Tim Ecclestone

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| image =Tim Ecclestone - Detroit Red Wings - 1971-72 - headshot.jpg

| image_size =

| played_for = St. Louis Blues
Detroit Red Wings
Toronto Maple Leafs
Atlanta Flames

| league = NHL

| position = Left Wing

| shoots = Right

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 10

| weight_lb = 195

| birth_date = {{birth date|1947|9|24}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada

| death_date = {{death date and age|2024|3|2|1947|9|24}}

| death_place = Roswell, Georgia, U.S.

| draft = 9th overall

| draft_year = 1964

| draft_team = New York Rangers

| career_start = 1967

| career_end = 1978

}}

Timothy James Ecclestone (September 24, 1947 – March 2, 2024) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger and coach who played eleven seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He played for the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Atlanta Flames from 1967 to 1978. He played 692 career NHL games, scoring 126 goals and 233 assists for 359 points, and twice scored 50 points or more in his career. After retiring, he served as assistant coach of the Flames for three seasons.

Early life

Ecclestone was born in Toronto on September 24, 1947.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/player/tim-ecclestone-8445998|title=Tim Ecclestone Stats and News|publisher=National Hockey League|access-date=March 6, 2024}} His father managed a dry cleaning business, while his uncle, Cam, was a celebrated softball pitcher.{{cite news|title=Where are they now? Tim Ecclestone|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/385911481|page=A22|first=Paul|last=Patton|date=April 12, 1988|access-date=March 6, 2024|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|location=Toronto|id={{ProQuest|385911481}}}}{{cite news|title=Softball Canada Announces 2018 Hall of Fame Inductees|url=https://sirc.ca/news/softball-canada-announces-2018-hall-of-fame-inductees/|date=June 26, 2018|publisher=Sport Information Resource Centre|location=Ottawa|accessdate=March 6, 2024}} Ecclestone began his junior career by playing for the Etobicoke Indians of the Metro Junior B Hockey League (MJBHL) during the 1964–65 season. He was selected in the second round (ninth overall) by the New York Rangers in the 1964 NHL Amateur Draft. He was also awarded a full hockey scholarship from the University of Denver.{{cite news|title=Whatever happened to: Tim Ecclestone|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1799416402|page=C4|first=I.J.|last=Rosenberg|date=June 26, 2016|access-date=March 7, 2024|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|id={{ProQuest|1799416402}}}}

Professional career

After opting to pursue professional hockey with the Rangers, Ecclestone played for the franchise's Kitchener Rangers affiliate in 1966–67. He was traded to the St. Louis Blues on June 6, 1967, immediately following the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft.{{cite news|title=Ecclestone, original Blues forward, dies at 76, played in 3 Stanley Cup Finals|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/former-nhl-player-tim-ecclestone-dead-age-76|date=March 4, 2024|accessdate=March 6, 2024|publisher=National Hockey League}}{{cite news|title=Flames left town, but former player, assistant coach didn't – Ecclestone owned Atlanta sports bars after retirement|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/2937592873|page=B4|first=Chris|last=Vivlamore|date=March 6, 2024|access-date=March 6, 2024|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|id={{ProQuest|2937592873}}}} He started the 1967–68 season playing for the Kansas City Blues of the Central Professional Hockey League, before being promoted to St. Louis. He made his National Hockey League (NHL) debut for the Blues on November 26, 1967,{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/e/eccleti01/gamelog/1968|title=Tim Ecclestone 1967–68 Game Log|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 7, 2024}} against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.{{cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/boxscores/196711260NYR.html|title=November 26, 1967 St. Louis Blues vs. New York Rangers Box Score|date=November 26, 1967|work=Hockey-Reference.com|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|access-date=March 7, 2024}}

File:Tim Ecclestone - Detroit Red Wings - 1971-72 - Standing portrait.jpg

Ecclestone went on to play three more seasons with the Blues and was named to the only All-Star Game of his career in 1971. That same year, he was chosen to be his team's representative to the NHL Players' Association (NHLPA). The Blues management became unhappy with his and Red Berenson's robust relationship with the union, and ultimately traded both players to the Detroit Red Wings on February 6, 1971. Although Ecclestone recorded career-highs in goals (18), assists (35), and points (53) during the 1971–72 season, the Red Wings were perennial losers at the time and he requested to be traded after four seasons. The Wings accommodated his request and he was dealt to his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs on November 29, 1973. Following a shoulder injury in his second season in Toronto, the Leafs traded Ecclestone to the Washington Capitals who in turn traded him to the Atlanta Flames, on the same day. Following a knee injury during the 1977–78 season he served as an assistant coach for the Flames. Ecclestone retired at the end of the season but remained with the Flames as an assistant coach until they relocated to Calgary in 1980.

Later life

Ecclestone remained in the Atlanta area following the departure of the Flames organization, as part owner of sports bar named Timothy-John's Restaurant and Lounge in Sandy Springs, Georgia, a restaurant he helped open during his years as a Flames assistant coach. In 1990, he opened his own sports bar, called T.J.'s Sports Bar and Grill, in Alpharetta, Georgia.

Personal life

Ecclestone was married to Susan (Sue) Gail Dayus until her death from ovarian cancer in July 2012.{{cite news|title=Sue Ecclestone, 62: Co-owner of TJ's Sports Bar & Grill|url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1026843159|page=B7|first=Michelle E.|last=Shaw|date=July 19, 2012|access-date=March 7, 2024|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|id={{ProQuest|1026843159}}}} They met in high school and had two children together: Sandi and Mark. He resided in Roswell, Georgia, during his later years.

Ecclestone died on March 2, 2024. He was 76, and suffered from lung complications due to rib and clavicle fractures sustained in a fall prior to his death.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"\| ! colspan="5"\|Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM
1965–66 \| Etobicoke Indians \| MetJHL \| —	—	—	—	— \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1966–67 \| Kitchener Rangers \| OHA \| 48	27	37	64	35 \| 13	3	12	15	14
1967–68 \| St. Louis Blues \| NHL \| 50	6	8	14	16 \| 12	1	2	3	2
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1967–68 \| Kansas City Blues \| CHL \| 13	4	4	8	9 \| —	—	—	—	—
1968–69 \| St. Louis Blues \| NHL \| 68	11	23	34	31 \| 12	2	2	4	20
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1969–70 \| St. Louis Blues \| NHL \| 65	16	21	37	59 \| 16	3	4	7	48
1970–71 \| St. Louis Blues \| NHL \| 47	15	24	39	34 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1970–71 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 27	4	10	14	13 \| —	—	—	—	—
1971–72 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 72	18	35	53	33 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1972–73 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 78	18	30	48	28 \| —	—	—	—	—
1973–74 \| Detroit Red Wings \| NHL \| 14	0	5	5	6 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1973–74 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 46	9	14	23	32 \| 4	0	1	1	0
1974–75 \| Toronto Maple Leafs \| NHL \| 5	1	1	2	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1974–75 \| Atlanta Flames \| NHL \| 62	13	21	34	34 \| —	—	—	—	—
1975–76 \| Atlanta Flames \| NHL \| 69	6	21	27	30 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1976–77 \| Atlanta Flames \| NHL \| 78	9	18	27	26 \| 3	0	2	2	6
1977–78 \| Atlanta Flames \| NHL \| 11	0	2	2	2 \| 1	0	0	0	0
bgcolor="#f0f0f0" \| 1977–78 \| Tulsa Oilers \| CHL \| 6	1	3	4	0 \| —	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" \| NHL totals ! 692 !! 126 !! 233 !! 359 !! 344 ! 48 !! 6 !! 11 !! 17 !! 76
colspan="13" style="text-align: center;" \| Sources:{{cite web\|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/e/eccleti01.html\|title=Tim Ecclestone Stats\|work=Hockey-Reference.com\|publisher=Sports Reference LLC\|access-date=March 6, 2024}}{{cite web\|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=1530\|title=Tim Ecclestone Hockey Stats and Profile\|work=HockeyDB\|publisher=The Internet Hockey Database\|access-date=March 6, 2024}}