Lou Marcon
| Luigi Angelo Marcon | |
|---|---|
| Lou Marcon; Luigi "Lou" Marcon | |
| Born | 1935-05-28 Fort William |
| Died | 2023-05-30 Hogarth Riverview Manor, Thunder Bay |
| Years in Thunder Bay | 1951–1955; by 1970–at least 1989 |
| Occupation | Ice hockey player; coach |
| Partner | |
Luigi Angelo Marcon (May 28, 1935 – May 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 60 games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings between 1959 and 1963. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1955 to 1973, was spent in various minor leagues.[1]
Thunder Bay connections
Luigi Angelo "Lou" Marcon (May 28, 1935 – May 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player born in Fort William who died in Thunder Bay. He began his career with the Fort William Canadians in the Thunder Bay junior league and also played for the Fort William Beavers. Late in his career he returned to play for the Thunder Bay Twins from 1968 to 1973.
Life and family
Marcon was born in the East End of Fort William on 28 May 1935 to Angelo and Cella Marcon. He developed into an elite hockey player and reached the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, with minor-pro stops in Cincinnati, Edmonton, Pittsburgh and Memphis. After his playing days he was a renowned minor-hockey coach in Thunder Bay, first as a player-coach with the Thunder Bay Twins and later with the Thunder Bay Kings AAA program, and in 2000 he was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[2]
He worked first as an employee and later as a partner at Nor-Shore Ready Mix until he retired in 1993. He married Dolores Mastrangelo on 20 September 1960, and they were married for 62 years and had four daughters. He lived on Mountdale Avenue until 2022.[2] He died at Hogarth Riverview Manor on 30 May 2023, aged 88. A celebration of his life was held at St. Agnes Church on 10 June 2023, with donations to the Boys and Girls Club of Thunder Bay or PRO Kids Thunder Bay.[2]
Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame
Lou Marcon was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 as an athlete (ceremony date given as 30 September 2000), for hockey.[3]
Raised in Fort William, Marcon developed his skills as a defenceman in local hockey programs. Between 1951 and 1955, he played for the Fort William Canadiens, a team that dominated the regional junior circuit. During his tenure, the club secured three straight Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association Junior Championships from 1952 to 1955.[3]
In 1955, Marcon transitioned to the professional ranks by joining the Cincinnati Mohawks of the International Hockey League (IHL). He contributed to the team's consecutive league titles, winning the Turner Cup in the 1955-56 and 1956-57 seasons. His individual performance earned him a spot as an IHL Second Team All-Star in 1957, followed by a selection to the First Team All-Star roster the next year.[3]
The Detroit Red Wings acquired Marcon from the Montreal organization during the 1958 NHL Intra-League Draft. Wearing jersey number 19, he appeared in 60 NHL contests across the 1958-59, 1959-60, and 1962-63 seasons. During this era, he also played for the Edmonton Flyers in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he won a WHL championship in 1961-62. From 1963 until 1968, he played for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the American Hockey League, as well as the Memphis Wings and Fort Worth Wings in the Central Hockey League.[3]
After a brief break from the sport, Marcon returned to Thunder Bay in the 1970s to serve as a defenceman, captain, and coach for the Thunder Bay Twins. He later shifted his focus to coaching various local youth teams throughout the 1970s and 1980s. His involvement in the sport spanned nearly 40 years, during which he played approximately 800 professional games.[3]
Residence in the Thunder Bay area (1951–1955; by 1970–at least 1989) rests on the following dated evidence. He played for the Fort William Canadiens from 1951-55 and returned to play for and coach local teams from 1970 through the 1980s.[3]
Achievements listed in the profile:
- Won three consecutive TBAHA Junior Championships with the Fort William Canadiens from 1952-55
- Captured back-to-back Turner Cup titles with the Cincinnati Mohawks in 1955-56 and 1956-57
- Named an IHL Second Team All-Star in 1957
- Named an IHL First Team All-Star in 1958
- Played 60 games in the National Hockey League with the Detroit Red Wings
- Won the WHL championship with the Edmonton Flyers in 1961-62
- Played nearly 800 professional hockey games over a 16-year career
- Served as captain and coach for the Thunder Bay Twins[3]
References
- ↑ This article incorporates text from the Wikipedia article on Lou Marcon, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Obituary for Luigi (Lou) Marcon, The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay), 3 June 2023, via Legacy.com. Archived copy on datum.locker.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Lou Marcon", athlete profile, Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, https://www.nwosportshalloffame.com/athlete-profile/603104fb-dfd4-424e-bd5c-aaeb7f937a7d (accessed 31 October 2026). Archived copy on datum.locker.