Syracuse, N.Y. — Jack McIlhargey, a brawling member of the famed Philadelphia Broad Street Bullies and the first coach of the Syracuse Crunch, has died at age 68 after a long battle with cancer.
McIlhargey was head coach of the Crunch from the franchise’s inception in 1994 until 1999. He took the team to the conference finals in 1995-96, the team’s second year.
McIlhargey, a defenseman, played 393 games in the NHL with Philadelphia, Vancouver and Hartford, compiling 11 goals, 36 assists and 1,102 penalty minutes.
“This was a hockey guy, from a player to a coach to a scout,” said Syracuse owner Howard Dolgon. “He epitomized the game.”
Dolgon recalled McIlhargey setting the tone of the franchise at its introductory press conference in 1994.
“I didn’t know what he was going to say,” Dolgon said. “It was just the fire in his message. The message was, ‘You’re going to want to come out and watch these guys play.’ We were entertaining, we were tough and had a lot of personality. Jack was a fiery guy.”
Dolgon also credited McIlhargey for helping to sell the new team in the community.
“He believed in the market,” Dolgon said. “He was out and about. You see him all the time in the community. He was one of us right away.”
Lindsay Kramer is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached via email at LKramer@Syracuse.com.