Michael Paul "Mike" Jakubo (July 7, 1947 – April 4, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player best known for his time as a left winger during the early 1970s. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Jakubo took part in an era when new professional leagues and international club competition expanded opportunities for players outside the established NHL.

Playing career

Jakubo's career included both North American professional play and a season of international exhibition competition. He spent part of his professional career with the Los Angeles Sharks of the World Hockey Association, a major rival league to the National Hockey League in the 1970s that attracted established players and prospects alike. Jakubo was recognized for his work ethic on the wing and for contributing to the depth of the teams he joined.

In 1973–74 he joined the London Lions, an independent club organized to play a condensed schedule against top European teams. That project gave North American players exposure to international styles and a chance to face leading European clubs in exhibition series. Playing for a touring team like the Lions required adaptability and travel, and it illustrated an alternative path available to professional players at the time.

Teams and roles

  • Los Angeles Sharks — World Hockey Association (role: left wing)
  • London Lions — independent touring club (1973–74 season)
  • Various minor and regional teams — contributed as a reliable forward and team player

Jakubo did not become a household name through scoring records or long NHL tenure, but his career reflects the broader patterns of professional hockey in the 1960s and 1970s, when alternative leagues and touring teams played a significant role in the sport's development. Players like him helped bridge North American and European club competition and supported the depth of professional rosters.

Legacy and death

Mike Jakubo remained connected to his hometown roots. He died on April 4, 2019 in Sudbury from complications related to Alzheimer's disease, aged 71. His career is remembered locally and by hockey historians as part of a generation that experienced a changing professional landscape and the internationalization of club hockey during the 1970s.

For further reading on the leagues and teams associated with Jakubo's era, see resources that cover the World Hockey Association and the history of touring clubs in international hockey contexts. Additional archival material and regional sports histories often preserve game rosters and contemporary reporting from seasons in which Jakubo played.