Obituaries In The News

Pike joined the Rangers organization as a 19-year-old junior player in 1937 and made his NHL debut two years later in Detroit against the Red Wings. As a rookie on the championship team, Pike had eight goals and nine assists in the regular season and three goals and one assist in 12 playoff games.

He played 234 NHL games, all with New York, before he returned home to Winnipeg, Manitoba, to pursue a coaching career.

The forward, nicknamed "The Embalmer" because he had worked at a funeral home during the offseason, scored 42 career regular-season goals and added 77 assists. He had four goals and two assists in 21 playoff games.

He rejoined the organization as coach of the Guelph junior team in the early 1950s, and put together the Memorial Cup-winning team that included forward Andy Bathgate and defenseman Harry Howell.

Pike was promoted to Rangers coach during the 1959-60 season, replacing former teammate Phil Watson, and stayed through the 1960-61 season.