Jack McIlhargey began his hockey career in the minor program at the Burnaby Winter Club, competing in peewee through to juvenile. He played major junior hockey in Victoria and Flin Flon from 1970 to 1972 before plying his trade in the pro minor leagues.

McIlhargey made stops with the Jersey Devils of the Eastern league, Des Moines of the International league and Richmond of the American league before making the jump to the NHL. He played three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers and was then acquired by the Vancouver Canucks in 1977 where he spent the next four seasons.

He retired after three more seasons in Hartford in 1982. In 393 NHL games, McIlhargey scored 11 goals and 45 points and amassed 1,102 minutes in penalties. 

McIlhargey, who was voted one of the 30 all-time greatest Canucks and throughout his career resided in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood of Burnaby, died in July 2020 at the age of 68.

McIlhargey spent 13 seasons over two stints as an assistant coach for the Canucks (from 1985 to 1991 and 1999 to 2006). In between he was the head coach of the Canucks’ IHL/AHL teams in Milwaukee, Hamilton and Syracuse. He finished his coaching career as an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers for three seasons (from 2007 to 2010).