They were brothers nine years apart. Yet, Bill and Ernie Hicke had the fortune to play as teammates in the National Hockey League, even if it was for just one year and even if it was with the California Golden Seals. The boys from Saskatchewan both started out in junior with the Regina Pats before embarking on NHL careers. Number 17 has been retired by the Pats in honour of Bill.
Bill Hicke
Bill played junior with the Regina Pats for four years from 1954-55 to 1957-58. In three of the four years, the Pats reached the Memorial Cup finals but could never capture a championship. In 1955 and 1956, Regina fell to the Toronto Marlboros. In 1958, it was the Ottawa-Hull Junior Canadiens that had the Pats number.
In his third year of junior, 1956-57, Hicke put up outstanding numbers with 52 goals and 48 assists for 100 points over 53 regular season games while also sitting out 94 minutes in penalties. Bill led the SJHL in goals, asssists, points and even PIM.
The following year, he did equally as well. Bill scored 54 goals and assisted on 43 for 97 points over just 49 games. He also bumped up him time in the penalty box with 144 minutes. Hicke led the SJHL in goals, points and PIM.
As it turned out, his first year of pro hockey was probably his best. In 1958-59, Hicke played 69 games for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League. He scored 41 goals and assisted on 56 for 97 points. He placed second in the AHL for goals, third for assists and led the league in points.
Bill needed a new trophy case after the year was done. He was honoured with the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP, the Dudley ‘Red’ Garrett Award as AHL rookie of the year and the John B. Sollenberger Trophy as scoring champ. Hicke was also a First Team All-Star.
His National Hockey League career consisted of 729 games between 1958-59 and 1971-72 with the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Oakland Seals / California Golden Seals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Over that time, he scored 168 goals and assisted on 234 for 402 points. Hicke played an additional 42 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding 13 points.
In 1958-59, Bill played in just one NHL game, a playoff game with the Canadiens. For that, he got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. He played a bit more regularly the next year and once again came away with a Stanley Cup championship with Montreal.
In the end, Hicke tried to revive his major league career by jumping to the World Hockey Association for the rebel league’s inaugural season, 1972-73. After a year with the Alberta Oilers, Bill called it a career.
The Bill Hicke rookie card appears as number 31 in the 1959-60 Parkhurst set. He is pictured as a member of the Montreal Canadiens. The first Bill Hicke hockey card is valued equal to a semi-star.
Ernie Hicke
The younger Hicke brother also played four years of junior hockey with the Regina Pats. Ernie played with Regina from 1963-64 to 1966-67. Despite putting up great numbers with the Pats, Ernie’s number does not hang from the rafters at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
Hicke played professional hockey from 1967-68 to 1979-80 in the CHL, WHL, NHL and AHL. His pro career began and finished in the Central Hockey League, playing for the Houston Apollos at the start and the Dallas Black Hawks at the end.
Ernie played 520 regular season NHL games between 1970-71 and 1977-78 with the Golden Seals, Atlanta Flames, New York Islanders, Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings. He scored 132 goals and assisted on 140 for 272 points.
The younger Hicke’s playoff fortunes in the NHL did not come close to his brother’s. Ernie played just two games in the Stanley Cup playoffs during his career. In 1976-77, as a member of the Minnesota North Stars, he played those two games. The North Stars were swept by the Buffalo Sabres in a best of three preliminary round. that same year, Ernie put up a career best 30 goals with Minnesota.
The Ernie Hicke rookie card appears as number 61 in the 1971-72 O-Pee-Chee set. The card is valued as a common. Ernie is shown as a member of the California Golden Seals.