| Born: | December 11, 1931 | Draft: | Signed by the Black Hawks |
| Hometown: | Kenogami, Quebec | Position: | Defence |
| Known For: | 3 Consecutive Norris Trophies | Shoots: | Left |
| National Team: | – | | |
Joseph Albert Pierre Paul Pilote (December 11, 1931 – September 9, 2017) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and perennial All-Star, most notably for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL), for which he served as team captain for seven seasons.
Pilote became a preeminent star for the Black Hawks, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most outstanding defenceman three straight seasons in 1963, 1964 and 1965 — a feat matched or surpassed only by Doug Harvey, Bobby Orr and Nicklas Lidström in NHL history — as well as runner-up in 1962, 1966 and 1967. He was on the First or Second All-Star Team every year from 1960 to 1967. Pilote had an iron man streak of playing 376 consecutive games over more than five seasons. He was often paired with Elmer “Moose” Vasko on the Chicago blue line.
In 1961, the Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup. During the off-season, team captain Ed Litzenberger was traded and Pilote was named the new captain. He held this role with the team until traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968 for forward Jim Pappin; his seven-season tenure as captain was, until surpassed by current team captain Jonathan Toews in the 2016–17 NHL season, the longest in franchise history.
Pilote played one season with the Leafs before retiring. He played his last game on April 6, 1969, finishing his career with 80 goals and 418 assists in 890 games.
Pierre Pilote Statistics
Deeper Dive
Achievements
- 3 Time Norris Trophy Winner
- Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975
- Chicago Blackhawks retired his #3 jersey