Steve Rexe

Stephen Glen Rexe (February 26, 1947 – November 12, 2013) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender, the first-ever draft pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and second overall pick in the 1967 NHL Amateur Draft.

Steve Rexe
Born (1947-02-26)February 26, 1947
Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
Died November 12, 2013(2013-11-12) (aged 66)
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Position Goaltender
Played for Peterborough Petes
Ottawa Nationals
Belleville Mohawks
Belleville Quintes
Greensboro Generals
Springfield Kings
Springfield Indians
Napanee Comets
Binghamton Dusters
Lindsay Lancers
National team  Canada
NHL Draft 2nd overall, 1967
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1967–1977

Biography

Rexe played junior hockey with the Ontario Major Junior A, Peterborough Petes. In 1967, Rexe was offered an contract by Penguins general manager, Jack Riley, at $7,500 for one season with a $7,500 signing bonus. Rather than sign with Pittsburgh, Rexe chose to join the Canadian national hockey team as an amateur where he competed internationally for Canada. At the 1968 Winter Olympics Rexe backed up Wayne Stephenson on the way to a Canadian bronze medal. Canada withdrew from official IIHF events in 1970 and the national team programme was suspended after they were refused permission to use semi-professional players at the world championship. Rexe spent the rest of his hockey career playing in minor hockey leagues without ever appearing in an NHL game.

Rexe was primarily a second and third string goaltender for the Canadian national team. He went on to play with the Ottawa Nationals, Belleville Mohawks, Belleville Quintes of the Ontario Hockey Association Senior League, Greensboro Generals of the Eastern Hockey League, the Springfield Kings of the American Hockey League (AHL), where he back-stopped the Kings to a Calder Cup title in 1975, the Springfield Indians also of the AHL, Napanee Comets and Lindsay Lancers of the OHA Sr. League, Binghamton Dusters of the North American Hockey League. He owned and coached the QJHL Whitby Lawmen in the 1984–85 season.

Rexe resided in Belleville, Ontario with his wife Maureen and their four children. After hockey, Rexe worked in the import / export automobile industry. He died at his home in Belleville on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at the age of 66.[1]

In an interview with an Ottawa Sun reporter in April 2008, Rexe stated that he considered it an honour to have been the first-ever pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and would have been delighted if the Pens would have invited him to Pittsburgh to drop the first puck when they open their new arena.[2]

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References
  1. nurun.com (November 13, 2013). "Steve Rexe dies at 66". The Belleville Intelligencer. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  2. ottawasun.com – Earl McRae – A Penguin from the first to the last
Preceded by
None		 Pittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick
1967		 Succeeded by
Garry Swain
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