Education
Bill Baker attended the University of Minnesota and was team captain for the 1978-1979 season.
Bill Baker attended the University of Minnesota and was team captain for the 1978-1979 season.
College career He was originally selected 54th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1976 National Hockey League Entry Draft. Specifically, he is known for scoring the tying goal as the extra skater in the final minute forcing a 2–2 tie with Sweden in the opening game. This tie allowed the team to eventually advance to the medal round.
Professional career He joined the Canadiens after the Olympics, and was later traded to the Colorado Rockies in 1981.
He also played for Team United States of America at the 1981 Ice Hockey World Championship and 1981 Canada Cup tournaments. Colorado later traded him to the Saint Louis Blues in exchange for Joe Micheletti and Dick Lamby.
Baker spent the full 1982-1983 season with the New York Rangers. He spent the 1983-1984 season in the CHL playing for the eventual league championships, the Tulsa Oilers coached by Tom Webster.
He played 59 regular season games for Tulsa Oilers, but was not with team during post-season.
Baker currently resides in Brainerd, Minnesota where he works as an oral surgeon and maxillofacial specialist. Retired 12/23/15 from oral surgery and maxillofacual specialist procedures. 1980 Winter Olympics, Lake Placid, New York Ice Hockey World Championships, 1979 and 1981 1981 Canada Cup In a 1981 television movie about the gold medal-winning hockey team entitled Miracle on Ice, Baker is played by David Wallace.
In the 2004 Disney film Miracle, he is portrayed by Nick Postle.
Baker"s jersey from the famed "Miracle On Ice" is on display at the Smithsonian in Washington, District of Columbia, United States. along with a stick autographed by all the members of the team