John Brophy (ice hockey)
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John Brophy (born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia) is a former head coach in the National Hockey League, minor professional ice hockey head coach, as well as a former hockey player in the minor professional Eastern Hockey League.
As a rough nosed player spanning 22 years in the Eastern Hockey League, Brophy moved on to coaching in 1968 as player-head coach of the Long Island Ducks of the EHL and one season with the Birmingham Bulls of the World Hockey Association, with whom he won the Robert Schmertz Memorial Trophy as best WHA head coach. Some of the players he coached in Birmingham included Canadian hockey hero Paul Henderson, Dave Hanson of the Hanson Brothers, and Rick Vaive, who he would later coach in Toronto.
In 1981, the Montreal Canadiens contacted Brophy about a coaching job. It would be a chance to return back home and coach in the Maritimes. From 1981-1984, Brophy coached the Nova Scotia Voyageurs, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens. Brophy was offered a job as assistant coach by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984 and then promoted to head coach from 1986 to 1988 after a brief stint in the American Hockey League. Not being able to bring the Toronto Maple Leafs a long awaited Stanley Cup, he found a home in the East Coast Hockey League where he won three Championships with the Hampton Roads Admirals. He then rounded out his professional coaching career with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL. He coached with his hometown Antigonish Bulldogs of Maritime Junior A Hockey League during the 2004-05 season. He will return to coaching in the 2006-2007 season as coach of the Southern Professional Hockey League Richmond Renegades.
| Preceded by: Dan Maloney |
Head Coaches of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1986-1988 |
Succeeded by: George Armstrong |
| Preceded by: Dan Maloney |
Assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs 1984–1986 |
Succeeded by: to be determined |
