Former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Wayne Thomas has passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was 77.
Thomas spent two seasons with the Maple Leafs, where he immediately established himself as the club’s starting goaltender during the 1975-76 season. He joined the Maple Leafs from the Montreal Canadiens, having expressed frustration after not playing a single game as the club’s third goaltender behind Ken Dryden and Michel Plasse. This was despite Thomas pitching a shutout in his NHL debut in 1972 and going 31-13-5 over two years in Montreal.
During his first season in Toronto, Thomas was the goaltender who recorded the win in Darryl Sittler’s NHL-record 10-point game against the Boston Bruins on Feb. 7, 1976. He was on hand for the 40th anniversary celebration at Scotiabank Arena in 2016 and was also selected to the 1976 NHL All-Star Game. In his second year, Thomas’s performance declined, and rookie goaltender Mike Palmateer emerged as Toronto’s primary goaltending option.
Just before the 1977-78 season, Thomas was acquired by the New York Rangers in the NHL Waiver Draft, spending his final four seasons in the NHL as a player there.
Following his playing days, Thomas became a goaltending coach for the Rangers until 1985. He later became head coach of the IHL's Salt Lake Golden Eagles, leading them to a championship and earning the Commissioner's Trophy as Coach of the Year in his second season. He further served as an assistant coach for NHL teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues from 1986-1993, notably mentoring goalies including former Leafs goaltenders Eddie Belfour and Curtis Joseph.
In 1993, Thomas joined the San Jose Sharks organization, where he spent over two decades in various executive roles, including Assistant General Manager and Vice President. He retired from the Sharks in 2015, concluding a 45-year hockey career.
We at The Hockey News Toronto express our condolences to the Thomas family at this time. A link to his memorial can be found here.
(Top Image credit: Sportsnet on YouTube)
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