Rick McLeish and Tom Lysiak RIP

[Amor de Cosmos]

Lysiak (63) from leukemia and McLeish (66) from "multiple medical problems."

I afraid I don't have strong memories of Lysiak, probably because neither the Atlanta Flames nor the Black Hawks were particularly strong in his heyday.

McLeish OTOH was a mighty goal-scorer and one of the few genuinely talented players on the evil Broad Street Bullies of the mid 70s. If memory serves I think Heliotrope was a big fan, but I could be mistaken.

[ursus arctos]

Rick McLeish and Tom Lysiak RIP

Lysiak was the greatest Atlanta Flame ever, by some margin.

MacLeish was to my mind the most talented member of those BSB teams.

[Amor de Cosmos]

Rick McLeish and Tom Lysiak RIP

I guess Reggie Leach, Bernie Parent and, perhaps, Bill Barber might be in the conversation.

It's odd I just looked at all-time the list of Atlanta Flames players (Lysiak played more games than anyone barring Rey Comeau.) The players I do remember are all wearing another uniform, like Gary Unger (Blues) or Ivan Boldirev (Black Hawks and Canucks.) I suppose that's the fate of a short-lived expansion franchise.

[ursus arctos]

Rick McLeish and Tom Lysiak RIP

I was excluding Parent because goalies are different, and always though MacLeish was more complete than Barber.