Tom Lysiak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tom Lysiak |
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| Born | April 22, 1953 High Prairie, Alberta, Canada |
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| Died | May 30, 2016 (aged 63) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Atlanta Flames Chicago Black Hawks |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 2nd overall, 1973 Atlanta Flames |
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| WHA Draft | 23rd overall, 1973 Houston Aeros |
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| Playing career | 1973–1986 | ||
Thomas James Lysiak (born April 22, 1953 – died May 30, 2016) was a professional ice hockey player from Canada. He was a talented center who played for the Atlanta Flames and the Chicago Black Hawks in the NHL.
Tom was chosen very early in the 1973 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Flames. He was the second player picked overall! He was also drafted by another league, the WHA, by the Houston Aeros. Before joining the NHL, Tom was a star player for the Medicine Hat Tigers. He won the Bob Clarke Trophy twice for being the top scorer in his league. He scored an amazing 297 points in just 135 games!
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Playing Career
Starting with the Flames
Tom Lysiak joined the Atlanta Flames for the 1973–74 NHL season. This was only the second year for the Flames team. In his first year, Tom scored 64 points, which was the most on his team. He helped the Flames reach the playoffs for the first time ever. He also finished second in the voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy, which is given to the best rookie player.
Tom was a key player for the Flames. He led the team in scoring for all five of his full seasons there. He was so good that he was chosen to play in three NHL All-Star Games in a row (1975, 1976, and 1977). He even became the Flames' team captain for two seasons.
Moving to Chicago
In the middle of the 1978–79 season, Tom was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. This was a very big trade at the time, involving eight players! Tom is still the Atlanta Flames' all-time leader in assists with 276. He also leads in total points with 431. He is second in goals with 155 for the Flames. He had 21 games where he scored two goals and even one hat trick (three goals in one game).
Tom played seven full seasons for Chicago. In the 1980–81 season, he led the Black Hawks in scoring with 76 points. The next season, 1981–82, he had his best scoring year, matching his top point total in Atlanta with 82 points. He also scored a career-high 32 goals that season.
In 1983, during a game, Tom accidentally tripped a linesman. The NHL gave him a 20-game suspension for this. It was one of the longest suspensions in the league's history at that time.
Life Outside Hockey
After he stopped playing hockey, Tom Lysiak worked in different jobs. He worked in landscaping, real estate, and construction in the Atlanta area.
In 2012, Tom was honored by being added to the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame.
His daughter, Jessica, was on the TV show MasterChef in 2013. She finished in 3rd place! She is married to Philadelphia Flyers player Justin Braun.
Tom Lysiak passed away on May 30, 2016, at the age of 63. He had been diagnosed with leukemia (a type of cancer) three years earlier. He is related to current NHL player Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche. Cale's father, Gary, is Tom's cousin.
Awards and Honors
- Bob Brownridge Memorial Trophy (WCHL leading scorer) – 1972 & 1973
- WCHL First All-Star Team – 1972
- WCHL All-Star Team – 1973
See also
