Bill Fairbairn's hockey career began with his hometown's Brandon Wheat Kings, then of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League, where he picked up he nickname "Bulldog" for his tenacious play. He appeared in 4 games in 1963-64, as well as in 2 games for the Western playoffs for the 1964 Memorial Cup. Fairbairn scored 315 points over the next 3 seasons in Brandon, including 142 in 1966-67 playing alongside Juha Widing and Erv Zeimer, earning all-star honours in the process. Signed by the New York Rangers in 1964, Fairbairn earned a 3-game appearance with Rangers affiliate the Omaha Knights of the Central Professional Hockey League in 1967. That Spring, Fairbairn was loaned to the Port Arthur Marrs of the Thunder Bay Junior Hockey League to play for them in the 1967 Memorial Cup. Fairbairn then played the next 2 seasons with Omaha, earning Second Team all-star in 1968-69. Fairbairn made the Rangers roster as a rookie in the 1969-70 season, during which he scored 23 goals and finished second to Tony Esposito in balloting for the Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year. Replacing the injured Bob Nevin, Fairbairn joined a line with left wingDave Balon and centerWalt Tkaczuk, a combination which became known as the "Bulldog Line". The trio combined for 203 points that season, out scoring the Rangers' famed Goal-A-Game, or "GAG Line". After the line had a particularly productive November, including a game against Boston in which the line accounted for 4 goals and 10 points, Rangers' general manager Emile Francis decided to keep the line together, even after Nevin recovered from his injury. Fairbairn went on to play 8 seasons in New York. Linemate Balon was traded to Vancouver in 1971-72, temporarily placing the Bulldog line on hiatus; the name was resurrected the following season when rookie Steve Vickers joined the team. Playing alongside Tkaczuk and Vickers, Fairbairn had his most successful year as a pro, with a career high of 30 goals, and he led the Rangers in scoring in the playoffs that season as well. Fairbairn remained a steady winger for the Rangers until being traded, along with Nick Beverley, to Minnesota for Bill Goldsworthy in November 1976. He split his final 3 seasons between the North Stars and the Blues, retiring in November 1979. Bill Fairbairn is remembered by former Ranger goalie Gilles Villemure as a hard working, grinding player, a defensive forward who was effective killing penalties. Ranger legend Rod Gilbert said of Fairbairn and teammate Walt Tkaczuk, "In Tkaczuk and Fairbairn we have the best penalty-killers in hockey."
