William M. Jennings

Who was William M. Jennings?

William M. Jennings was an executive in the National Hockey League.

Born in New York, New York, Jennings graduated from Princeton University and then earned a law degree from Yale Law School. He became a partner in a Manhattan law firm and through his capacity as counsel to Madison Square Gardens, in 1962 he was named president of their subsidiary, the New York Rangers. He was president of the Rangers until his death in 1981. During this time, the Rangers became Stanley Cup contenders. He was a key figure in the first ever expansion of the NHL in 1967 when it doubled in size from the original six teams. Jennings also helped initiate the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1966, which he would win in 1971.

The William M. Jennings Trophy was named in his honor. In 1975, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and in 1981 to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

In 1966, Jennings founded the New York Metropolitan Hockey Association, one of only a few outlets in the area at that time available for young hockey players. In 1967, Jennings founded the Westchester Classic golf tournament in Harrison, New York as a means to raise funds for charitable purposes in Westchester County.