SAN JOSE, Calif. – The hockey world mourns the loss of Wayne Thomas, former NHL goaltender, who passed away at age 77 due to cancer. Thomas had a distinguished career in hockey, as a player, coach, and executive.
The news was confirmed by a spokesperson for the San Jose Sharks, who received the information directly from Thomas’s family on Wednesday. The spokesperson indicated that the death occurred at his residence in Falmouth, Massachusetts.Wayne Thomas, jugando en la portería para los Rangers en 1978, con Mike Bossy de los Islanders observando. (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine, File)Originally from Ottawa, Thomas defended the goal for the Montreal, Toronto, and New York Rangers between 1973 and 1980. Immediately after his time as a player, he dedicated himself to coaching, serving as an assistant on the teams of New York, Chicago, St. Louis, and San Jose. He also coached teams in the International Hockey League in Salt Lake City and Peoria.
Thomas dedicated nearly two decades to the Sharks’ management, from the mid-1990s to 2015, mostly as assistant to the general manager and vice president of hockey operations, overseeing their American Hockey League club.
