Phil Sykes was a professional ice hockey player who played as a right winger. He was born on January 10, 1963, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Sykes began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Victoria Cougars in the 1981-82 season. He played two seasons with the Cougars before being drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft.
Sykes made his NHL debut with the Blackhawks in the 1983-84 season. He played in 13 games and scored two goals and two assists. Sykes spent most of the season with the Saginaw Hawks of the International Hockey League (IHL), where he scored 32 goals and 38 assists in 63 games.
In the 1984-85 season, Sykes played in 47 games for the Blackhawks, scoring six goals and 11 assists. He also played in 11 playoff games, scoring one goal and two assists. Sykes split the 1985-86 season between the Blackhawks and their AHL affiliate, the Nova Scotia Oilers. He played in 22 NHL games, scoring two goals and two assists.
Sykes was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1986-87 season. He played in 47 games for the Penguins, scoring six goals and 11 assists. Sykes played for the Penguins for three seasons, scoring a career-high 20 goals and 23 assists in the 1988-89 season. He also played in 11 playoff games that season, scoring two goals and three assists.
Sykes was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in the 1989-90 season. He played in 44 games for the Kings, scoring six goals and 10 assists. Sykes played for the Kings for two seasons before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the 1991-92 season. He played in 14 games for the Oilers, scoring one goal and one assist.
Sykes retired from professional hockey after the 1991-92 season. He played in a total of 338 NHL games, scoring 57 goals and 79 assists. Sykes also played in 31 playoff games, scoring three goals and five assists.
After retiring from hockey, Sykes became a firefighter in Edmonton. He also coached minor hockey in the area. Sykes was inducted into the Victoria Cougars Wall of Honour in 2016.
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