Bill Watters, an NHL executive, player agent and Sportsnet broadcaster, has passed away. He was 83.
Though Watters, of Orillia, Ont., became known for his work in hockey, he began his sports career as a football player, starring for the University of Toronto as a linebacker.
He was then selected second overall by the Toronto Argonauts in the 1964 CFL draft, but never played a game after a knee injury in training camp.
Watters went on to work with Hockey Canada as an assistant manager for the 1977 and 1978 world championships before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs as an assistant GM for 12 years beginning in 1991.
"A longtime member of the team's front office, Bill was an important part of my time as a player with the Maple Leafs and someone I will remember with affection," Maple Leafs senior executive advisor of hockey operations Mats Sundin said Sunday. "Bill cared deeply about the Leafs, the City of Toronto, and the people around him.
"On behalf of the Maple Leafs organization, I would like to express our sincere condolences to Bill's family, friends and everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. He will be missed."
After his Leafs tenure ended, Watters turned to broadcasting, co-hosting Sportsnet's Hockey Central and Prime Time Sports on 590 The Fan upon its 1989 debut.
Watters was also a player agent, representing Maple Leafs such as Rick Vaive.
He was elected to the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.
