Bill Allum


William James Douglas Allum was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman and coach. He played two games in the National Hockey League, one each for the New York Rangers and Chicago Black Hawks. He coached the 1959 Memorial Cup-winning Winnipeg Braves.

Playing career

Born in Winnipeg, Allum moved through the local hockey ranks, playing for the junior-level Winnipeg Rangers, and senior-level Winnipeg Canada Packers of the OHASL, competing for the latter in the 1937 Allan Cup tournament. That October, Allum was signed by the New York Rangers, who assigned him to their local farm team, the EAHL New York Rovers. In his second season with the Rovers, Allum was named a First Team EAHL All-Star, and earned a call up to the Philadelphia Ramblers of the IAHL. In 1939-40, the Rangers, who held his rights, loaned Allum to the Black Hawks, for whom he played one game without scoring before being returned to the Ramblers. In 1940-41, Allum played in one game for the Rangers, recording an assist against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was returned to Philadelphia afterwards. He never played in the NHL again. In September 1941, his professional rights were sold to the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL.
Allum played two seasons in Buffalo, winning the Calder Cup with the Bisons in 1942-43. From 1943 through 1945, Allum served in the Canadian Forces during World War II, and played for Royal Canadian Navy teams in Winnipeg and Cornwallis, Nova Scotia; he played with the squad in the 1944 Allan Cup tournament. After the war, he returned to the Bisons, and went on to play for the St. Louis Flyers, Cleveland Barons of the AHL and the Minneapolis Millers of the USHL. After retiring from playing professional hockey in 1948, Allum returned to the senior ranks, and played a number of years for the Owen Sound Mercurys of the OHASL, winning the 1951 Allan Cup.

Lacrosse

Bill Allum also played lacrosse for the Owen Sound Crescents and Fergus Thistles of the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Allum won the Mann Cup with Owen Sound in 1950.

Coaching

After his playing career ended, Allum had a lengthy coaching career in the MJHL, most notably with the Winnipeg Braves, whom Allum coached to 1959 Turnbull Cup, Abbott Cup and Memorial Cup championships. The Braves team that year included future professionals Ted Green, Gary Bergman, and defeated future Hockey Hall of Fame member Scotty Bowman, who was coaching the Peterborough Petes. In the late-1960s, Allum went on to coach the Selkirk Steelers.

Legacy