|
Tom McVie
 Tom McVie was born on June 6, 1935, in Trail. Like most children in Trail, he participated in local sports and activities. Tom McVie Sr., his father, who worked at the Cominco Smelter for 40 years, told young Tom that ?success is finding something you love to do and getting someone to pay you for it.? He tried many sports. He represented Trail at the BC Interior Games in Kelowna and won the 3-metre diving championship when he was 16 years old. This was exciting, but like most Canadian boys, his dream was to play professional hockey.
He left home at the age of 16 and played junior hockey in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He was gritty and hardworking, but was not a very gifted player. He just wanted a chance to play with a team. Tom got his big chance at age 21 with the Toledo Mercuries of the International Hockey League. Initially, they wanted to send him home, but he worked so hard that they kept him on the team for two seasons. He began to get a reputation as a tough left-handed right-winger and earned the chance to play in a better professional league, the Western Hockey League (WHL).
With only six National Hockey League (NHL) teams, Tom was honoured to play in the Western Hockey League. He hoped that he could keep up with these impressive pros. He not only kept up, but played 15 years in the Western Hockey League. He played six years with the Seattle Totems, where they won the WHL Championships in 1958-59. He also played six seasons with the Portland Buckaroos, where he was second in league goal scoring two times, first in 1961-62, and again in 1964-65. He scored five goals in one game, which was a record that was never broken. Tom also helped lead the Buckaroos to the championship in the 1964-65 season. He also played two seasons with the Phoenix Roadrunners, and one season with the Los Angeles Blades.
Tom had a celebrated professional career in the WHL with more than 1,100 games played, more than 450 goals scored, and more than 1,000 total points accumulated. Tom was selected as a first team all-star twice and second team all-star once.
During the early years of professional hockey, the players earned a fraction of the high-priced salaries of today?s pros. In the hockey off-season, Tom played another game he loved, box lacrosse. He played 10 seasons in the Canadian Senior Lacrosse Association, with one year in Portland, Oregon; seven years in Nanaimo, BC; and two in Vancouver, BC. In 1965, Tom (the captain and first team all-star) led the team to play for the Canadian National Championship. With his playing career ending, Tom still had a strong passion for hockey, and in 1971, he took an assistant coaching job in the International Hockey League with the Fort Wayne Comets. This job was the beginning of a coaching career that would span 27 years, and seven leagues. In the 1972-73 season, Tom was the player and head coach of the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern Hockey League.
His next job led to a huge break. The Dayton Gems were the farm team of the National Hockey League?s Washington Capitals. Since Tom had great success in Dayton over his three-year tenure, he received the opportunity to coach the Capitals as they struggled in the 1975-76 season. Tom continued his General Manager duties in Dayton, even after he was hired as Head Coach of the Capitals. That season, the Dayton Gems won the International Hockey League championship. His first season was a long one in Washington, but in the second season, the team became more competitive and Tom was honoured as the NHL?s runner-up Coach of the Year in the 1976-77 season. Scotty Bowman beat out Tom as Coach of the Year.
The Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association hired Tom in 1979. The team was struggling when he was hired, but he led the Jets to win the Avco Championship Trophy, by beating the Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier-led Edmonton Oilers. Tom coached two more seasons with the now NHL Winnipeg Jets, with Bobby Hull being one of his most notable players.
Tom coached the NHL?s New Jersey Devils in 1984, and throughout the 1980s, he was considered to be one of the best teachers and cultivators of young talent in the game of hockey. He coached farm teams for the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers in Oklahoma City, Portland, Maine and Utica, New York respectively, in the Central and American Hockey Leagues. He was honoured as American Hockey League Coach of the Year in the 1988-89 season. As General Manager, his 1983-84 Maine Mariners won the league championship.
Tom coached the New Jersey Devils for two years in the early 1990s. He was asked by Harry Sinden to be the Assistant Coach of the Boston Bruins. He accepted and was Brian Sutter?s assistant for three seasons, coaching future Hall-of-Famers Ray Borque and Cam Neeley. In 1996, Tom coached the Wheeling Nailers of the East Coast Hockey League. His final coaching job was with Boston?s farm team in Providence of the American Hockey League. Tom?s coaching career spanned for 27 years, with over 2,000 games coached and more than 600 victories.
Tom has hung up his coach?s whistle, but continues to be the Boston Bruins? Professional Scout for west coast operations. He has truly made a career of doing what he loves.
Return to the Monument Index |
|
|
