In 1949, Sonmor was sent by Cleveland to the Minneapolis Millers in the United States Hockey League and his play attracted the attention of the parent club. From 1949 to 1954, Sonmor played predominantly for the Barons, but spent the 1951–52 season with the St. Louis Flyers, and recorded consecutive 20-goal seasons. Sonmor spent part of the 1953–54 season with the National Hockey LeagueNew York Rangers before Cleveland officially traded him to the team on 15 November 1954 for eventual Hall of FamerAndy Bathgate and Vic Howe. In the NHL, Sonmor was considered a highly physical player known for his fighting abilities, as he recorded only 2 goals in 30 games over the 1953–54 and 1954–55 seasons. On 27 February 1955, Sonmor suffered a career-ending injury to his left eye when he was hit by a slap shot from teammate Steve Kraftcheck. Sonmor's injury came four days after the birth of his daughter Kathy, putting both him and his wife in the hospital at the same time. Later stories of Sonmor's glass eye popping out onto the Minnesota North Stars bench during his coaching career are told by the North Stars' General Manager, Lou Nanne.
Coaching career
Following his retirement from the NHL, Sonmor was hired to be the freshman hockey coach at the University of Minnesota by longtime coach, and AHL & USHL teammate, John Mariucci. He then coached a number of amateur hockey teams including various levels in Junior hockey, at the Ohio State University, before returning to Minnesota as the varsity coach. Sonmor coached the University of Minnesota's Golden Gophers from 1966–71, which included a Western Collegiate Hockey Association regular season championship in the 1969–70 season and a WCHA playoff championship in the 1970–71 season. In 1972, Sonmor moved up to the professional level when he joined the fledgling Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager. In the middle of the season, Sonmor gave up his coaching duties, but continued as GM. After the team folded in 1976, the WHA's Cleveland Crusaders moved to St. Paul and changed their name to the "New Fighting Saints", and Sonmor was hired as the team's coach and general manager. However, much like their predecessor the new Saints folded in January 1977. Sonmor then went on to coach the WHA's Birmingham Bulls and stayed there through the end of the 1977–78 season. In 1978, Sonmor was named head coach of the Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League and went on to three different coaching tenures with the team. Sonmor's teams made the playoffs four of six full seasons and he led the team to the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the heavily-favored New York Islanders. However, Sonmor's career with the North Stars was overshadowed by several bar fights, and alcoholism that ultimately led him away time and time again from his coaching duties to enter treatment for alcoholism. He eventually gave up drinking in 1983 after being suspended by the North Stars in January after a particularly bad episode in Pittsburgh. Sonmor stepped down for good two games into the 1986-87 season for health reasons, leaving with a record of 174-161-82 in 417 games during his tenure.
Later life
After retiring as a coach, Sonmor predominantly worked as a radio analyst for University of Minnesota hockey games on the Golden Gopher Radio Network, which includes WCCO-AM. Sonmor is a recipient of an honorary "M" by the University and became an "M Club" Hall of Fame inductee in 2007. From 1994-96, Sonmor was the director of player development for the Minnesota Moose of the International Hockey League. In 2000, Sonmor was hired by the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild, as a scout evaluating high school talent for the club in preparation for the NHL Entry Draft. On February 3, 2011, the then-81-year-old Sonmor announced that he planned to retire from the Gopher broadcast booth following the end of the 2011 season. During a February 18/19 series against the University of Wisconsin, Wally Shaver was joined in the WCCO broadcast booth by injured Gopher forward Zach Budishin lieu of Sonmor. Shortly following the series, it was announced that Sonmor would retire effective immediately, as opposed to finishing the season. In 2006, Sonmor was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States along with Steve Yzerman, Marcel Dionne, Reed Larson, and Red Berenson. He is the author, with Ross Bernstein, of the autobiographical Old Time Hockey: Memories and Musings of a Lifetime on Ice. Sonmor returned to Canada from the United States in 2013 and settled in Paris, Ontario. He died in a nursing home in Brantford, Ontario from pneumonia on December 14, 2015 at the age of 86. He also had Alzheimer's disease.
