| Ron Wilson | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Wilson in 2010 | |||
| Born | (1955-05-28)May 28, 1955 (age 70) | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs Minnesota North Stars | ||
| Coached for | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Washington Capitals San Jose Sharks Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| National team |  United States | ||
| NHL draft | 132nd overall,1975 Toronto Maple Leafs | ||
| WHA draft | 176th overall,1974 Houston Aeros | ||
| Playing career | 1977–1988 | ||
| Coaching career | 1988–2012 | ||
Ronald Lawrence Wilson (born May 28, 1955) is aCanadian-American former professionalice hockey player and head coach. In his coaching career in theNational Hockey League (NHL), he has coached theMighty Ducks of Anaheim,Washington Capitals,San Jose Sharks andToronto Maple Leafs. He also was head coach of theUnited States men's national ice hockey team at the1998 and2010 Winter Olympics. Wilson holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada.
Wilson was born inWindsor, Ontario, and raised inFort Erie, Ontario. He moved from Fort Erie toRiverside, Rhode Island, when he was 12 years old. As a result, Wilson holdsdual citizenship of Canada and the United States, and has representedTeam USA in both playing and coaching.[1]
Both his father,Larry Wilson, and his uncle,Johnny Wilson, played for theDetroit Red Wings in the 1950s and later coached in the NHL.
Wilson and his wife Maureen have two daughters together.[2]
In December 2016, Wilson suffered a stroke and underwent rehabilitation.[3]
Wilson began playing withProvidence College in1973–74, where he led the Friars in scoring in his rookie season with 16 goals and 38 points in 26 games, helping the Friars reach the ECAC quarter-finals, where they were defeated by theHarvard Crimson, 9–3.
In the1974–75 season, Wilson broke out offensively, scoring 26 goals and 87 points in 27 games, helping the Friars into the ECAC tournament for the second consecutive season. In the tournament, the Friars would lose in the quarter-finals to theVermont Catamounts, 7–5.
Wilson had another solid season with the Friars in1975–76, scoring 19 goals and 66 points in 28 games, though the team struggled and failed to ultimately qualify for the tournament.
In his final season at Providence, in1976–77, Wilson's offense declined, though he still put up solid numbers, scoring 17 goals and 59 points in 30 games to lead the team in scoring. Providence qualified for the tournament as the eighth seed, but lost toClarkson 6–3 in the quarter-finals.
Wilson was drafted by theToronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 132nd overall, at the1975 NHL Entry Draft. He was also drafted by theHouston Aeros in the1974 WHA Amateur Draft, but opted to sign instead with the Maple Leafs and pursue an NHL career.
Wilson saw his first professional action in the1976–77 season after his college hockey career was over, where he appeared in four games with theDallas Black Hawks of theCentral Hockey League (CHL), scoring a goal.
Wilson began the1977–78 season with the Black Hawks, where in 67 games, he scored 31 goals and 69 points to lead the team in scoring. He earned a late-season promotion to the NHL and played in 13 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and three points. Wilson did not see any playing time in the post-season, however, as the Maple Leafs lost to theMontreal Canadiens in the third round of the playoffs.
He split the1978–79 season between theNew Brunswick Hawks of theAmerican Hockey League (AHL), as in 31 games, Wilson had 11 goals and 32 points, and the Maple Leafs. In Toronto, Wilson played in 46 games, scoring five goals and 17 points. He appeared in three playoff games for Toronto, earning an assist, as the Leafs lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the quarter-finals.
Wilson spent the majority of the1979–80 season in New Brunswick, where in 43 games, he scored 20 goals and 63 points to finish fourth in team scoring. He appeared in only five games with the Maple Leafs, earning two assists. Wilson skated for the Leafs in the post-season, where he scored a goal and three points in three games as Toronto was swept by theMinnesota North Stars in the first round. He returned to the Hawks for theCalder Cup playoffs, and in 14 games, Wilson had three goals and five points, as New Brunswick lost to theHershey Bears in the final round.
Wilson signed withEHC Kloten ofNDA in Switzerland for1980–81, where in 38 games, Wilson scored 22 goals and 45 points.
After only one season with Kloten, Wilson signed withHC Davos for the1981–82 season. In 38 games, Wilson scored 24 goals and 47 points, helping the team finish in second place.
In1982–83, Wilson improved his offense to 32 goals and 64 points in 36 games, as Davos finished the first round of the season with a League-best 20–0–8 record, before slumping to a 3–2–5 record in the final round to finish the season in third place.
Wilson saw more improvement with his offense in1983–84, scoring 33 goals and 72 points in 36 games, helping Davos win the championship.
In 38 games in the1984–85, Wilson scored 39 goals and 101 points, leading the club to their second-straight Swiss championship.
Following his season with Davos, Wilson returned to the NHL and signed with theMinnesota North Stars for the remainder of the1984–85 season. In 13 games, Wilson had four goals and 12 points, helping the club secure the fourth and final playoff position in theNorris Division. In nine playoff games, Wilson had a goal and seven points, as Minnesota swept the first placeSt. Louis Blues before losing to theChicago Black Hawks in the division finals.
Wilson returned to HC Davos in Switzerland for the1985–86 season after his late-season stint with the North Stars in 1984–85. In 27 games, Wilson scored 28 goals and 69 points, helping the club into the post-season. In five playoff games, Wilson had six goals and eight points, however, HC Davos lost toHC Lugano in the final round.
For the second consecutive season, Wilson joined the North Stars after his season with HC Davos, and finished1985–86 with Minnesota, scoring a goal and four points in 11 games, helping the club finish in second place in the Norris Division. In the1986 playoffs, Wilson had two goals and six points in five games, as Minnesota lost to the St. Louis Blues in the division semi-finals.
Wilson remained with the North Stars in1986–87, as in a career-high 65 games, he had 12 goals and 41 points to finish second among North Stars defensemen in team scoring, however, the club struggled and failed to qualify for the post-season.
Wilson began the1987–88 season with the North Stars, where in 24 games, he scored two goals and 14 points. He played in his last NHL game on December 16, 1987, earning an assist in a 4–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Shortly after the game, the North Stars released Wilson.
Following his release from Minnesota, Wilson rejoined HC Davos to finish the1987–88 season in Switzerland. In 36 games, Wilson had eight goals and 32 points and in six playoff games, he had two goals and seven points, as HC Davos finished in fourth place.
After the season, Wilson announced his retirement as a player.
Wilson joined theMilwaukee Admirals of theInternational Hockey League (IHL) as an assistant coach, working under Head CoachRon Lapointe. In his only season with the Admirals, the club finished with a 36–39–7 record, finishing in third place in the West Division. In the playoffs, the Admirals lost to theSalt Lake Golden Eagles in the first round.
Wilson joined theVancouver Canucks coaching staff as an assistant coach underBob McCammon in the1990–91 season. After the Canucks struggled to a 19–30–5 record, the club fired McCammon and replaced him withPat Quinn. Wilson remained as an assistant, and under Quinn, the Canucks went 9–13–4 to sneak into the fourth and final playoff spot in theSmythe Division. In the1991 post-season, the Canucks lost to theLos Angeles Kings in six games in the first round.
In1991–92, Vancouver improved their point total by 31 points, as the team finished the year with a 42–26–12 record, finishing in first place in the Smythe Division. The heavily favoured Canucks managed to defeat theWinnipeg Jets in seven games before falling to theEdmonton Oilers in six games in the Smythe Division Finals.
Vancouver improved their point total once again in1992–93, going 46–29–9, earning 101 points and their second consecutive Smythe Division title. In the1993 playoffs, the Canucks defeated the Winnipeg Jets in the first round before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the division finals.
After the season, Wilson left the Canucks and became the first head coach of the expansion teamMighty Ducks of Anaheim.
Wilson became the first head coach of theMighty Ducks of Anaheim for the1993–94 season. On October 8, 1993, his first game as an NHL head coach, Wilson and the Mighty Ducks lost to theDetroit Red Wings, 7–2. He won his first game on October 13, defeating theEdmonton Oilers 4–3. The team finished the season with 33–46–5 record for 71 points, falling short of the1993 playoffs.
The Mighty Ducks continued to struggle in the following season,1994–95, finishing 16–27–5 in thelockout-shortened season to post the poorest record in theWestern Conference.
Anaheim made a big improvement in1995–96, however, as the club went 35–39–8 record (78 points). Nonetheless, Wilson and the Mighty Ducks' efforts came just shy of qualifying for the1996 playoffs, finishing one spot out of post-season contention, ninth, in the Conference. Despite accumulating the same point total as the eighth-placedWinnipeg Jets, they lost the tie-breaker separating the two, as they finished with one fewer win.
The Mighty Ducks continued their improvement in1996–97 season, finishing with their first-ever winning record, 36–33–13, and qualifying for theStanley Cup playoffs for the first time in team history. In thepost-season, Anaheim defeated thePhoenix Coyotes in seven games before being swept by theDetroit Red Wings in the second round. Despite team improvement, on May 20, 1997, the Mighty Ducks fired Wilson.
On June 9, 1997, theWashington Capitals hired Wilson to become the head coach of the team, replacingJim Schoenfeld after the club failed to reach the playoffs in 1996–97.
In his first season with the Capitals, Wilson led the team to a 40–30–12 record, a 17-point improvement over the previous season's total, as Washington qualified for the1998 playoffs. In the post-season, the fourth-seeded Capitals defeated theBoston Bruins in the first round, then theOttawa Senators andBuffalo Sabres to reach the1998 Stanley Cup Finals, the first time the team reached the Finals in their 24 years of existence. In the Finals, however, the Capitals were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings, who won their second consecutiveStanley Cup.
Washington regressed in the subsequent1998–99 season, going 31–45–6 record and finishing 12th in theEastern Conference, well out of a playoff spot.
The Capitals, however, rebounded in1999–2000, as they won theSoutheast Division with a 44–24–12–2 record and finished in second place in the East. In the2000 playoffs, the Capitals were upset by thePittsburgh Penguins in five games in the first round.
The Capitals won their second consecutive Southeast Division title in2000–01, going 41–27–10–4 and earning 96 points, solid enough for a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. In the2001 playoffs, however, the Capitals were once again upset by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the series in six games.
In the summer of 2001, the Capitals acquired superstarJaromír Jágr from the Penguins and were thought to be a Stanley Cup contender for2001–02. Despite the high-profile acquisition, the club struggled for much of the season, posting a 36–33–11–2 record and finishing in ninth place in the East, out of the2002 playoffs. On May 10, 2002, the Capitals fired Wilson after their disappointing season.
On December 4, 2002, Wilson was hired by theSan Jose Sharks, who had recently firedDarryl Sutter and had a 9–12–2–2 record at the time Wilson was hired. Under Wilson, the Sharks continued to struggle, however, going 19–25–7–6 and failing to make the2003 playoffs.
In his first full season with San Jose, (2003–04), Wilson turned around the team, leading them to a 43–21–12–6 record for 104 points, a first-place finish in thePacific Division and a second-place finish in theWestern Conference. In the2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Sharks defeated theSt. Louis Blues andColorado Avalanche to advance to the Western Conference Finals. Despite being favored to win the series, theCalgary Flames, buoyed by the play of newly acquired goaltender — and former Shark —Miikka Kiprusoff, upset San Jose in six games.
Wilson remained with the Sharks during the2004–05 season, which was cancelled due to the2004–05 NHL lockout.
The Sharks remained a top team in2005–06 when play resumed, as the club went 44–27–11 for 99 points. In mid-season, the Sharks were involved in a trade that broughtJoe Thornton to the club from theBoston Bruins. In the2006 playoffs, the Sharks defeated theNashville Predators in the first round before falling to the eighth-seededEdmonton Oilers in the second round.
San Jose continued to improve in2006–07, as the team won 50 games for the first time in club history, going 51–26–5 for 107 points and clinching another playoff berth. In the2007 post-season, the Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators for the second-straight season, but lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. With his team's loss to the Red Wings, Wilson became the first head coach in NHL history to lose to the same team while coaching three different teams (including Anaheim in 1997 and Washington in 1998).
The Sharks improved their point total again in2007–08, as they went 49–23–10, earning 108 points and having the best record in the Pacific Division and claiming the second seed in the Western Conference. In the2008 playoffs, the Sharks narrowly defeated the Calgary Flames in seven games before losing to the underdogDallas Stars in six games in the second round. On May 12, 2008, the Sharks fired Wilson, as the club failed to meet management's playoff aspirations.
On June 10, 2008, theToronto Maple Leafs hired Wilson to become the team's head coach, replacingPaul Maurice. Upon his hiring, Toronto had not made the playoffs since2003–04.
In Wilson's first year with the Leafs,2008–09, the club went 34–35–13, earning 81 points for last place in theNortheast Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
The Maple Leafs continued to struggle in2009–10, finishing with a 30–38–14 record, earning 74 points and a last place finish in the Eastern Conference. Before season's end, the Maple Leafs traded away their two first-round draft picks — and a second-rounder — to the Boston Bruins in exchange forPhil Kessel, also adding defensemanDion Phaneuf from the Calgary Flames to the club midway through the season.
Toronto saw some improvement in2010–11, as the Leafs finished with a record of 37–34–11 (85 points). Despite the improvement, the club failed to reach the2011 playoffs, finishing in tenth place in the East.
In2011–12, the final year of Wilson's contract, the Maple Leafs shot off to a solid start to begin the season. On December 26, 2011, the team had an 18–13–4 record and were sitting in a playoff position. Maple Leafs General ManagerBrian Burke then signed Wilson to a contract extension. Shortly after the contract extension, however, the Maple Leafs began to slump, as they would go 11–15–3 in their next 29 games to fall out of playoff contention. On March 2, 2012, the Maple Leafs fired Wilson, replacing him withRandy Carlyle, who had himself just recently been fired as head coach by theAnaheim Ducks. Toronto had a 29–28–7 record at the time of Wilson's termination.
Wilson first coached internationally at the1996 IIHF World Championship inVienna, where he guided theUnited States to a bronze medal, the country's first medal at the tournament in 34 years. Later that year, he was named the team's coach at the1996 World Cup of Hockey, where he led the Americans to the tournament championship.
Following this success, Wilson again coached the Americans at the 1998 Winter Olympics inNagano, where they went a disappointing 1–3, defeating onlyBelarus and being eliminated by theCzech Republic in the quarter-finals.
In April 2009, Wilson was named the head coach for the U.S. Olympic hockey team for the2010 Winter Olympics inVancouver. The team went undefeated through round robin play and advanced through the knockout stages, eventually losing to the hostsCanada in the final in overtime; the team won the silver medal.[4]
On June 4, 2015,USA Hockey announced that Wilson would be the head coach for the men's under-20 team at the2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland.[5]
As a coach, Wilson is well known for integrating technology into his coaching plans. During his stint with the Washington Capitals, he and assistant coachTim Hunter introduced personal computers into the team's strategy planning and burned DVDs of Capitals games for the team to review. In his stint with the San Jose Sharks, Wilson introduced atablet computer to be used in the team bench by himself or his assistants to instantly plan out strategies and review plays.[6]
In early 2015, Wilson joined theTSN Hockey panel as an analyst.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1973–74 | Providence College | ECAC | 26 | 16 | 22 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | Providence College | ECAC | 27 | 26 | 61 | 87 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | Providence College | ECAC | 28 | 19 | 47 | 66 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Providence College | ECAC | 30 | 17 | 42 | 59 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Dallas Black Hawks | CHL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 13 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Dallas Black Hawks | CHL | 67 | 31 | 38 | 69 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1978–79 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 46 | 5 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1978–79 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 31 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| 1979–80 | New Brunswick Hawks | AHL | 43 | 20 | 43 | 63 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ||
| 1980–81 | EHC Kloten | NDA | 38 | 22 | 23 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | HC Davos | NDA | 38 | 24 | 23 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | HC Davos | NDA | 36 | 32 | 32 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | HC Davos | NDA | 36 | 33 | 39 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | HC Davos | NDA | 38 | 39 | 62 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 13 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 1985–86 | HC Davos | NDA | 27 | 28 | 41 | 69 | — | 5 | 6 | 2 | 8 | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 65 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | HC Davos | NDA | 36 | 8 | 24 | 32 | — | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 24 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Zürcher SC | NDB | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 177 | 26 | 67 | 93 | 68 | 20 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 8 | ||||
| NDA totals | 249 | 186 | 244 | 430 | — | 11 | 8 | 7 | 15 | — | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | United States | WC | 10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1981 | United States | WC | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| 1987 | United States | WC | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | |
| Senior totals | 28 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 18 | |||
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | Finish | W | L | Win % | Result | ||
| ANA | 1993–94 | 84 | 33 | 46 | 5 | — | 71 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| ANA | 1994–95 | 48 | 16 | 27 | 5 | — | 37 | 6th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| ANA | 1995–96 | 82 | 35 | 39 | 8 | — | 78 | 4th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| ANA | 1996–97 | 82 | 36 | 33 | 13 | — | 85 | 2nd in Pacific | 4 | 7 | .364 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DET) |
| ANA total | 296 | 120 | 145 | 31 | — | 271 | 0 division titles | 4 | 7 | .364 | 1 playoff appearance | |
| WSH | 1997–98 | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | — | 92 | 3rd in Atlantic | 12 | 9 | .571 | Lost inStanley Cup Finals (DET) |
| WSH | 1998–99 | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | — | 68 | 4th in Southeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| WSH | 1999–00 | 82 | 44 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 102 | 1st in Southeast | 1 | 4 | .200 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PIT) |
| WSH | 2000–01 | 82 | 41 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 96 | 1st in Southeast | 2 | 4 | .333 | Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PIT) |
| WSH | 2001–02 | 82 | 36 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 85 | 2nd in Southeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| WSH total | 410 | 190 | 159 | 51 | 8 | 443 | 2 division titles | 15 | 17 | .469 | 3 playoff appearances | |
| SJS | 2002–03 | 57 | 19 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 73 | 5th in Pacific | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| SJS | 2003–04 | 82 | 43 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 104 | 1st in Pacific | 10 | 7 | .588 | Lost in Conference Finals (CGY) |
| SJS | 2005–06 | 82 | 44 | 27 | — | 11 | 99 | 2nd in Pacific | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (EDM) |
| SJS | 2006–07 | 82 | 51 | 26 | — | 5 | 107 | 2nd in Pacific | 6 | 5 | .545 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DET) |
| SJS | 2007–08 | 82 | 49 | 23 | — | 10 | 108 | 1st in Pacific | 6 | 7 | .462 | Lost in Conference Semifinals (DAL) |
| SJS total | 385 | 206 | 122 | 19 | 48 | 491 | 2 division titles | 28 | 24 | .538 | 4 playoff appearances | |
| TOR | 2008–09 | 82 | 34 | 35 | — | 13 | 81 | 5th in Northeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| TOR | 2009–10 | 82 | 30 | 38 | — | 14 | 74 | 5th in Northeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| TOR | 2010–11 | 82 | 37 | 34 | — | 11 | 85 | 4th in Northeast | — | — | — | Missed playoffs |
| TOR | 2011–12 | 64 | 29 | 28 | — | 7 | 65 | (fired) | — | — | — | — |
| TOR total | 310 | 130 | 135 | — | 45 | 305 | 0 division titles | — | — | — | 0 playoff appearances | |
| Total | 1401 | 648 | 561 | 101 | 91 | 1510 | 4 division titles | 47 | 48 | .495 | 8 playoff appearances | |
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| All-ECAC HockeyFirst Team | 1974–75 | [7] |
| AHCAEast All-American | 1974–75 | [8] |
| All-ECAC HockeyFirst Team | 1975–76 | [7] |
| AHCAEast All-American | 1975–76 | [8] |
| All-ECAC HockeySecond Team | 1976–77 | [7] |
| Inducted into US Hockey Hall of Fame | 2017 |
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Year 1973–74 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | ECAC Hockey Player of the Year 1974–75 | Succeeded by |