Pulford played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboros for three seasons from 1953 to 1956, winning two Memorial Cups under coach Turk Broda.

With the series tied 1–1, Pulford scored the overtime game-winner in game 3 of the 1967 Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens.

As coach of the Kings, he helped Los Angeles go from being one of the worst defensive and penalty-killing teams in the NHL to one of the best.

Pulford left the Kings after the 1976–77 season after constant feuding with then owner Jack Kent Cooke.

During his third stint as general manager, Pulford nominally doubled as head coach, demoting Lorne Molleken to an assistant.

At the time he left the bench for good, only Billy Reay had won more regular season games for the Hawks.