Tributes pour in after hockey coach, player Bob Jones passes away following his battle with ALS

Remembering Bob Jones: A special moment Ottawa Senators assistant coach Bob Jones presented with the team's 'Game Goggles' on Jan. 25, 2023 following his ALS diagnosis.

The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) was saddened by the news of the loss of former OHL coach and defenceman Bob Jones, who passed away Friday at the age of 54 following a battle with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).

Tributes from his former OHL teams have continued to pour in over the weekend.

Jones, often referred to as ‘Jonesy’ was in his fourth season with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators when he was diagnosed with ALS and chose to go public with his diagnosis in January 2023.

Jones won back-to-back Memorial Cup and Ross Robertson Cup championships as an associate coach of the Windsor Spitfires in 2009 and 2010 and spent a total of 21 seasons serving behind the bench in the OHL. He began his coaching career as an assistant for his hometown Soo Greyhounds in in 1995. Following his time in Sault Ste. Marie, he served as an assistant in Brampton for the 1999-2000 season, then Toronto until the 2003-2004 season before joining the Sudbury Wolves, also as an assistant, in 2004. Jones would coach the Wolves until he joined the Spitfires in 2007. He went on to serve as Windsor’s head coach following their back-to-back championships for the 2010-2011 season and then was head coach of the Oshawa Generals from 2015 to 2018.

While Jones will be remembered by the hockey world as a dedicated coach that players could count on, before that he was also a gifted player.

Jones served as a defenceman for his hometown Greyhounds from 1985 to 1990, recording 30 goals, 68 assists and 98 points over 223 regular season OHL games as a player. During his time playing in the Sault, Jones formed a close friendship with teammate Bob Boughner with both being selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the 1989 NHL Draft – Jones was chosen 179th overall, in the ninth round.

Boughner and Jones would be reunited years later as coaching colleagues for the Windsor Spitfires, with Jones taking over head coach duties from Boughner when he departed for the NHL for the 2010-2011 season.

"After publicly disclosing his diagnosis ... Jones became a vocal advocate for ALS research awareness," the Ottawa Senators said in a news release Friday.

"Buoyed by his passion for equal parts coaching and team camaraderie, Jones continued his work with the organization through the remainder of the season and into 2023-24."

Jones previously told the media first noticed a couple of years ago his speech was slurred and he was having trouble finding words. He didn’t think much of it until he returned to the Senators camp in September 2023. The symptoms worsened and then he noticed cramping in his hands and in his feet.

After undergoing a battery of tests that can be jarring and painful, Jones first learned of his diagnosis from an Ottawa neurologist in December with his wife, Paige, in the room.

Jones immediately called the Ottawa coaching staff they gathered at his home where he shared the news with them. The decision was made to share the news with the players about the diagnosis and the rest of the staff the next day, before making it public the following month.

Coaches, players and fans from across the game of hockey took part in a charity fundraiser for ALS research in Windsor last summer, with the ‘All in 4 ALS’ event raising more than $200,000 being donated to the cause at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. The event was held as part of the  NHL all-star game at the WFCU Centre Arena in Windsor, Ont.

The 2023 OHL Alumni Golf Classic, that spearheaded by fellow OHL alum Mark Kirton, was also dedicated to Jones’ cause, raising $20,000 in support of the ALS Action Canada Super Fund. Kirton was diagnosed with ALS in 2018.

“Bob was courageous and made extraordinary efforts to raise funds and awareness for ALS research in Canada,” said his former Windsor OHL team in a tweet on Friday.

ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that progressively paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body. It has no known cure.

“Jones was a friend to many and he made a tremendous impact throughout his lengthy time in the Ontario Hockey League,” said the league in a news release late Friday.

“The OHL extends condolences to Bob’s friends and family, including his wife Paige as well as children Blake and Brianna during this difficult time.”

The Wolves organization expressed their condolences in a social media post on Saturday.

“Once a Wolf, always a Wolf,” the team wrote.

“The Sudbury Wolves organization offer their deepest sympathies and condolences to the friends and family of Bob Jones.”

His last OHL team, the Oshawa, also took to social media to express their support to his family.

“The hockey community supports Bob's friends and family at this difficult time. He was an extraordinary person, coach, and mentor.” said the Oshawa Generals.

“The Oshawa Generals send their love and express condolences for the passing of former Head Coach, Bob Jones, after a battle with ALS.”

The Spitfires also expressed their sadness of the news of Jones’ death online.

“The Windsor Spitfires are saddened to learn of the passing of former Associate and Head Coach Bob Jones. Jonesy was a tremendous coach and had an infectious personality, he cared about the game of hockey, his players and his family,” they wrote.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Details about funeral arrangements have not been announced.

With files from CTV News Ottawa journalist Ted Raymond