Thomas Joseph McCarthy (July 31, 1960 – April 13, 2022) was a Canadian professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...
player who played nine seasons in the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
(NHL). He played for the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
and
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
from 1979 to 1988. He featured in the
1981 Stanley Cup Finals with the North Stars and the
1988 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1987–88 season, and the culmination of the 1988 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. The Oilers wou ...
with the Bruins.
After retiring as a player, he became a part-owner of the
Espanola Express hockey team in the
Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
(NOJHL).
Early life
McCarthy was born in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, on July 31, 1960.
[ He was the first overall pick in the 1977 OMJHL Midget Draft, making him one of two players drafted ahead of ]Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
.[ Oshawa Generals general manager ]Sherwood Bassin
Sherwood Bassin (born August 14, 1939) is a Canadian ice hockey executive known primarily for 36 years of involvement in the Ontario Hockey League as a general manager, team owner and coach. Bassin successfully turned franchises around, and his ...
chose McCarthy over Gretzky primarily because Gretzky had made it known prior to the draft he only intended to play one season in the OHL before signing with the World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...
. McCarthy scored 69 goals in 63 games played for the Oshawa Generals during the 1978–79 season.[
Prior to the NHL entry draft in 1979, McCarthy who was 19 at the time, and his agent Art Kaminsky threatened to sue the NHL over the minimum age of 20 to be eligible for the entry draft. The NHL moved the draft from June to August and lowered to minimum age for draft eligibility. McCarthy was drafted in the first round (tenth overall selection) of the ]1979 NHL Entry Draft
The 1979 NHL Entry Draft was the 17th NHL Entry Draft. It took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League (NHL) teams selected 126 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in ...
by the Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
.
Playing career
McCarthy joined the North Stars after the draft at the age of 19 and made the team's opening day roster for the 1979–80 NHL season
The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the addition of four teams from the disbanded World Hockey Association as expansion franchises. The Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, New England Whalers (l ...
, playing in a 4—1 win over the Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
on October 11, 1979. His first NHL point came in his third game against the Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
on October 14, 1979, and his first two NHL goals against the New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in a 7—2 win on October 27, 1979. McCarthy finished the regular season with 36 points, scoring 16 goals and logging 39 penalty minutes. The North Stars finished 3rd in the Adams Division
The NHL's Adams Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Prince of Wales Conference. The division existed for 19 seasons until 1993. It was named in honour of Charles Francis Adams, the founder of the Boston Bruins. It is the forerunner of the ...
with a record of 36–38–16 and qualified for the 1980 Stanley Cup playoffs. In the first round, the North Stars swept the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
in three games with McCarthy scoring 5 points with 2 goals. In the second round, the North Stars defeated the Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
in 4 games to 3, and during the series, McCarthy had one goal and one assist. In the semi-finals, the North Stars were eliminated four games to one by the Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...
, with McCarthy scoring 4 points with 2 goals.
He was selected to play in the 1983 NHL All-Star Game
The 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 8, 1983, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, home to the New York Islanders. In the game, Edmonton Oilers' centre Wayne Gretzky set an All-Star Game ...
and ended that year with 28 goals in a career-high 80 games played. During the 1983–84 season, he finished fifth in the NHL in game-winning goals (7), seventh in power play goals (16), and ninth in shooting percentage (23.6). In the summer of 1985, he checked into rehab in California for alcohol dependency. Later in the 1985–86 season, McCarthy had a number of injuries, missing the season opener with a knee injury, then later suffered injuries to his wrist, shoulder, thumb and contracted influenza.
McCarthy was later traded to the Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...
on May 16, 1986 for second and third-round picks. The trade came after a series of injuries and McCarthy arriving late for practice on multiple occasions, McCarthy also did not agree to a contract extension with the North Stars and was set to become a free agent. McCarthy did agree to a new contract with the Bruins before the trade was completed. During his first season with the franchise, he recorded the fourth-highest shooting percentage (24.8). McCarthy retired as a player at the end of the 1987–88 season, finishing his career with 178 goals and 399 points. He had 12 goals and 38 points in the playoffs. At the start of the 1989–90 season, McCarthy tried out for the Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference, and ...
, failing to make the roster.
Former North Stars general manager Lou Nanne
Louis Vincent Anthony Nanne (born June 2, 1941) is a Canadian-born American former National Hockey League defenceman and general manager. He played in the National Hockey League with the Minnesota North Stars between 1968 and 1978 and then served ...
described McCarthy as "one of the most talented" North Star players of all time. During his playing time he earned the nickname "Jughead", and often played on a line with centre Neal Broten
Neal LaMoy Broten (born November 29, 1959) is an American former professional ice hockey player. A member of the 1980 US Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, Broten was inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in ...
and Hall of Fame winger Dino Ciccarelli
Dino Ciccarelli (born February 8, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars, but also notably with the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he h ...
.
Legal issues
After McCarthy retired from the NHL, he resided in Minnesota. There, he became involved with drug dealer Carl Thompsen. His activities resulted in McCarthy receiving a prison sentence of five years and ten months for conspiracy to traffic a truck full of marijuana in 1994. As he was considered an illegal alien by U.S. authorities, he was sent to the U.S. Federal Leavenworth Penitentiary. He started a hockey program at Leavenworth, earning the respect of his fellow inmates and, eventually, a transfer to a prison in Canada to complete the final year of his full sentence.[ McCarthy credited the hockey program he began in prison for stirring his passion for coaching.]
Coaching career
After his release from prison, McCarthy coached junior hockey in Mississauga, Ontario, before becoming head coach of the Huntsville Otters
The Huntsville Otters are a Canadian Junior ice hockey team from Huntsville, Ontario. Starting from the 2016-17 season the Otters are members of the Provincial Junior Hockey League. Prior to this change they were members of the Georgian Mid-Onta ...
of the OPJHL,[ and later the Trenton Golden Hawks of the OJHL.]
McCarthy was named head coach of the North Bay Trappers Junior "A" Hockey Club of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL) is a Canadian Junior ice hockey league and member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Hockey Association. The winner of the NOJHL playoffs competes for the Dudley Hewitt Cup ...
(NOJHL) on June 27, 2011.[ He remained there for two seasons, leading the team to a NOJHL championship in ]2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
.[ Later that same year, Tim Clayden – the Trappers' owner – founded an expansion team that same year called the Espanola Rivermen and brought McCarthy on as head coach. McCarthy stayed with the Rivermen when they left the NOJHL to join Clayden's new league, the ]Canadian International Hockey League
The Canadian International Hockey League (CIHL) was a Canadian independent Junior ice hockey league based in Northern Ontario, Central Ontario, and the Greater Toronto Area.
History
The CIHL was officially announced on April 8, 2014 with the unvei ...
, which lasted just one season before folding in 2015.
The NOJHL announced in May 2015 the establishment of another expansion team in Espanola called the Express. McCarthy joined the team as one of the owners and its head coach. In August of the following year, McCarthy announced he was taking a head coaching position with HSC Csíkszereda
Hoki Sport Klub Csíkszereda ( ro, Hockey Sport Club Miercurea Ciuc) is a professional ice hockey club based in Miercurea Ciuc, Romania. They play in the country's top-level championship, the Romanian Hockey League, and also participate in the in ...
in the Romanian Hockey League
The Romanian Hockey League (''Campionatul Naţional'') is the highest level of Romanian ice hockey. It is governed by the ''Federaţia Română de Hochei pe Gheaţă'' (FRHG) (Romanian Ice Hockey Federation).
2021/22 teams
Champions
* 1925 Br ...
but would continue to remain involved with the Express as one of the owners. He later resigned as Csíkszereda‘s coach in late November 2016. He subsequently returned to Espanola as the Express' head coach for the 2017–18 season.
Personal life
After retiring from coaching, McCarthy resided in Chuburna, Yucatán
Yucatán (, also , , ; yua, Yúukatan ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Yucatán,; yua, link=no, Xóot' Noj Lu'umil Yúukatan. is one of the 31 states which comprise the federal entities of Mexico. It comprises 106 separate mun ...
, Mexico. He was married to Tina McCarthy at the time of his death.
McCarthy suffered a dissected aortic aneurysm and died in the hospital following surgery in Chuburna, Yucatán, Mexico, at the age of 61.[
]
Career statistics
Sources:
References
External links
*
article at Slam Sports
U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons listing
CBC – Tom McCarthy Story – Hockey night in Canada
Former NHLer living the dream again . . . but in a different way
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCarthy, Tom
1960 births
2022 deaths
Boston Bruins players
Canadian ice hockey forwards
Kingston Canadians players
Maine Mariners players
Minnesota North Stars draft picks
Minnesota North Stars players
Moncton Golden Flames players
National Hockey League All-Stars
National Hockey League first-round draft picks
Oshawa Generals players
Sportspeople convicted of crimes
Ice hockey people from Toronto
Deaths from aortic aneurysm