Poile was born in Fort William, Ontario and played junior hockey for the Fort William Rangers. He began his professional career in 1942 as an 18-year-old right winger for the Toronto Maple Leafs and—after a break in his career to serve in the Second World War—was a member of the Leafs\' Stanley Cup-winning team of 1947. The next season, he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks in a multi-player deal for Max Bentley. A year later he was dealt to the Detroit Red Wings. Before the 1949–50 season he was acquired by the New York Rangers and was traded mid-season to the Boston Bruins, which would be his final stop in the NHL.\n', '

Poile would spend five more years playing in minor professional leagues as a player-coach, first for the Tulsa Oilers of the United States Hockey League in 1950–51. he then rejoined the Red Wings organization in 1951–52 as player coach of the Red Wings\' Maritime Major Hockey League affiliate, the Glace Bay Miners. He moved up to the Wings\' Western Hockey League affiliate, the Edmonton Flyers, in 1952–53. He retired as a player in 1954, but would continue to coach the Flyers until 1962. Poile then became head coach of the San Francisco Seals from 1962 to 1966.\n', '

With the NHL expansion in 1967, Poile became general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers, acquiring key members of the team that would win the Stanley Cup in the 1970s. In 1970, Poile became general manager of another NHL expansion team, the Vancouver Canucks, building that club until leaving in 1973 to join the World Hockey Association as executive vice-president. He left the WHA in May 1976.\n', '

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