OHL Mourns the Loss of Mike Nykoluk

The OHL is saddened by the loss of alumnus, long-time pro and former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Nykoluk who passed away on Monday at the age of 87.

Nykoluk was a Memorial Cup champion as a member of the 1955 Toronto Marlboros, joining three-time Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup champions Bob Baun, Billy Harris and Bob Pulford on that roster under head coach Turk Broda.

After his time with the Marlboros, Nykoluk went on to play 17 professional seasons spent largely with the AHL’s Hershey Bears. He got into 32 NHL matchups with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 1956-57 season, scoring three times, but he made his biggest mark in the AHL where he remains sixth in all-time points (881), third in assists (686) and fifth in games played (1,069). Nykoluk won the Calder Cup with Hershey in 1959 and 1969 and was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2007.

Nykoluk remains Hershey’s all-time leader in games played (972), assists (636), and points (808). He won the Les Cunningham Award as AHL MVP in, 1967 and his number 8 is retired by the club.

Upon conclusion of his playing career in 1972, Nykoluk was hired as the first full-time assistant coach in Philadelphia Flyers history. After hoisting Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, he moved on to spend time as an assistant with the New York Rangers before serving as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons from 1981-84.

For more on the career of Mike Nykoluk, visit theahl.com.

The Bears are saddened to learn of the passing of the club’s all-time leading scorer Mike Nykoluk. We will honor him prior to Wednesday’s game at GIANT Center.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Full Statement: https://t.co/2FUi3gLz4x pic.twitter.com/pnVENk0Zvg

— Hershey Bears (@TheHersheyBears) January 31, 2022