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Mark Kirton Passes Away

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Former NHL forward Mark Kirton, who spent six seasons in the league, passed away on Sunday, per a league announcement. He was 67.

Kirton played 266 games in the NHL from 1979 to 1985. This included stints with the Toronto Maple Leafs (who drafted Kirton in the third round of the 1978 NHL Draft), the Detroit Red Wings, and the Vancouver Canucks. His most productive season came in 1981–82, when he posted a career-high 42 points with the Red Wings. Interestingly, his career high in goals (17) came during his final season with the Canucks.

An advocate for ALS research, Kirton joined the board of ALS Action Canada after being diagnosed with the disease in 2018. Though his prognosis eventually left him confined to a wheelchair, it never diminished his unwavering efforts to advance research and raise awareness for ALS. This included his efforts to unify all seven Canadian-based NHL teams to raise funds for imperative research. Nine months later, Kirton’s long-time friend and ex-NHL Darryl Sittler announced on Parliament Hill in Ottawa that Kirton’s seven-team effort raised more than $1 million. That same day, Wayne Gretzky, who was in attendance for the announcement, called Kirton, “A hero of mine.”

The NHL Alumni Association also announced Kirton’s passing, highlighting his strength, compassion, and the lasting legacy he leaves behind—both in the hockey world and within the ALS community.

“Mark’s career in the NHL was defined by determination, teamwork, and heart. Off the ice, he brought those same qualities into his fight against ALS. Faced with one of life’s toughest challenges, he chose to become a voice and champion for others, raising awareness and inspiring hope. His courage was unshakable, his advocacy was selfless, and his spirit touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Mark was not only a teammate but also a friend, mentor, and role model,” the release said.

Kirton is survived by his wife, Lisa, and their three children. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Kirton’s family, friends, and loved ones.

John Miszuk Passes Away

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Former NHL defenseman John Miszuk passed away on Sunday at age 84, the NHL Alumni Association announced.

Miszuk played parts of six NHL seasons with the Red Wings, Black Hawks, Flyers, and North Stars from 1963-70 before reemerging in the WHA in the mid-70s, playing a full-time role for the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades and Calgary Cowboys from 1974-77. While he sparingly played a full-time role in the NHL, he was a physically dominant two-way force in the minors, where he was a routine All-Star in the AHL, an early iteration of the Central Hockey League, and a senior/professional version of the Western Hockey League.

Miszuk’s best NHL season was the only time he played in every game in a season, as a member of Philadelphia’s inaugural roster in the 1967-68 campaign. He was 27 at the time and was selected from Chicago in the expansion draft after playing mostly a minor-league role in the preceding seasons, but he broke out for 22 points in 74 games with a plus-one rating and finished fourth on the team with 79 PIMs. He was an everyday member of a Flyers defense group that was stout out of the gate, finishing third in the league with 2.42 GA/GP in their first NHL season.

In 237 career NHL appearances, Miszuk scored seven goals with 39 assists for 46 points and a minus-two rating. He also had 72 points and a plus-seven rating in 214 WHA games, where he found more stability later in his career.

He and his family had lived in Hamilton, Ontario after his retirement, where they launched several Tim Hortons franchises. While he was raised there for a good portion of his childhood, he was born in Poland early in World War II and emigrated to Canada with his family after being forced out. He recently returned to his hometown of Naliboki, now part of Belarus, for the first time since then, the NHL Alumni Association said.

Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to Miszuk’s family, friends, and loved ones.

Former NHL Goaltender Wayne Thomas Passes Away At Age 77

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Wayne Thomas, a long-time NHL executive and eight-year playing veteran as a goaltender, has passed away at age 77, “following a long battle with cancer,” according to a press release from the Sharks.

While undrafted, Thomas managed to appear in 243 NHL games between 1972 and 1981, compiling a 103-93-34 record for the Canadiens, Maple Leafs, and Rangers, with a 3.34 GAA and a .891 SV%. He earned an All-Star Game appearance in 1976 as Toronto’s starter, a season in which he saved 20.8 goals above average in 64 appearances.

Immediately after ending his playing career, Thomas transitioned into a coaching role with the Rangers. He later held goaltending/assistant coaching roles for the Blackhawks, Blues, and Sharks, as well as multiple minor-league clubs. Midway through the 1995-96 season, San Jose promoted him from assistant coach to assistant general manager, a role he held until he retired from the league following the 2014-15 campaign.

“While he achieved great success as a member of several NHL front offices, Wayne’s core passion was his daily work on and off the ice with NHL goaltenders throughout his coaching career, too many to list here, and he continued fruitful relationships with many of them up until his passing,” the Sharks wrote.

All of us at PHR send our condolences to Thomas’ family and friends, as well as the Sharks organization with whom he spent so many years.

Lyndon Byers Passes Away At 61

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Lyndon Byers, who spent parts of 10 seasons in the NHL, has passed away at the age of 61, per an NHL release.

Byers was selected in the second round (39th overall) by the Boston Bruins. He spent all but one season in the Boston organization, appearing in 261 games for the Bruins over parts of nine seasons. His final NHL campaign came in 1992–93, when he played in 18 games for the San Jose Sharks.

In 279 career games, the tough and physical Byers recorded just 28 goals and 71 points, but amassed 1,081 penalty minutes. As the NHL release notes, his 959 penalty minutes with the Bruins still ranks 11th on their all-time list. Two of his Boston teams (1988 and 1990) would reach the Stanley Cup Final.

“The Boston Bruins are deeply saddened by the passing of Lyndon Byers. Lyndon was a fan favorite across his nine seasons in the Black & Gold thanks to his rugged, rough-and-tumble style and was a key cog on the B’s teams that made trips to the Stanley Cup Final in 1988 and 1990,” the team said in a statement Saturday.

Following his playing career, Byers spent over 20 years as a radio personality in the Boston area. He is survived by his wife and son. We at PHR offer our condolences to his family and loved ones.

“A son of Nipawin, Saskatchewan, Lyndon became a true Bostonian and we will miss him dearly. He is forever a part of our Bruins family,” the statement read.

Alex Delvecchio Passes Away At Age 93

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In sorrowful news, the Detroit Red Wings announced that longtime captain and Hall of Famer, Alex Delvecchio, has passed away at the age of 93.

As one of the most legendary players of his era, Delvecchio began his career from a modest upbringing. He originally joined the Red Wings organization in the 1950-51 NHL season after an impressive run with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals. He would never don another team’s uniform.

Becoming a focal point of the “Production Line” with Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay, Delvecchio helped the Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships in 1952, 1954, and 1955. The 1955 campaign was the last time the Stanley Cup would be in Detroit until the 1996-97 NHL season.

Despite more than five decades having passed since his last game in the NHL, Delvecchio still shows up on many of the Red Wings’ all-time boards. He remains third in games played (1,550), third in goals (456), fourth in assists (825), and third in points (1,281). Before longtime captain Nicklas Lidstrom played his 1,551st game with Detroit during the 2011-12 campaign, Delvecchio had played the most games in NHL history for one team.

Retiring after the 1973-74 season, Delvecchio was quickly named to the NHL’s Hall of Fame in the 1977 class alongside Tim Horton. After concluding his playing career, he served for several years as the head coach and General Manager of Detroit before leaving hockey entirely in 1977. He was named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” in 2017.

It is with deep sorrow that we share of Delvecchio’s passing, and his invaluable contribution to one of the sport’s most iconic franchises. We at PHR offer our condolences to Delvecchio’s family and loved ones.

Longtime Player Agent Steve Reich Passes Away

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O2K Sports Management has announced that legendary player agent Steve Reich has passed away. Reich worked in hockey for more than 30 years, and served as president of RBRT Sports Group from 1993 to 2000. He has represented legendary and Hall-of-Fame talents like Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Chris Chelios, and Luc Robitaille – as well as all-time winningest coach Scotty Bowman. He was also a must-know name when it came to player marketing and endorsements.

Reich’s journey through the hockey world was a fascinating one. He entered the world of sports management soon after college, following in the footsteps of his uncle Tom Reich, who represented baseball legends like Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr., and Dock Ellis. All-time-great Lemieux was in need of new representation around the same time, and was connected to the Reich family. With that, the group moved forward – with Tom negotiating contracts and Steve handling endorsements. Eventually, that split faded and allowed Steve to step into a bigger partnership with some of the best players in NHL history.

In his early days of representing Lemieux and RBRT Sports Group, Reich also hired on a young Pat Brisson, who now represents some of the league’s best players, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin – shares Mike Colligan of The Hockey Writers. In addition to his headlining talents, Reich also represented Scott Gomez, Daniel Briere, Tom Barrasso, Kevin Stevens, and Brad Stuart – among many others. He was even listed as the signing agent on Vincent Trocheck’s current contract with the New York Rangers: a seven-year, $39.38MM deal signed in 2022.

Reich was equal parts sharp-and-strategic, and happy-and-easy-going. His enthusiasm, selflessness, and calming energy are often the first things mentioned by people reflecting on their experience with the all-time great. He was at the front lines of multiple monumental points in NHL history, including opting to step down from RBRT Sports Group in 2000 to support Lemieux in his return to the NHL. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to the Reich family, friends, and entire family at O2K Sports Management.

Phil Roberto Passes Away

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In a sad announcement, the St. Louis Blues revealed that former player Phil Roberto has passed away at the age of 76.

Roberto began his professional playing career with the Montreal Canadiens on December 17, 1969. Despite tallying only one assist in eight games during the 1969-70 season, Roberto increased his offense the following season, scoring 14 goals and 21 points in 39 games. He added another assist in 15 postseason contests as the Canadiens captured the Stanley Cup against the Chicago Black Hawks.

Without much information on the type of transaction, Roberto was moved from Montreal to the Blues organization partway through the 1971-72 season. St. Louis is where he’d have the most individual success of his career, scoring 33 goals and 71 points in 148 games in parts of four seasons.

The Niagara Falls, Ontario native joined the Detroit Red Wings partway through the 1974-75 season, and scored 14 goals and 48 points in 83 games with the second Original Six organization of his career. Roberto left the Red Wings in the 1975-76 season and began playing for three different teams that were briefly part of the NHL.

From halfway through the 1975-76 season to 1977, Roberto played for the Kansas City Scouts, Colorado Rockies, and Cleveland Barons. He joined the WHA’s Birmingham Bulls in 1977-78, ending his NHL career with 75 goals and 106 assists in 385 regular-season games.

PHR sends our condolences to Roberto’s family, friends, colleagues, and former teammates.

Ray Shero Passes Away

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Wild senior advisor and longtime Penguins and Devils general manager Ray Shero has passed away, Minnesota’s public relations department said Wednesday. He was 62 years old.

Shero, a St. Paul native, got his start as a player at St. Lawrence University in upstate New York after attending the New Hampton School in New Hampshire. He played four seasons for the Saints as a center from 1980 to 1985, scoring 58-77–135 in 125 games while serving as captain in his senior season. While drafted by the Kings midway through his collegiate tenure, he never turned pro.

Eight years later, Shero made the NHL in a front-office role. Hired by the Senators as an assistant general manager for the 1993-94 season, their second in franchise history, that move kicked off a lifetime’s worth of executive work at the game’s highest level. The son of Stanley Cup-winning head coach Fred Shero remained in Ottawa until the expansion Predators plucked him to serve in an AGM role in 1998. Working under David Poile in Nashville, the league’s all-time leader in wins overseen by a GM, he got a chance to lead his own staff nearly a decade later when the Penguins named him GM and executive VP of hockey operations ahead of the 2006-07 season.

His task: take a young core in Pittsburgh led by Sidney Crosby, Marc-André Fleury, and Evgeni Malkin to the next level. He accomplished that feat within just two years, swinging a blockbuster deal for star winger Marián Hossa at the 2008 trade deadline to help guide the Pens to the 2008 Stanley Cup Final. While they fell to the Red Wings, they set themselves up for a rematch the year later and emerged victorious. Three years after taking over a team that posted a 22-46-14 record in the season preceding his hiring, Shero was a Stanley Cup champion.

Shero remained in his post through the 2013-14 season, helping the Penguins extend their championship contention window. He was named the league’s General Manager of the Year in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign after helping Pittsburgh capture a regular season conference title and was also an AGM for the United States at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

While the Pens fired Shero following a first-round elimination in the 2014 playoffs, he emerged a year later with the Devils. They brought him in ahead of the 2015-16 season to replace longtime GM Lou Lamoriello. He immediately began one of the most aggressive retools of the 2010s, signing or trading for names like Taylor Hall, Kyle Palmieri, and P.K. Subban while drafting New Jersey’s current core three forwards in Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Jack Hughes. He was replaced by current GM Tom Fitzgerald midway through the 2019-20 campaign.

Shero had served as a senior advisor to Wild GM Bill Guerin, who he picked up from the Islanders at the 2009 deadline to help the Pens to a Cup, since the 2021-22 season. “Whenever we ran into each other at a rink when he was scouting, it was clear he loved what he was doing and I always marveled at his infectious enthusiasm,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “The entire National Hockey League family mourns his passing and sends our deepest condolences to the Shero family and Ray’s many friends throughout the hockey world.”

All of us at PHR extend our condolences to the Shero family and his numerous friends and colleagues throughout the league.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE.

Greg Millen Passes Away

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Long-time NHL goaltender and broadcaster Greg Millen passed away suddenly today at the age of 67, per an announcement from the NHL’s Alumni Association.

Millen was drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 1977 draft, going 102nd overall.  He spent his major junior career in the OMJHL, spending time with Peterborough and Sault Ste. Marie before turning pro with a trio of IHL games late in the 1977-78 season.

Impressively, those were the only minor league games he played until the final season of his career as Millen made the jump to the NHL for the 1978-79 campaign, spending three years with them before signing with Hartford in free agency.  After parts of four seasons with them, it was off to St. Louis where he put up his best performances, including a 1988-89 campaign that saw him lead the NHL in shutouts and finish fifth in Vezina Trophy voting.  Toward the end of his career, Millen also briefly spent time with Quebec, Chicago, and Detroit.

While he wasn’t the tallest goaltender by any stretch standing just 5’9, he still carved out an impressive 14-year NHL career between the six different organizations, playing in 602 regular season games.  In those, Millen had a 215-284-89 record with a 3.88 GAA, a .873 SV%, and 17 shutouts.  Those numbers improved in 59 postseason appearances where he put up a 3.43 GAA and a .885 SV%.

After retiring following the 1991-92 season, Millen moved into broadcasting, spending time as the color commentator for Ottawa, Toronto, and most recently, Calgary, while being a long-time fixture on Hockey Night in Canada for the better part of three decades.  During that time, he covered three Olympic Games, two World Cups of Hockey, twelve Stanley Cup finals, and twelve NHL All-Star games.

PHR sends our condolences to Millen’s family, friends, colleagues, and former teammates.

Mark LaForest Passes Away At Age 62

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In a heartfelt announcement, the Toronto Maple Leafs reported that former goaltender Mark LaForest, known as “Trees,” had passed away at the age of 62. 

The Welland, Ontario native began his major junior career with the OHL’s Niagara Falls Flyers for the 1981-82 season and stayed with the team through their relocation a year later, becoming the North Bay Centennials. Unfortunately, LaForest went undrafted in the NHL after a two-year stint in the OHL. Still, he managed to land a multi-year agreement from the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent.

His first two years in the Red Wings organization were spent in the minor leagues. LaForest appeared in 18 games for Detroit’s AHL affiliate at the time, the Adirondack Red Wings, and their then-IHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings. It wasn’t until the 1985-86 season that LaForest got his start in the NHL with Detroit, posting a 4-21-0 record in 28 games with a 4.96 GAA and .845 SV%. With the arrival of Glen Hanlon the following season, LaForest was limited to five NHL contests for the 1986-87 campaign.

Without a path forward in Detroit, the Red Wings traded LaForest to the Philadelphia Flyers for a second-round pick at the 1987 NHL Draft. He earned the most playing time of his career with the Flyers, managing a 10-16-4 record from 1987 to 1989 with a 3.91 GAA and .873 SV%. Philadelphia traded LaForest across Lake Ontario from his hometown, joining the Maple Leafs for the 1989-90 season.

He began the campaign with Toronto’s AHL affiliate, the Newmarket Saints, contributing a .905 SV% in 10 games. Fortunately, the Maple Leafs recalled LaForest relatively quickly that season for a three-goalie tandem, and he finished the campaign with a 9-14-0 record, 3.89 GAA, and .886 SV%. LaForest spent several years in the New York Rangers’ organization before being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft.

Unfortunately, LaForest wouldn’t return to the NHL until the 1993-94 campaign after spending a year with Ottawa’s AHL affiliate, the New Haven Senators. He was featured in five games for the Senators that season, with his last start coming on March 15, 1994. The last goal scored against him was from Jari Kurri, assisted by Wayne Gretzky and Tony Granato.

LaForest spent another few seasons in the IHL and AHL before finally hanging up his skates after the 1996-97 campaign. He remained active in his community and appeared at several Flyers and Maple Leafs alumni events.

PHR sends our condolences to LaForest’s family, friends, and former teammates.

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