FILE - Winnipeg Jets alumni coach Tom McVie picks Teemu Selanne (13) to take the penalty shot as Ab McDonald listens, in against the Edmonton Oilers during the first period of the NHL Heritage Classic alumni game, Oct. 22, 2016, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP, File) AP

Somber news for the Black and Gold: the passing of former assistant coach Tom McVie, the inimitable hockey lifer with a deep voice and a deeper treasure trove of jokes and stories. He was 89.

He also coached the Washington Capitals, compiling an overall NHL record of 126-263 with 73 ties in parts of eight seasons from 1975-92.

Tom McVie, who coached the Winnipeg Jets to the 1979 World Hockey Association championship before moving on to a head-coaching career in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils, died at the age of 89.

McVie began his NHL career behind the bench in a difficult situation, taking over Washington’s bench partway through its second season in the league. He was tasked with molding