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Wilfrid "Billy" Arthur Coutu (born March 1 , 1892 North Bay , Ontario - died February 28 , 1978 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario ) was a professional Canadian Ice Hockey defenceman who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens , Hamilton Tigers and the Boston Bruins .
PLAYING CAREER Coutu was the first player banned from the NHL for life. A former Captain of the Montreal Canadiens ( 1925-26 ), Coutu also played for the Boston Bruins and Hamilton Tigers and coached the Providence Reds . His name appears on the 1923-24 Stanley Cup ring. Billy Coutu started his NHL career with the . After playing the 1920-21 NHL Season with the Hamilton Tigers , Coutu was traded back to Montreal prior to the start of the 1921-22 NHL Season , along with Sprague Cleghorn , in exchange for Harry Mummery , Amos Arbour , and Cully Wilson , in the NHL's first multiple-player trade. After the 1925-26 NHL Season , Coutu was traded to the Boston Bruins , in exchange for Amby Moran . During his first practice with the Bruins, Coutu body-slammed Eddie Shore , who had been strutting in front of Cleghorn and Coutu. Coutu's forehead hit Shore's skull, severing Shore's ear. Shore visited several doctors who wanted to amputate the ear, but finally found one who sewed it back on. After refusing anaesthetic, Shore used a mirror to watch the doctor sew on the ear. Shore claimed Coutu used his Hockey Stick to cut off the ear, and Coutu was fined $50. However, Shore later recanted and Coutu's money was refunded. In Game 4 of the 1927 Stanley Cup , Coutu started a brawl, apparently at the request of coach Art Ross . Coutu punched referee Jerry LaFlamme . As a result, Billy Coutu was the first and only player (to date) to be expelled from the NHL for life. On October 8 , 1929 , the suspension was lifted so that Coutu could play in the Minor League s. He never played in the NHL again, although he was reinstated in 1932-33 at the insistence of Leo Dandurand . Career statistics
Source: Hockey Database Full amateur and professional statistics TEAM HISTORY
PERSONAL LIFE Billy Coutu's last name is sometimes incorrectly spelled "Couture", an error which appears in many NHL history books and, for a time, even showed up on the Montreal Canadians website. He and his family pronounced their name "Koochee", which was sometimes confused with "Couture". Ms. Aird Stuart, the sister of Coutu's wife, Gertrude Aird, was the mother of Mary Morenz and grandmother of Marlene Geoffrion, daughter of Howie Morenz and widow of Bernie Geoffrion . Howie Morenz played with Coutu on the Canadiens. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCES Personal interview with Edmond Coutu, son of Billy Coutu. |
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