Cecil Dillon
Encyclopedia
Cecil Graham "Ceece" Dillon (April 26, 1908 – November 13, 1969) was an Canadian
professional
ice hockey
right winger
who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League
for the New York Rangers
and Detroit Red Wings
. He won a Stanley Cup
in 1933 with the New York Rangers
.
Dillon was the first ever NHL player from Ohio
.
, Ontario
where he took up hockey. Playing senior hockey for the Owen Sound Sr. Greys of the Ontario Hockey Association
, Dillon was signed to a professional contract in 1928. He played two seasons for the Springfield Indians
and part of the 1930–31 season before making his debut for the New York Rangers. He played the next eight seasons for the Rangers. His best season saw him score 25 goals in 48 games in 1934–35. He scored 20 goals or more five times for the Rangers. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in May 1939 for whom he played his final NHL season, scoring seven goals in 44 games. He played two further pro seasons in the minors, between the Indianapolis Capitals
, Providence Reds
and Pittsburgh Hornets before retiring.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
right winger
Winger (ice hockey)
Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...
who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
for the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
and Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
. He won a Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1933 with the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
.
Dillon was the first ever NHL player from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Playing career
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Dillon moved in 1914 at the age of six to ThornburyThe Blue Mountains, Ontario
The Blue Mountains is a town in Grey County, southwestern Ontario, Canada, located where the Beaver River flows into Nottawasaga Bay. It is named for the Blue Mountains, and hence the economy of the town is centered around tourism, particularly on the Blue Mountain ski resort and the private...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
where he took up hockey. Playing senior hockey for the Owen Sound Sr. Greys of the Ontario Hockey Association
Ontario Hockey Association
The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the...
, Dillon was signed to a professional contract in 1928. He played two seasons for the Springfield Indians
Springfield Indians
The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in existence for a total of 60 seasons from 1926 to 1994, with...
and part of the 1930–31 season before making his debut for the New York Rangers. He played the next eight seasons for the Rangers. His best season saw him score 25 goals in 48 games in 1934–35. He scored 20 goals or more five times for the Rangers. He was traded to the Detroit Red Wings in May 1939 for whom he played his final NHL season, scoring seven goals in 44 games. He played two further pro seasons in the minors, between the Indianapolis Capitals
Indianapolis Capitals
The Indianapolis Capitals was an American Hockey League professional ice hockey team based in Indianapolis, Indiana from 1939–1952. The Capitals were a farm team for the Detroit Red Wings. Indianapolis won the Calder Cup in 1942 and 1950...
, Providence Reds
Providence Reds
The Providence Reds were a hockey team that played in the Canadian-American Hockey League between 1926–1936 and the American Hockey League from 1936 to 1977, the last season of which they played as the Rhode Island Reds. The team won the Calder Cup in 1938, 1940, 1949, and 1956...
and Pittsburgh Hornets before retiring.
Legacy
- Ranked No. 33 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
, 2009).