Tom Colley

Thomas Lewis Colley (August 21, 1953 – November 17, 2021) was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He played one game in the National Hockey League, with the Minnesota North Stars on March 12, 1975. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1973 to 1986, was spent in the minor leagues. Colley's son, Kevin, also played in the NHL.

Playing career As a youth, Colley played in the 1966 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Toronto Weston minor ice hockey team.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Colley played junior hockey for the Niagara Falls Flyers and the Sudbury Wolves, scoring 117 points, including 81 assists. Colley was drafted 57th overall by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1973 NHL Amateur Draft and 38th overall by the New England Whalers in the 1973 WHA Amateur Draft. Like most WHA draftees, Colley chose to report to the NHL and signed with the North Stars, playing one game for the North Stars during the 1974-75 NHL season. He was assigned to the New Haven Nighthawks of the American Hockey League and spent a total of seven seasons with the team, helping them to two division titles in 1979 and 1980 as well as the regular season title in 1980. He also made the Calder Cup finals three times with the Nighthawks, in 1975, losing to the Springfield Indians, and in 1978 and 1979, losing to the Maine Mariners on both occasions. He is the Nighthawks' all-time leader in goals (204), assists (281), points (485), and games (534).

In 1980, Colley spent a season with the Binghamton Whalers before spending the next five seasons playing senior hockey for the Collingwood Royals. He retired as a player in 1986. Colley died on November 17, 2021.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1970–71 Weston Dodgers MetJBHL — 52 51 103 — — — — — — 1971–72 Niagara Falls Flyers OHA 63 23 22 45 53 6 3 1 4 14 1972–73 Sudbury Wolves OHA 67 36 81 117 84 4 0 2 2 0 1973–74 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 66 9 18 27 28 10 2 2 4 4 1974–75 Minnesota North Stars NHL 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 1974–75 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 76 29 47 76 51 16 6 12 18 8 1975–76 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 76 38 31 69 35 3 0 1 1 0 1976–77 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 80 37 56 93 36 6 2 2 4 0 1977–78 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 80 32 54 86 17 15 2 6 8 2 1978–79 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 77 36 32 68 24 10 3 9 12 2 1979–80 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 79 23 43 66 43 7 0 4 4 4 1980–81 Binghamton Whalers AHL 74 17 33 50 31 6 4 3 7 2 1981–82 Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Int 30 21 42 63 — — — — — — 1982–83 Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Sr 30 22 36 58 — — — — — — 1983–84 Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Sr 37 40 53 93 — — — — — — 1984–85 Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Sr — 20 48 68 — — — — — — 1985–86 Collingwood Shipbuilders OHA Sr 36 21 34 55 — — — — — — AHL totals 608 221 314 535 265 73 19 39 58 22 NHL totals 1 0 0 0 2 — — — — —