Bill Riley, left, with Craig Laughlin. (Caps Outsider)
William James “Bill” Riley, who played for the Washington Capitals in their first four seasons, passed away Sunday, according the the NHL Players Association. He was 75.
Riley was part of a generation of players who helped shape the identity of the Capitals during their formative years. On December 26, 1974, Riley played his first NHL game, becoming the third black player in the league, after teammate Mike Marson, and Willie O’Ree, who broke the color barrier in 1958 with the Boston Bruins.
While Riley wasn’t the most well-known of the early Caps, who struggled to win games in the early era, Riley was known as a gritty player and fantastic teammate.
Born in Canada, Riley developed his game through the traditional hockey pipeline. He played 125 games for the Caps, plus 14 more for the Winnipeg Jets. He scored 31 goals and had 30 assists in his NHL career, plus 320 penalty minutes. He also played for the Dayton Gems of the IHL, the Hershey Bears and Nova Scotia Voyageurs, New Brunswick Hawks and Moncton Alpines of the AHL, and the St. John’s Capitals of the NFSHL.
Bill Riley in 2022.
Bil Riley, Alan Hangsleben and Yvon Labre.
Neal Henderson and Bill Riley.
Rod Langway, Bill Riley, Neal Henderson and Paul Mulvey.