Bill Cupolo

Bill Cupolo
Born	(1924-01-08)January 8, 1924 Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 7, 2005(2005-12-07) (aged 81) Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shot	Right
Played for	Boston Bruins
Playing career	1944–1955

William Arnold Cupolo (January 8, 1924 – December 7, 2005) was a Canadian ice hockey right winger. He played 47 games in the National Hockey League for the Boston Bruins during the 1944–45 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1944 to 1955, was spent in various minor leagues.

Playing career

Cupolo was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario. He began his career at Memorial School and graduated to play minor hockey in the Falls.

In 1941, he was recruited by Stratford, where he won the Junior B title in 1941-42. The following season the team moved up to Major Junior "A" and became known as the Stratford Kroehlers.

The Boston Bruins invited him to their camp in 1943. Cupolo went to enlist in the armed forces but was diagnosed with tuberculosis and faced a 14-month recovery.

In 1944, he again went to the Bruins training camp, but this time made the team. He had 24 points in 47 games in the 1944-45 season.

After playing in the American Hockey League from 1945 to 1949, Cupolo played he played in the United States and Pacific Coast Leagues, and later Senior "A" hockey in Ontario, before moving on to Italy where he was a player-coach for Milan, and also coached the Italian National Hockey Team.

He returned to Niagara Falls after his hockey career and resided there until he died in 2005.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1942–43	Stratford Kroehlers	OHA		16	14	22	36	6		2	3	3	6	0
1942–43	Stratford Kroelhers	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—		9	1	8	9	14
1943–44	Stratford Kroehlers	OHA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1944–45	Boston Bruins	NHL		47	11	13	24	10		7	1	2	3	0
1945–46	Hershey Bears	AHL		25	4	9	13	21		—	—	—	—	—
1945–46	New Haven Eagles	AHL		17	4	5	9	4		—	—	—	—	—
1946–47	Springfield Indians	AHL		50	8	12	20	38		2	0	0	0	2
1947–48	Springfield Indians	AHL		17	1	4	5	2		—	—	—	—	—
1948–49	Fort Worth Rangers	USHL		50	12	20	32	32		2	1	0	1	0
1949–50	Seattle Ironmen	PCHL		70	25	20	45	26		4	0	2	2	0
1950–51	Sydney Millionaires	CBMHL		49	20	28	48	54		—	—	—	—	—
1951–52	Sydney Millionaires	MMHL		41	12	19	31	42		—	—	—	—	—
1951–52	New Haven Tomahawks	EAHL		29	19	10	29	25		9	3	2	5	2
1952–53	Washington Lions	EAHL		13	4	2	6	12		—	—	—	—	—
1952–53	Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen	OHA Sr		41	12	16	28	36		—	—	—	—	—
1953–54	Stratford Indians	OHA Sr		54	9	27	36	47		7	1	4	5	4
1954–55	HC Milan Inter	ITA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				109	17	30	47	65		2	0	0	0	2
NHL totals				47	11	13	24	10		7	1	2	3	0

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from NHL.com, or Eliteprospects.com, or Hockey-Reference.com, or The Internet Hockey Database
• Niagara Sports Wall of Fame Bio