Ducks assistant coach Mike Stothers diagnosed with cancer

Stothers’ cancer is Stage 3 Melanoma of the Lymph Node, meaning that the cancer is larger and may have spread to surround tissues. He is currently under care at UCI Health in Orange County and will begin treatment on the cancer in the coming weeks.

“I want to thank all my family, friends and the Ducks organization, led by our owners Henry and Susan Samueli, for their incredible support during this difficult period,” said Stothers in a statement released by the Ducks. “If I could share one simple message to all: Listen to your body. If you notice something unusual, or don’t feel like yourself, consult a doctor immediately. Please do not wait. It could be the best decision you ever make.”

Stothers is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Ducks, overseeing the defense and penalty killing. It’s his third stint in the NHL after being an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers from 2000 to 2002 and for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010-11. In a coaching career that has spanned 30 seasons since 1991, he also has been a head coach in the OHL for the Owen Sound Attack from 2002 to 2007, the WHL for the Moose Jaw Warriors from 2011-2014, and the AHL for the Grand Rapids Griffins in 2007-08 and the Manchester Monarchs/Ontario Reign from 2014 to 2020.

Stothers also had an 11-year pro hockey career as a defenseman, mostly as an AHLer, but he got into 30 NHL games across four seasons with the Flyers (who drafted him 21st overall in 1980) and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He didn’t get a goal in his NHL career, but he did end up with two assists.

“Mike is one of the toughest and finest people in hockey,” said Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli in the statement. “The Ducks organization and entire NHL community are firmly behind him. We also support and appreciate Mike’s message. For him to take the time to try and help others while dealing with his own battle says a lot about who he is.”