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Manitoba History No. 89
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Memorable Manitobans
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Memorable Manitobans: William Wright “Billy” Breen (1882-1927)

Hockey player.

Born in Winnipeg on 6 December 1882, brother of N. J. Breen and T. G. Breen, he played hockey for several Winnipeg clubs, including the Winnipeg Assiniboines. A centre, he was noted as a checker as well as a goal scorer. He also was an alley bowler of distinction. He played professionally in the Manitoba Hockey League in 1907-1908 and 1908-1909. He applied for reinstatement as an amateur in 1911-1912 but was refused. He worked for R. J. Whitla and later the Codville Company before joining his brother Thomas in the Breen Motor Company. He was a member of the Carleton Club, Elmhurst Golf Club, and St. Charles Country Club. He died following an operation at Rochester, Minnesota on 3 September 1927. He was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2019.

See also:

Historic Sites of Manitoba: Breen Motor Company Building (245 Main Street, Winnipeg)

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“Billy Breen, athlete business man, is dead” Undated newspaper clipping. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B8]

Dictionary of Manitoba Biography by J. M. Bumsted, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press, 1999.

We thank Iain Fyffe and Nathan Kramer for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 11 June 2019

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society.

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