Brian Kilrea hockey career, is most notable for his 35 year association with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.
Kilrea nicknamed “Killer” has made an impact throughout his career as a player, general manager and coach.
While playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Kilrea scored the first goal in the team’s history on October 14, 1967.
After retiring as a player in 1970, Kilrea moved into the realm of coaching. He took over as coach of the OHA’s Ottawa 67’s and never looked back. He led the team to the Memorial Cup in 1984,and then joined the New York Islanders as an assistant to Al Arbour for his first and only taste of NHL coaching.
He returned to the Ottawa bench in 1986-87 and later won a second Memorial Cup in 1999. Kilrea developed an enormous list of future NHL stars, including Doug Wilson and Jim Fox. In the mid 1990’s he was forced to assume a scouting role when his health suffered, but a short time later, he returned and set the Canadian junior record for coaching wins on January 17, 1997. The record 742nd win came courtesy of a 6-0 Ottawa thrashing of the North Bay Centennials to move past former Portland Winter Hawks coach Ken Hodge.
In 2002-03 Kilrea celebrated his 1,000th victory as a head coach in the CHL. Within months of this accomplishment, Brian Kilrea was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder Category.
Brian Kilrea hockey career, is most notable for his 35 year association with the Ottawa 67’s of the Ontario Hockey League.
Kilrea nicknamed “Killer” has made an impact throughout his career as a player, general manager and coach.
While playing for the Los Angeles Kings, Kilrea scored the first goal in the team’s history on October 14, 1967.
After retiring as a player in 1970, Kilrea moved into the realm of coaching. He took over as coach of the OHA’s Ottawa 67’s and never looked back. He led the team to the Memorial Cup in 1984,and then joined the New York Islanders as an assistant to Al Arbour for his first and only taste of NHL coaching.
He returned to the Ottawa bench in 1986-87 and later won a second Memorial Cup in 1999. Kilrea developed an enormous list of future NHL stars, including Doug Wilson and Jim Fox. In the mid 1990’s he was forced to assume a scouting role when his health suffered, but a short time later, he returned and set the Canadian junior record for coaching wins on January 17, 1997. The record 742nd win came courtesy of a 6-0 Ottawa thrashing of the North Bay Centennials to move past former Portland Winter Hawks coach Ken Hodge.
In 2002-03 Kilrea celebrated his 1,000th victory as a head coach in the CHL. Within months of this accomplishment, Brian Kilrea was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder Category. 
