Vic Heyliger

Victor Heyliger (September 26, 1912 – October 4, 2006) was an American ice hockey player and coach. He played 33 games in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Black Hawks between 1937 and 1944 and then worked as the head coach in several places, including the University of Michigan ice hockey team from 1944 to 1957.^[1] He won six NCAA Division I men's hockey National Championships, the most for a men's hockey coach.

Vic Heyliger

Vic Heyliger from the 1950 Michiganensian
Biographical details
Born	(1912-09-26)September 26, 1912 Concord, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	October 4, 2006(2006-10-04) (aged 94) Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Playing career
1934–1937	Michigan
1937–1938	St. Paul Saints
1937–1938	Chicago Black Hawks
1938–1939	Detroit Holzbaugh
1943–1944	Chicago Black Hawks
Position(s)	Center
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1939–1943	Illinois
1944–1957	Michigan
1961–1963	West Germany National Team
1965–1966	US National Team
1968–1974	Air Force
Head coaching record
Overall	353–158–21 (.683)
Tournaments	16–4 (.800)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
1948 NCAA National Championship 1951 NCAA National Championship 1952 NCAA National Championship 1953 MCHL Regular Season Championship 1953 NCAA National Championship 1955 NCAA National Championship 1956 WIHL Regular Season Championship 1956 NCAA National Championship
Awards
1954 Spencer Penrose Award 1974 US Hockey Hall of Fame 1980 University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor 1982 Hobey Baker Legend of College Hockey Award 1988 John MacInnes Award
Records
Most NCAA ice hockey championships: (6) Most consecutive NCAA ice hockey championships: (3) Most consecutive Frozen Four appearances: (10)

Career

Born in Concord, Massachusetts, he attended the Lawrence Academy in Groton, Massachusetts and as an All-American at Michigan set a school record of 116 goals. He played for the Chicago Black Hawks in 1938 and 1944,^[2] bookending his tenure as coach at the University of Illinois from 1939–43,^[3] posting a record of 59–29–4.^[4]

Returning to Michigan as coach of the Wolverines, he led the team to six NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championships in his thirteen years from 1944 to 1957: 1948 (the first NCAA title), 1951, 1952, 1953, 1955, 1956. His teams reached the Frozen Four in each of the first ten seasons it was held.

In 1954, he received the Spencer Penrose Award from the American Hockey Coaches Association as the University Division Coach of the Year. Heyliger had an overall Michigan record of 228–61–13. After coaching the U.S. national team in 1966, he coached at the United States Air Force Academy from 1966–74, where he was 85–77–3.^[5]

He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in its second class of inductees in 1974. In 1988, he was awarded the John MacInnes Award by the AHCA, an honor that recognizes those individuals who have displayed an interest in amateur hockey and youth programs, as well as fostering high graduation rates among their players.

He died at his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado, aged 94.^[6][7]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1928–29	Concord High School	HS-NH		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1929–30	Concord High School	HS-NH		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1930–31	Concord High School	HS-NH		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1931–32	Concord High School	HS-NH		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1932–33	Groton School	HS-MA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1934–35	University of Michigan	NCAA		—	19	11	30	—		—	—	—	—	—
1935–36	University of Michigan	NCAA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1936–37	University of Michigan	NCAA		—	43	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1937–38	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		7	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1937–38	St. Paul Saints	AHA		3	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1938–39	Detroit Holzbaugh	MOHL		27	5	13	18	38		2	1	1	2	2
1943–44	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		26	2	3	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				33	2	3	5	2		—	—	—	—	—

Head coaching record

Statistics overview

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason
Illinois Fighting Illini Independent (1939–1943)
1939–40	Illinois	3–11–0
1940–41	Illinois	17–3–1			Western Intercollegiate Champion
1941–42	Illinois	10–4–2			Western Intercollegiate Champion
1942–43	Illinois	10–2–0			Western Intercollegiate Champion
Illinois:		40–20–3
Michigan Wolverines Independent (1944–1951)
1944–45	Michigan	3–6–0
1945–46	Michigan	17–7–1			Western Intercollegiate Champion
1946–47	Michigan	13–7–1
1947–48	Michigan	20–2–1			NCAA National Champion
1948–49	Michigan	20–2–3			NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1949–50	Michigan	23–4–0			NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1950–51	Michigan	22–4–1			NCAA National Champion
Michigan:		118–32–7
Michigan Wolverines (MCHL) (1951–1953)
1951–52	Michigan	22–4–0	9–3–0	T–2nd	NCAA National Champion
1952–53	Michigan	17–7–0	12–4–0	T–1st	NCAA National Champion
Michigan:		39–11–0	21–7–0
Michigan Wolverines (WIHL) (1953–1957)
1953–54	Michigan	15–6–2	12–3–1	2nd	NCAA Consolation Game (Win)
1954–55	Michigan	18–5–1	13–5–0	2nd	NCAA National Champion
1955–56	Michigan	20–2–1	15–2–1	1st	NCAA National Champion
1956–57	Michigan	18–5–2	13–4–1	2nd	NCAA Runner–Up
Michigan:		71–18–6	53–14–3
Air Force Falcons Independent (1968–1974)
1968–69	Air Force	6–12–0
1969–70	Air Force	11–17–1
1970–71	Air Force	15–11–2
1971–72	Air Force	25–6–0
1972–73	Air Force	16–16–0
1973–74	Air Force	12–15–0
Air Force:		85–77–3
Total:		353–158–21
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

^[8][9][10]

See also

• University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor