Tom McVie, who coached the Winnipeg Jets to the 1979 World Hockey Association championship before moving on to a head-coaching career in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils, died at the age of 89.

Somber news for the Black and Gold: the passing of former assistant coach Tom McVie, the inimitable hockey lifer with a deep voice and a deeper treasure trove of jokes and stories. He was 89.

BOSTON — Tom McVie, who coached the Winnipeg Jets to the 1979 World Hockey Association championship over Wayne Gretzky’s Edmonton Oilers in the final year before the franchises were absorbed into the NHL, has died. He was 89.

I’ve said it and wrote it time and again about Tom McVie – he was the best storyteller in the hockey world. It’s not even close. View the original article to see embedded media. You mention his name to anyone who knew him and immediately that person would attempt to tell a story and imitate McVie’s scratchy,