lost control of their truck on a bridge. He was 16 years old. Bessie died in 2003 at the age of 94. All 3 are buried in Thornbury-Clarksburg Union Cemetery.

Legacy

• His 8 goals in the 1933 playoffs was, at the time, an NHL record. It took 10 years for Don Grosso to equal it and two more to be beaten by Maurice Richard, with 12 goals
• 1936 through 1938 he led the Rangers in scoring three consecutive years, joining an exclusive club including players like Boucher, Bill Cook, Andy Bathgate, Phil Esposito and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to do so.
• Lester Patrick, the New York Rangers’ coach, said that Cecil was the perfect hockey player. A full page spread of Cecil ran in the Montreal Gazette in 1933 outlining his talents. Patrick gave him accolades for having minimal penalties and a “deadly close range shot”
• Ranked No. 33 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1927–28	Owen Sound Sr. Greys	OHA-Sr.		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1928–29	Springfield Indians	Can-Am		33	4	3	7	18		—	—	—	—	—
1929–30	Springfield Indians	Can-Am		39	19	13	32	38		—	—	—	—	—
1930–31	New York Rangers	NHL		25	7	3	10	8		4	0	1	1	2
1931–32	New York Rangers	NHL		48	23	15	38	22		7	2	1	3	4
1932–33	New York Rangers	NHL		48	21	10	31	12		8	8	2	10	6
1933–34	New York Rangers	NHL		48	13	26	39	10		2	0	1	1	2
1934–35	New York Rangers	NHL		48	25	9	34	4		4	2	1	3	0
1935–36	New York Rangers	NHL		48	18	14	32	12		—	—	—	—	—
1936–37	New York Rangers	NHL		48	20	11	31	13		9	0	3	3	0
1937–38	New York Rangers	NHL		48	21	18	39	6		3	1	0	1	0
1938–39	New York Rangers	NHL		48	12	15	27	6		1	0	0	0	0
1939–40	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		44	7	10	17	12		5	1	0	1	0
1940–41	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL		15	1	6	7	2		—	—	—	—	—
1940–41	Providence Reds	AHL		34	8	14	22	2		4	0	0	0	2
1941–42	Pittsburgh Hornets	AHL		51	13	23	36	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				453	167	131	298	105		43	14	9	23	14

External links

• Cecil Dillon's New York Rangers Biography
• Cecil Dillon's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Cecil Dillon at Find a Grave
• Cecil Dillon's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database