I was perusing Hockey Reference this morning on my new smartphone (yes, I’ve joined the 21st century) when I noticed that former Penguins defenseman Randy Boyd had passed away suddenly of a heart attack at age 59 while golfing with friends. Since I’d written a piece about the passing of Islanders great Clark Gillies, I felt compelled to honor Boyd in the same fashion.
In a way, the two were strangely linked. Boyd was a rookie rearguard on the 1981-82 Pens squad that nearly derailed the two-time defending champion Islanders in the playoffs. Late in the first period of Game 2, he fought the Isles Bob Bourne, who happened to be Gillies’ best friend. But I digress.
Boyd was a young Pens hopeful at a time when the team was fighting to escape the clutches of mediocrity. Taken in the third round of the 1980 Entry Draft from the Ottawa 67s by then-GM Baz Bastien, he’d won the Max Kaminsky Trophy in 1980-81 as the Ontario Hockey Association’s best defensemen.
“He did all the unselfish jobs,” said his junior coach, Brian Kilrea. “Nobody blocked shots any better than he did. He had just great timing. And he could kill penalties and play on the power play. And he had a heck of a shot. He was the best defenceman in the league at 18 and it would have been pretty hard not to give him the award again if he hadn’t gone (to the NHL). Pittsburgh thought they needed him and you can’t deprive a kid the opportunity. But …”
I recall looking at Boyd’s numbers with the 67s (11 goals, 54 points, 225 penalty minutes) and thinking maybe he’d blossom into the next Randy Carlyle, who won the Norris Trophy for us that year.
Perhaps the Pens thought so, too. After piling up 38 points in only 26 games for Ottawa over the first half of the ’81-82 campaign, Boyd was called up to the big club without first serving a minor-league apprenticeship. A leap that, in hindsight, may have impeded his development. But in the pre-Mario days the Pens were so desperate for talent.
Thrown into the mix, Boyd underwhelmed to the tune of two assists in 23 games, to go with 49 penalty minutes. Although game as a butcher’s block, the 5’11”, 200-pounder seemed to be in over his head. Sans a collection of all-stars to help with the transition, it was either sink or swim.
Nicknamed “Bullseye,” Boyd did play a prominent role on the ’82-83 Pens, a woebegone team that won only 18 games. Following a rocky start (no points, minus-11 in 14 games), Randy was demoted to Baltimore of the AHL, where he seemed to find his footing. He notched five goals and 15 points in 21 games with the Skipjacks to earn a recall. In 56 games with the Pens, he tallied four goals and 18 points in 56 games…respectable enough for a kid. However, he logged a horrendous minus-36, third-worst on the team behind veterans Rick Kehoe and Paul Baxter. A performance that seemed to seal his fate in the Steel City.
Boyd started the ’83-84 season with the Pens, but was quickly shipped to the minors after two games. Again, he put up strong numbers in Baltimore…six goals and 19 points in 20 games. Recalled at the end of November, he skated in three more games for the black and gold before being dealt to Chicago for veteran defenseman Greg Fox.
Surrounded by a decent team, Randy’s play improved in the Windy City, but not enough to earn a permanent spot. He spent nearly all of the 1984-85 season with Milwaukee of the IHL and enjoyed an outstanding season, tallying 18 goals and 73 points in 68 games along with 162 penalty minutes.
The Coniston, Ontario native experienced a bit of a mid-career resurgence…ironically with the Islanders. At the urging of Kilrea, by then a New York assistant, Boyd was claimed by the Isles in the 1985 Waiver Draft. Posting solid if unspectacular numbers on Long Island…14 points in 59 games and a plus-nine…he was voted the team’s top defenseman by the New York writers.
In 1986-87, he enjoyed his moment in the sun. During two separate stints with the Islanders he racked up seven goals and 24 points in only 30 games…a 65-point pace over a full season.
Despite his success, Boyd was once again claimed on waivers…this time by Vancouver. He had a decent season with the Canucks…seven goals and 23 points in 60 games. However, it proved to be his swan song. With the exception of a brief two-game cameo, Randy spent virtually the entire ’88-89 season with Milwaukee. Typically he shone, piling up 24 goals, 79 points and 218 penalty minutes, in the process earning the Governor’s Trophy as the league’s top defenseman.
Only 27 at the time, Boyd would never return to the NHL. After skating in Austria for two seasons, he finished out his career in the minor leagues. Productive to the end, he tallied 36 points in only 22 games for Wichita of the CHL in his last season.
He settled in Atlanta after his career and remained active in hockey.
Our prayers and condolences to Randy’s family and loved ones.
The Next Phil Esposito
Another former Pen, Jim Wiley, passed away on December 27 at the age of 71.
Following a prolific collegiate career at Lake Superior State (155 points in only 104 games) Wiley was signed as a free agent by the Pens in June 1972. At 6’2” and 200 pounds, he was a huge player for his day.
During his first pro season Wiley put up big numbers for the Pens’ AHL affiliate in Hershey (30 goals and 75 points in only 71 games). Needless to say, the Pens’ brass had high hopes, even touting him as the “next Phil Esposito,” the NHL scoring champ who also hailed from Sault Ste. Marie.
Unfortunately for the then blue and white, the big center failed to produce during his first crack at the big time. Skating for a weak Pens squad, Jim managed only three assists in 22 games, earning a demotion to Hershey, where he once again produced at better than a point-per-game clip (54 points in 47 games).
Following the season, Wiley was claimed by Vancouver in the Intra-League (Waiver) Draft. On the heels of a 96-point campaign with Tulsa of the CHL in ’75-76, he was given another crack at the NHL with the Canucks. Again, he underwhelmed, to the tune of 10 points in 34 games.
Wiley hung up his skates following the 1979-80 season and entered the coaching ranks. He served for 18 seasons behind the bench of various teams, including a stint as San Jose’s head coach in 1995-96.
