SR0570 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0570 LRB104 18537 MST 31980 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate are saddened to learn of the death of Robert "Bob" Pulford, who passed away on January 5, 2026; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford was born in Newton Robinson, Ontario, Canada to Joseph and Lillian Pulford on March 31, 1936; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford began his hockey journey playing junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros, helping them win back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1955 and 1956; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford joined the National Hockey League in 1956, playing 14 seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and then finishing his playing career with the Los Angeles Kings for a total of 1,079 games; he was known for his two-way play and as a stalwart penalty killer and a clutch performer; he was part of four Stanley Cup-winning teams (1962, 1963, 1964, 1967) with the Maple Leafs; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford took pride in his education and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University in 1963 while playing full time in the NHL; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford transitioned seamlessly into coaching and management; he played a significant role in persuading the NHL owners to formally recognize the NHL Players' Association in 1967, becoming the first-ever elected president of the organization; he served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, where he won the Jack Adams Coach of the Year award in 1975; he went on to spend decades leading the Chicago Blackhawks as coach, general manager, and executive; The Hockey News awarded him Coach of the Year for the 1977-78 campaign with Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1991; he was awarded the Lester Patrick trophy in 2011, and he and his 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs teammates received the Keith Magnuson Man of the Year Award; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford enjoyed working on his award-winning rose gardens, playing golf, fishing, spending time with his family at his cottage up north, and sitting on the porch with his family and friends, enjoying the sunset and sharing entertaining anecdotes from the past; and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford was preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, William (Gwen) and Clarke (Joan); and

WHEREAS, Bob Pulford is survived by his wife of 62 years, Roslyn (McIlroy); his children, Robert W. (Elaine) Pulford, Lindsay R. (Daniel) Barrett, Jennifer L MacRitchie, and WandaMae (Dean) Lombardi; and his grandchildren, Robert, Nicole, and Blake Pulford, Thomas (Morgan), Kevin (Dominyka), and Matthew Barrett, and Paige and Aiden MacRitchie; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Robert "Bob" Pulford and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Bob Pulford as a symbol of our deepest sympathy.