Bill Hicke was a compact, fleet-footed skater who, as a junior with the Regina Pats, could put the puck in the net in a big way. After four seasons of scoring glory as an amateur, he turned pro in the Canadiens organization with the Rochester Americans in 1958-59. It was there that he won the Dudley "Red" Garrett Memorial Award as the league's top rookie.

Misfortune, however, awaited Hicke, at the Montreal Forum. Rocket Richard had just retired in 1960, leaving a large hole in the club's roster and in the hearts of fans who ached for a replacement. Bill Hicke, the junior "phenom," received billing as the antidote.

Naturally there was little Hicke could do to fulfill such expectations. He simply took advantage of the limited ice time he could steal away. During his six and a half seasons with the club, he did manage to score a modestly respectable number of points each year. But by 1964, his usefulness to the club had worn thin. As a frequent guest on the bench, he requested a trade and had his wish fulfilled almost immediately with a ticket to New York.

His arrival in the Big Apple was not very auspicious, however. While on a golf outing during training camp, Hicke got chilled in the damp, cool weather. Afterwards he began to feel ill. The first wave of medical treatment he received missed the mark. Soon afterwards, he fell into a coma for two weeks. After returning to consciousness, he emerged with a sizeable list of allergies including bronchial asthma, a condition that would raise its restrictive head from time to time to limit his career prospects.

All told, he lasted just over two seasons with the Rangers. He was pleased to find out that the Oakland Seals had claimed his rights in the Expansion Draft of 1967. Hicke never liked the city of New York and was glad to move on after putting mediocre results onto the score sheet. In Oakland, he got plenty of ice time and an opportunity to net his best offensive numbers. The price, however, was to struggle with an inept team at the bottom of the league's standings.

To say that Hicke was dying with the Seals was something to be taken as literally true. While gliding through a particularly tough skating drill for coach Bert Olmstead, Hicke went to the bench for a rest. Olmstead told him to hit the ice again. Hicke explained that he wasn't feeling well. His coach didn't believe him and insisted that he get a move on. He did and, within minutes, collapsed to the ice. Nearly dead, he was rushed to the hospital for a two-week stay.

Hicke managed to recover and lasted with the Seals until 1971. He then joined the Pittsburgh Penguins for 12 games before descending to the minors. The following year he gave his career one more try with the Alberta Oilers of the WHA. But his asthmatic condition continued to impinge on his ability to play. As a result he retired in 1973.

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