Playing career

After a season in the junior leagues with the Guelph Biltmores of the OHA, Gilles Villemure had a lengthy ten-year apprenticeship in the minor leagues, principally with the Vancouver Canucks of the WHL, the Baltimore Clippers and the Buffalo Bisons of the AHL. He was a star in the minors, but despite being signed by the Rangers in 1964, he only saw spot duty in New York during the Sixties. However, in each of his final two seasons in the AHL (1968-69 and 1969-70), he won the Les Cunningham Award with the Bisons as the league's most valuable player, leading all goaltenders in the playoffs the second year to backstop the Bisons to the Calder Cup in their final season. During his minor league career, he led his league in goals against average three times and in shutouts five times.

Rangers' management took notice, and the 1970-71 season saw Villemure recalled for good as the backup to Eddie Giacomin. Over the next three seasons, Villemure recorded a sparkling 66-27-10 mark, with ten shutouts and a goals-against average never higher than 2.30, and shared the Vezina Trophy with Giacomin in 1971. He was named to play in the NHL All-Star Game all three seasons, allowing only a single goal and recording the lowest career GAA of any All-Star Game goaltender. The Rangers were a powerhouse in that time, reaching the Stanley Cup finals in 1972.

By the 1974-75 season, with both goaltenders aging, Villemure had become the number one goaltender in New York, but had only modest success, and was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks in the offseason. He backed up Tony Esposito his two remaining years, only appearing in 21 games in all, retiring after the 1976-77 season.

In total, Villemure appeared in 205 NHL games, notching 100 wins, 13 shutouts and a 2.81 career goals against average.

During the hockey offseason, Villemure was a professional harness racehorse driver.

He now resides in Levittown, New York.

Awards and honors

• Won Rookie of the Year honors in the WHL in 1963.
• Named to the WHL's First All-Star Team in 1966.
• Named to the AHL's Second All-Star Team in 1967 .
• Won the Hap Holmes Memorial Award in 1969 and 1970.
• Won the Les Cunningham Award in 1969 and 1970.
• Named to the AHL First All-Star Team in 1969 and 1970.
• Calder Cup championship in 1970.
• Vezina Trophy winner in 1971 (shared with Eddie Giacomin).
• Named to play in the NHL All-Star Game in 1971, 1972 and 1973.
• Ranked No. 48 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons, 2009).

Career statistics

Regular season

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1958-59	Trois-Rivières Reds	QJHL		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1958-59	Troy Bruins	IHL		3	1	2	0	180	18	0	6.00	—
1959-60	Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters	OHA-Jr.		35	—	—	—	1980	128	1	3.66	—
1960-61	New York Rovers	EHL		51	16	34	1	3060	223	1	4.37	—
1961-62	Long Island Ducks	EHL		65	25	39	1	3900	242	3	3.72	—
1961-62	Charlotte Checkers	EHL		1	0	1	0	60	7	0	7.00	—
1961-62	Johnstown Jets	EHL		1	1	0	0	60	2	0	2.00	—
1962-63	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		70	35	31	4	4200	228	5	3.26	—
1963-64	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		66	31	33	2	3960	192	3	2.91	—
1963-64	New York Rangers	NHL		5	0	2	3	300	18	0	3.60	.899
1964-65	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		60	27	26	6	3676	212	2	3.46	—
1965-66	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		69	32	34	3	4178	223	5	3.20	—
1966-67	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		70	34	27	9	4180	238	4	3.42	—
1967-68	New York Rangers	NHL		4	1	2	0	200	8	1	2.40	.934
1967-68	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		37	18	13	6	2160	89	3	2.47	—
1968-69	New York Rangers	NHL		4	2	1	1	240	9	0	2.25	.921
1968-69	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		62	36	12	14	3674	148	6	2.42	—
1969-70	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		65	—	—	—	3714	156	8	2.52	—
1970-71	New York Rangers	NHL		34	22	8	4	2039	78	4	2.30	.919
1971-72	New York Rangers	NHL		37	24	7	4	2129	74	3	2.09	.913
1972-73	New York Rangers	NHL		34	20	12	2	2040	78	3	2.29	.910
1973-74	New York Rangers	NHL		21	7	7	3	1054	62	0	3.53	.880
1974-75	New York Rangers	NHL		45	22	14	6	2470	130	2	3.16	.888
1975-76	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		15	2	7	5	797	57	0	4.29	.859
1976-77	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		6	0	4	1	312	28	0	5.38	.843
WHL totals				199	98	91	13	12,504	663	12	3.18	—
AHL totals				300	—	—	—	17,688	823	24	2.79	—
NHL totals				205	100	64	29	11,581	542	13	2.81	.899

Playoffs

Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1959-60	Guelph Biltmore Mad Hatters	OHA-Jr.		5	—	—	300	19	1	3.80	—
1962-63	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		7	3	4	429	27	1	3.78	—
1964-65	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		5	1	4	309	17	0	3.30	—
1965-66	Vancouver Canucks	WHL		7	3	4	420	27	0	3.86	—
1966-67	Baltimore Clippers	AHL		9	4	5	569	39	0	4.11	—
1967-68	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		5	1	3	247	15	0	3.64	—
1968-69	New York Rangers	NHL		1	0	1	60	4	0	4.00	.882
1968-69	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		6	2	4	360	19	1	3.17	—
1969-70	Buffalo Bisons	AHL		14	11	3	875	31	1	2.13	—
1970-71	New York Rangers	NHL		2	0	1	80	6	0	4.50	.829
1971-72	New York Rangers	NHL		6	4	2	360	14	0	2.33	.919
1972-73	New York Rangers	NHL		2	0	1	61	2	0	1.67	.935
1973-74	New York Rangers	NHL		1	0	0	1	0	0	0.00	.000
1974-75	New York Rangers	NHL		2	1	0	94	6	0	3.83	.854
WHL totals				19	7	12	1158	71	1	3.68	—
AHL totals				34	18	15	2051	104	2	3.04	—
NHL totals				14	5	5	656	32	0	2.93	.898

[ Source: Wikipedia ]