Mike Nykoluk

Mike Nykoluk
Born	December 11, 1934 Toronto, ON, CAN
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Right
Played for	NHL Toronto Maple Leafs AHL Rochester Americans Hershey Bears
Playing career	1956–1972

Michael A. Nykoluk (born December 11, 1934) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played one season in the National Hockey League for the Toronto Maple Leafs and who coached for seven seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. He is the younger brother of longtime Canadian Football League player Danny Nykoluk.

Playing career

The Hershey Bears retired Nykoluk's No. 8 in recognition of his 14 years of service to the team.

Nykoluk began his professional career with the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1956–57. That season with Rochester, he was called up to play in the NHL for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 32 games he played for Toronto would be his only stint in the NHL. He only mustered 4 points in those 32 games. He was sent back down to the Americans and went on to have an extensive playing career for the Hershey Bears of the AHL playing for 14 seasons before retiring. He was then offered a job with the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant to head coach Fred Shero. Nykoluk helped the Flyers win the Stanley Cup in 1974, 1975. He later became an assistant of head coach Fred Shero with the New York Rangers and head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs for three seasons ending in 1984.

Coaching record

• 1972-75 Philadelphia Flyers NHL Assistant Coach
• 1978-80 New York Rangers NHL Assistant Coach

Team	Year	Regular Season							Post Season
		G	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
TOR	1980–81	40	15	15	10	-	(71)	5th in Adams	Lost in First Round
TOR	1981–82	80	20	44	16	-	56	5th in Norris	Did Not Qualify
TOR	1982–83	80	28	40	12	-	68	3rd in Norris	Lost in First Round
TOR	1983–84	80	26	45	9	-	61	5th in Norris	Did Not Qualify
Total		280	89	144	47

Awards and achievements

• Memorial Cup Championship (1955)
• Calder Cup (AHL) Championships (1959 & 1969)
• AHL Second All-Star Team (1967)
• Les Cunningham Award (AHL) MVP (1967)
• AHL First All-Star Team (1968)
• Stanley Cup Championship (1974, 1975 as an Ass't Coach)
• Stanley Cup Finalist (1979 as an Ass't Coach)

External links

• Mike Nykoluk's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Mike Nykoluk's biography at Legends of Hockey
• AHL Hockey Hall of Fame bio