Alan Thicke, best known for his role as Doctor Jason Seaver on the '80's sitcome Growing Pains has died at the age of 69.
His son, singer Robin Thicke told the Los Angeles Times his father was playing hockey with his youngest son Carter when he suffered a fatal heart attack yesterday.
Earlier in the day, Thicke had tweeted his thanks to the Whistler Film Fest where he had just received a Canadian Icon award.
Thicke was born in 1947 and was a popular talk show host on Canadian television before making his name in the United States.
He was nominated for three Emmy Awards in the late 1970s as a writer for Barry Manilow's talk show, and later for a satirical take on the genre in the variety show ``America 2-Night.''
In the early 80's, Thicke starred on ``Thicke of the Night'', a talk-music-and-comedy show meant to take on Johnny Carson, but it faded quickly.
Thicke composed several theme songs, including the ``The Wheel of Fortune'' tune and for shows such as ``The Facts of Life'' and ``Diff'rent Strokes.''
Singer Anne Murray is one of several Canadian entertainers to mourn Thicke's death, saying she was ``shocked and devastated'' by the news.