Born behind the Iron Curtain but escaping to Norwood at a very early age with his parents and two sisters, Wilhelm (Bill) was terrified by his new surroundings. In time, he grew accustomed to the ways of the Western World and began to use such things as soap and bathroom tissue. One thing he never lost from his boyhood home was his love of hockey. A late bloomer, Bill learned the game by listening to his favorite players on radio broadcasts and dreaming of the day when he would actually see the game in person. It wasn’t until his childhood idol, Art Watanabe, taught him to rotate the 27” Zenith Electrosonic in his parent’s living room so that the screen faced outwards, was he able to watch in wonder as stars Eddie Shack and Harry Howell streaked across the ice.

Bill taught himself to skate in much the same way he learned to dress, by trial and error. With plenty of hard work, his skills improved to the point where he earned an invitation to Red Army’s Rookie Camp in 1981. Late coach Greig Strange said at the time, “Frankly, we need a tougher guy than my brother [former Red Army great Neil Strange] to ride shot gun on the SAM line and protect those prima donna forwards, Chuck Asselin and Don ‘Magic’ Moreau. Playing with those guys, he may even chip in with a goal now and then.” The goals never did come but Bill did an adequate job in keeping the opposition away so that his line mates could work their magic. The MAK line was born and soon became the most famous line in Red Army history.

Now a huge star, Bill has maintained the values gleaned from his humble beginnings. Many times he can be found pushing a shopping cart down Lyndale Drive or rummaging through the garbage cans in local hockey rinks looking for skate laces and other salvageable materials. He’s used this thriftiness to develop a successful line of “Grunge” hockey wear that is very popular with today’s young hockey players.

In 1984, Bill took on the added responsibilities of Equipment Manager for the Red Army - a position he still holds. In 1996, Bill joined his life-long idol at Artie's Hockey School, becoming the first graduate to be named an instructor.

“I credit Art Watanabe for turning my career around. As my mentor, he transformed me from a goon to a fairly average hockey player.” Bill Kastner, Summer 1987