Former AJHL General Manager and Head Coach, Greg Parks, passed away on Tuesday in his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta at the age of 48. Parks was also an alumnus of the AJHL as a player for the St Albert Saints from 1983-1985.
Parks played four years for Bowling Green State University in the U.S. and spent a season with Karpat Oulu in Finland before moving on to the NHL. During three seasons he appeared in 23 regular-season games for the New York Islanders while spending most of the time with the Islanders’ affiliates.
After 1993 he was mostly playing in Europe, first for Leksand in Sweden. In that year he represented Canada at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer where Canada won the silver medals after losing to Sweden on the famous Peter Forsberg penalty shot in the final. In eight games in Lillehammer 1994 Parks scored one goal and had three points. He also represented his country in two Spengler Cups and in several exhibition games.
Later Parks also played in Switzerland and Germany. His last two seasons he spent in Japan with the Asia League’s Oji Eagles before hanging up his skates in 2004.
He won championships with Bowling Green State (CCHA 1987), the AHL’s Calder Cup with the Springfield Indians (1990) and the Swiss National League B title with Langnau (1998).
After ending his career as a player he coached the AJHL's St. Albert Steel and after his team’s relocation was also shortly involved with the Whitecourt Wolverines.