Ike Hildebrand

Who was Ike Hildebrand?

Isaac Bruce Hildebrand was a Canadian ice hockey and lacrosse player. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he played for the Chicago Black Hawks and the New York Rangers of the `original six' NHL teams 1949–1953.

In 1985, he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame for the sport of lacrosse. He was inducted into Canada's Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1972 and Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1985 as well as Sports Halls of Fame in Peterborough, Belleville and Oshawa.

Ike excelled at both of Canada's national sports, lacrosse and hockey. He played lacrosse with the New Westminster Salmonbellies Senior team and at age 17 won the MVP award in the Mann Cup Canadian Championship. In a lacrosse career that spanned 17 years he was honored 13 times as an all-star. After a junior ice hockey career with the Oshawa Generals, he spent 10 years playing professional hockey with minor pro teams in the Pacific Coast League, the US Hockey League, the Quebec Pro League and the American Hockey League.

Hildebrand also played with the New York Rangers, and the Chicago Black Hawks of the `original six' NHL teams 1949–1953. He was playing coach with the Belleville McFarlands and scored the winning goal when they won the World Championship for Canada in Prague Czechoslovakia in 1959.