Wayne Thomas, a former NHL goalie who later enjoyed a long career as a coach and executive in hockey, has passed away due to cancer. He was 77 years old.
A representative from the San Jose Sharks announced that the team found out about Thomas’ death on Wednesday from his family. The representative mentioned that he died at his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
Thomas, who is from Ottawa, played as a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers between 1973 and 1980. After his playing career, he quickly transitioned into coaching.
He worked as an assistant coach with teams like New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Jose. He also had periods where he coached in the International Hockey League for teams based in Salt Lake City and Peoria, Illinois.
From the mid-1990s until 2015, Thomas spent almost twenty years in the Sharks’ front office. During most of that time, he held positions as assistant general manager and vice president of hockey operations while managing their American Hockey League team.
