John Lyons (ice hockey)

For other people of the same name, see John Lyons.

John Lyons
John Lyons at the 1924 Olympics
Born	(1900-03-31)March 31, 1900 Arlington, Massachusetts, US
Died	January 15, 1971(1971-01-15) (aged 70) Arlington, Massachusetts, US
Position	Center/Defense/Right Wing/Rover
Played for	Massachusetts Agricultural Boston Athletic Association
National team	United States
Playing career	1919–1925
Medal record Men's ice hockey Representing the  United States Olympic Games 1924 Chamonix Team competition

John Joseph "Sharky" Lyons Jr. was an American ice hockey center and defenseman who won a silver medal for the United States at the 1924 Winter Olympics.[1]

Playing career

Sharky Lyons was born and raised in Arlington, Massachusetts. After graduating from Arlington High in 1918, he began attending Massachusetts Agricultural College that fall. A star hockey player in high school, Lyons joined the varsity team as a freshman. However, due in part to the few spots available, he did not appear in any games until his junior year. When Lyons finally debuted for the Aggies, he played both Center and Rover as the team was still operating under the 7-on-7 rules.[2] The following year MAC switched to the new 6-on-6 format, as did most other colleges. With the style so altered, Lyons played at both Defense and Right Wing and was one of the Leading player for the Aggies on both ends of the ice.

After graduating with a degree in agricultural Economics, Lyons was able to continue his playing career. As a good skater who could play seemingly any position, Lyons joined the Boston Athletic Association in 1922 just in time to help the team win the National Amateur Championship.[3] The following October, the United States Amateur Hockey Association voted to build the roster for the for the upcoming Olympic games around the core of the BAA. Five players from the amateur club were included on national team, including Lyons.[4] Sharky served as a reserve forward for the games, playing in 2 of 5 games for the US and was the only skater to not score during the tournament.[5] Despite his limited contributions, Lyons helped the team win the silver medal, repeating their performance from 1920.

Lyons played with the BAA for another year before hanging up his skates in 1925. Afterwards, he returned to Arlington to work as a gardener and greenhouse farmer.[1]

Personal life

John Lyons was married to Thecla Augusta Kennedy and the two had three children. John died in 1971.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1920–21	Massachusetts Agricultural	Independent		7	2	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1921–22	Massachusetts Agricultural	Independent		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1922–23	Boston Athletic Association	USAHA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1923–24	Boston Athletic Association	USAHA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1924–25	Boston Athletic Association	USAHA		—	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—

Note: assists were not an official statistic or were recorded infrequently.

International

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1924	United States	OLY		2	0	0	0	0
International totals				2	0	0	0	0

References

1. "John Sharkey Lyons". Olympics. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
2. "The Index 1922". University of Massachusetts. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
3. "B. A. A. Wins Title By 2 to 1 Victory". The Boston Globe. March 25, 1923.
4. "Reject Changes In Rules for Hockey". The Boston Globe. October 30, 1923.
5. "Team USA - Olympics - Chamonix 1924 - Player Stats". Quant Hockey. Retrieved December 24, 2024.

External links

• Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or Eurohockey.com
• John Lyons at Find a Grave