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Bill Goldsworthy

William "Bill" Goldsworthy (August 24, 1944 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- May 29, 1996) was a NHL ice hockey player. Goldsworthy's NHL career
began with the Bruins in 1964 where he had trouble cracking the line-up.
Goldsworthy was quoted to be "excited at being traded to the then expansion
Minnesota North Stars" whom he played with from their inaugural season
of 1967 until 1977 where he electrified the Met Center crowds and made his
name known through goal-scoring and the invention of the "Goldy Shuffle"
which became the Goldsworthy trademark post-goal celebration name. Bill
ended his career with the New York Rangers in 1978. He played in 4 NHL All
Star Games (1970, 1972, 1974, 1976). Goldsworthy was a part of Team Canada
in the 1972 Summit Series that beat the Russians.

Goldsworthy played 771 career NHL games, scoring 283 goals (267 with the North Stars) and 258 assists for 541 points. His best offensive season was the 1973-74 season with the Minnesota North Stars (where Goldsworthy spent most of his career playing for) when he set his career high in points with 74, and goals with 48, that was a team record for 8 seasons until Dino Ciccarelli broke Goldy's mark. Goldsworthy was the first NHL player from an expansion team to top 250 goals. His #8 jersey was retired by the North Stars on Feb. 15, 1992, just over a year before the team moved to Dallas. Today his #8 hangs in the rafters at Reunion Arena in Dallas besides Neal Broten retired #7 and Bill Masterton #19.

Goldsworthy died in 1996 from complications with AIDS at the age of 51 that in an interview with the Pioneer Press in February of 1995 Goldsworthy was noted as saying: "I was diagnosed with AIDS in November 1994 that stemmed from drinking and promiscuity." "There's a stigma that comes with AIDS that makes you think it's something that only happens in the homosexual community and to drug abusers who use dirty needles," Goldsworthy said. "It's more than that."

"He was a fun-loving guy, unpredictable, we always used to say, 'Goldy's just being Goldy.' That's just the way he was. You never knew what he was going to do or say. He was a very warm person, a good friend. He was a very colorful, charismatic guy that had great speed and strength and a great shot." "It was very unpredictable what he was going to do. He was one of the first real charismatic Minnesota athletes that we had." Lou Nanne 


Regular Season       Playoffs

Season Team       League   GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM

1962-63 Niagara Falls Flyers         OHA Unavailable     
1963-64 Niagara Falls Flyers         OHA 56 21 47 68 0     
1964-65 Niagara Falls Flyers         OHA 54 28 27 55 0     
1964-65 Boston Bruins          NHL  2 0 0 0 0
1965-66 Oklahoma City Blazers   CPHL       22 2 5 7 65     2 1 0 1 4
1965-66 Boston Bruins   NHL 13 3 1 4 6
1966-67 Oklahoma City Blazers   CPHL       11 4 1 5 14
1966-67 Buffalo Bisons   AHL 22 9 11 20 42
1966-67 Boston Bruins   NHL 18 3 5 8 21
1967-68 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 68 14 19 33 68      14 8 7 15 12
1968-69 Memphis South Stars       CHL 6 4 0 4 6
1968-69 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 68 14 10 24 110
1969-70 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 75 36 29 65 89 6 4 3 7 6
1970-71 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 77 34 31 65 85 7 2 4 6 6
1971-72 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 78 31 31 62 59 7 2 3 5 6
1972-73 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 75 27 33 60 97 6 2 2 4 0
1973-74 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 74 48 26 74 73 
1974-75 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 71 37 35 72 77 
1975-76 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 68 24 22 46 47
1976-77 Minnesota North Stars      NHL 16 2 3 5 6
1976-77 New York Rangers   NHL 61 10 12 22 43
1977-78 New York Rangers   NHL 7 0 1 1 12
1977-78 New Haven Nighthawks   AHL 4 1 2 3 4
1977-78 Indianapolis Racers WHA     32 8 10 18 10
1978-79 Edmonton Oilers      WHA     17 4 2 6 14      4 1 1 2 11
   WHA Totals      49 12 12 24 24 4 1 1 2 11
    NHL Totals      771 283 258 541 793      40 18 19 37 30





Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 1

Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 2

Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 3

Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 4

Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 5

Bill Goldsworthy Photo- 6
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