The Philadelphia Flyers announced on Wednesday that Ilkka Sinisalo, a winger who played most of his career with the team in the 1980's, passed away in his native Finland at age 58.

The team said that Sinisalo died of prostate cancer after battling the disease for several years.

"Ilkka was a true friend and loyal member of the Flyers," Paul Holmgren, the club's president, said in a statement. "He gave a great deal of his time, effort and talents to the organization in several capacities, as a player and long-time scout, to bring this franchise success on and off the ice.

Sinisalo played for Philadelphia from 1981-1990 and later skated with the Minnesota North Stars and Los Angeles Kings. In 11 NHL seasons, he scored 204 goals and 222 assists for 426 points in 582 contests.

His best season came in 1985-86 when he scored 39 goals and 37 assists. He made two Stanley Cup Final appearances with the Flyers, losing to the Edmonton Oilers on both occasions.