Jack McIlhargey
Highest Level of Play: NHL (Philadelphia Flyers & Vancouver Canucks)
Jack McIlhargey, former National Hockey League player and coach, current scout for the Philadelphia Flyers, and long-time fan-favourite, is a co-founder and cornerstone of HockeyCircles.
A 'tough as nails' competitor - never backing down from anyone - Jack was a seasoned defenceman and member of the famed 'Broad Street Bullies' that helped the Flyers win the 1975 Stanley Cup. In 393 games played he amassed 11 goals, 36 assists, and 1102 penalty minutes.
"I wasn't a great skater or a great player," McIlhargey once said, "But I worked hard. I knew, when I came to practice or a game, that I wouldn't be outworked."
Because of his perseverance and hard work, Jack proved to be a solid leader on and off of the ice. Not long after his playing career concluded, Jack quickly discovered his passion for the game in a leadership role. In a successful professional coaching career spanning over three decades, McIlhargey was a head/assistant/associate coach in both the AHL and the NHL, and has held a scouting role since 2007.
Named as one of "The 101 Greatest Canucks", inducted into the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame (2011), played a key role in "lifting the Iron Curtain" in bringing two Russian stars west to play for the Canucks in the late 1980s - these achievements - as well as others - have cemented Jack's reputation as an insightful, knowledgeable and keen hockey mind.
Jack McIlhargey brings his immense experience and long-time devotion to the game of hockey to HockeyCircles – based on a highly accomplished playing/coaching/scouting career– as well as his notable passion for helping today's players develop and improve their game to its fullest potential.