Amerks mourn death of AHL Hall of Famer Willie Marshall

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Former AHL Hall of Famer Willie Marshall died at 91.

The Rochester Americans tell News10NBC that the three-time Calder Cup winner left his mark on the league.

Marshall played parts of two seasons with the Amerks during his 20-year hockey career. In those years, he became a force to be reckoned with.

Marshall started with the Pittsburgh Hornets in 1952, and joined the Amerks in 1958 after playing half a season with the Hersey Bears. Marshall went on to lead the Bears to the Calder Cup that same year, scoring a career-best of 104 points that season.

He led the bears back to the Calder Cup in 1959 — his third in four years.

Marshall returned to Rochester in 1971 and retired as the league’s all-time leader in games played. He ranks second in AHL history with 119 playoff points over the course of 112 postseason games.

The Willie Marshall Award was created in 2004, and is now awarded to those who score the most goals each season in the AHL.

“At a time when there were only six teams in the National Hockey League, Willie Marshall was one of the greatest players not just in the AHL but in the entire sport of hockey,” said AHL President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Howson.

Marshall was remembered through a moment of silence before the Amerks played the Bears Friday night in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.