UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) -- Just about an hour after the Utica Comets won their game on Monday against the Syracuse Crunch, they found out a piece of their history was gone. The Comets announced on Monday, January 20 that Tom McVie, a former head coach of the Utica Devils, had passed away. McVie was the first head coach of the Devils in 1987, serving behind the bench for four seasons at the Utica Memorial Auditorium. McVie began his hockey career as a player in the former International Hockey League, as a member of the Toledo Mercurys. He would spend 21 seasons in the minor leagues of hockey, spending time in Seattle and Portland among many others. McVie began his work behind the bench in 1972, serving as the player-coach of the Eastern Hockey League's Johnstown Jets. He would move up to the professional ranks in the 1975-76 season, serving as a midseason replacement for the Washington Capitals. He spent three and a half seasons there before moving midway through the 1978-79 season to the WHA's Winnipeg Jets. In 19 games, McVie went 11-8 and helped the Jets win the league's final Avco Cup championship, beating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. When the WHA and NHL merged the next season, McVie was behind the bench for the Jets once more. However, the Jets could not find the success they had in 1978-79, and McVie was replaced midway through the 1980-81 season, going 20-67-12 in one and a half seasons. He would catch on in the AHL two seasons later, serving four seasons as head coach of the Maine Mariners. In his first season in Maine, he would lead the Mariners to a berth in the Calder Cup finals, losing to the Rochester Americans in four games. McVie would come to Utica in the 1987-88 season as the coach of the new Utica Devils. In just his second season at the helm at the Utica Memorial Auditorium, McVie led the Devils to a 37-34-9 record and their first playoff spot. For this, he was given the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, which is given to the media's pick for the most outstanding coach. McVie made a comeback to the NHL in the 1990-91 season, with Utica's parent club -- then and now -- the New Jersey Devils. He managed to compile a record of 42-36-15 with the Devils in two seasons, making the playoffs each year. He then moved on to be an assistant coach with the Boston Bruins for three years -- from 1993 to 1995 -- then coached the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers and the AHL's Providence Bruins in 1996 and 1997, respectively before retiring. In 2013, McVie was honored at the AHL All-Star game in Providence. His 328 AHL victories put him among the top 20 all-time in league history. Tom McVie was 89 years old.