Tom Lysiak, Canadian ice hockey player, Died at 63

  Sports

Thomas James Lysiak was born on April 22, 1953, and died on May 30, 2016.

He was a professional Polish Canadian ice hockey player.

Tom was selected as the second overall pick in round 1 of the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Flames, and was drafted by the Houston Aeros in round 2 of the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft (23rd overall).

During his last two seasons at Medicine Hat, he was awarded the Bob Clarke Trophy as the Western Canada Hockey League’s leading scorer (with a total of 297 points in 135 games).

For Chicago, Tom Lysiak played seven full seasons and in 1980–81 led the team in scoring with 76 points, which includes a career-high 55 assists.

For his next season, from 1981–82, Tom Lysiak matched his top point-scoring season in Atlanta with 82 points and scored a career-high 32 goals.

As a member of the Black Hawks, On October 30, 1983, Lysiak tripped linesman Ron Foyt during a game against the Hartford Whalers.

As a result of that incident, the NHL imposed a 20-game suspension, one of the longest in league history.

When he to his retirement, Lysiak worked in the landscaping, real estate, and construction industries in the Atlanta area.

Tom Lysiak was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame, during 2012.

Thomas James Lysiak daughter, Jessica Lee “Jessie” Lysiak, finished in the top 3 on Season 4 of the US version of MasterChef and is married to San Jose Sharks defenseman Justin Braun.

He died due to leukemia.

Tom Lysiak passed away at 63 yrs old.