Mike Stothers – former head coach of the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Moose Jaw Warriors announced that he has been diagnosed with Stage 3 Melanoma of the Lymph Node.  

Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that can spread quickly. When melanoma begins to spread, one of the first areas it travels is to a lymph node near the melanoma.  

Stothers, who is an assistant coach with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks is under care at UCI Health in California and will begin treatment and surgical intervention 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,” Stothers said in a release.  

"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." 

He is a product of Toronto and was drafted in the first round and 21st overall in the 1980 NHL Entry Draft. In his playing career, he played a total of 30 games between the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs.  

Stothers served as the Warriors bench boss for three seasons from 2011-14 boasting a 91-97-0-28 record in 216 regular season games.  

His coaching career started as an assistant coach in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hershey Bears. Over his 32 years of coaching, Stothers has found himself in the National Hockey League (NHL), AHL, WHL, and the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).  

He has served as an assistant coach with the Anaheim Ducks organization since 2021.  

"Mike is one of the toughest and finest people in hockey. The Ducks organization and the entire NHL community are firmly behind him. For him to take the time to try and help others while dealing with his own battle says a lot about who he is,” said Ducks Owners Henry and Susan Samueli.