Remembering those we lost in 2016
The hockey world bid farewell to many beloved figures this year.
From Hall of Fame players to respected coaches, builders, and journeymen, more than a few significant contributors to the game left us in 2016.
Here are the most influential individuals in hockey for whom we mourned:
Gordie Howe
No loss hit hockey harder than the death of "Mr. Hockey" in June.
Howe's death at the age of 88 elicited an outpouring of grief from those involved in the sport and beyond.
Many spent the day of his death sharing memorable stories of No. 9, and there was no shortage of tributes in the days and months to follow.
Howe's skill, toughness, and unrivaled longevity were all part of his enduring legacy, and his remarkable character ensured he'll never be forgotten.
Ed Snider
The Philadelphia Flyers lost their patriarch when co-founder and longtime chairman Ed Snider died at the age of 83 in April following a two-year battle with cancer.
Snider owned the Flyers for nearly 50 years and was credited with turning Philadelphia into a hockey town. He was inducted into the sport's Hall of Fame in 1988.
The successful businessman formerly owned the Philadelphia 76ers and was a part-owner of the NFL's Eagles.
Marek Svatos
The former Colorado Avalanche winger left the world tragically, and far too young.
Svatos was pronounced dead at the age of 34 in early November, and the cause was later determined to be a drug overdose due to a combination of substances including codeine, morphine, and anti-anxiety medication.
He played six seasons with the Avalanche, scoring a career-high 32 goals in 2005-06, before concluding his NHL tenure with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators. Svatos finished his hockey career with stints in the KHL and his native Slovakia, playing his final season in 2013-14.
Andy Bathgate
A Hockey Hall of Famer whose No. 9 hangs from the rafters at Madison Square Garden, Bathgate died in February at the age of 83.
He was a talented scorer who notched at least 25 goals every season from 1956-57 to 1962-63, winning the Hart Trophy in 1959 following a 40-goal campaign.
Bathgate was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1964, and he immediately helped them win the Stanley Cup, scoring the eventual game-winning goal in Game 7.
Bill Dineen
While Snider was the figurative patriarch of the Flyers franchise, Dineen was the literal father figure in one of hockey's most well known coaching families.
Dineen, who died earlier this month at the age of 84, won two Stanley Cups as a player before becoming an accomplished head coach.
He guided the WHA's Houston Aeros to back-to-back championships in the 1970s and won the AHL's Calder Cup twice in the '80s. His sons Kevin, Gord, and Jerry all followed in his coaching footsteps, occupying instructional roles in the NHL and AHL.