Roger Neilson
Encyclopedia
Roger Paul Neilson, CM
(June 16, 1934 – June 21, 2003) was a National Hockey League
coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, after attending North Toronto Collegiate Institute
, Neilson's coaching career began as a student at McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario
, and continued upon graduation with a degree in Physical Education
in both hockey
and baseball.
's Peterborough Petes
(then the junior farm team of the Montreal Canadiens
in Hamilton) in 1966, and remained for 10 years in Peterborough, Ontario
, where he maintained a home until his death. He also worked at the University of Windsor
with a summer hockey camp programme, which led to camps from Port Hope, Ontario
to Israel
.
Neilson moved into professional hockey coaching in Dallas with the Dallas Black Hawks
in the Central Hockey League in 1976–1977.
Neilson was head coach in the NHL for:
In 1979, Neilson was actually fired as head coach of the Maple Leafs by then-owner Harold Ballard. There was outrage throughout the players, media, and general public. Ballard then relented. Ballard wanted Neilson to enter the next game with a paper bag over his head (to be "the mystery coach") but Neilson refused and coached the next game as if nothing had happened.
He was initially an assistant coach with Vancouver, but he took over as Head Coach after Harry Neale
was suspended for taking part in an altercation with fans during a brawl in Quebec
. When the team went unbeaten in the next seven games, he was given the job permanently. It was in his new capacity that Neilson led the team on its Cinderella
run to the Stanley Cup Finals
.
His tenure with the New York Rangers was also successful; the highlight was coaching the team to the Presidents' Trophy
as the first place team in the league in 1992.
With Philadelphia, he led the team to first place in the Eastern Conference in 2000, a position that the team would retain for the rest of the regular season. With the Flyers leading in the conference standings by the midseason All-Star Game, Neilson earned the honour of being head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Previously, he had coached the Campbell Conference All-Stars at the 1983 All-Star Game
.
In addition, he also worked for the Edmonton Oilers
as a video analyst during the 1984 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which lead to the Oilers' first Stanley Cup championship, and Chicago Blackhawks
as an assistant coach under Bob Pulford
from 1984 to 1987. From 1995 to 1997 he was an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues.
During the 1987-88
and 1988-89
seasons, Neilson did not coach but worked as a television analyst for hockey coverage on TSN
.
. Neilson's unceremonious dismissal by Flyers General Manager Bobby Clarke
was widely lamented by fans and media as lacking class and respect. Neilson's doctors advised the Flyers that he lacked the strength to perform his duties as head coach. Neilson insisted on trying to return at the end of the first round of the playoffs. At the end of the season, Neilson was dismissed as head coach. He later conceded Clarke did the right thing and he never served as a head coach again.
Neilson was then hired as an assistant coach of the Senators. For the last two games of the 2001–02 season, which were inconsequential to the standings, Head Coach Jacques Martin stepped away from the bench, allowing Neilson to take the reins and become the ninth man to coach 1000 games. The following season, the Senators won the Presidents' Trophy
as the first place team in the league, and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. As it was well known that Neilson's cancer was terminal
when the Senators were eliminated in a tough seven game series, several players expressed their sadness at not being able to win the Stanley Cup for Neilson before he died.
Neilson's overall regular season record was 460 wins, 381 losses, and 159 ties.
Among his most well-known innovations was the use of videotape to analyze other teams, leading to the nickname "Captain Video". He was also the first to use microphone headsets to communicate with his assistant coaches.
Neilson was well known for closely reading the rule book looking for loopholes. During one particular game in the OHL his team was up one goal, but was down two men in a five on three situation for the last minute of the game. Realizing that more penalties could not be served under the existing rules, Neilson put too many men on the ice every ten seconds. The referees stopped the play and a faceoff was held relieving pressure on the defence. After this display, the rule was changed so that a call for intentional too many men on the ice in a 5-on-3 situation in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime resulted in a penalty shot
.
Neilson also discovered that if he put a defenceman in net instead of a goalie during a penalty shot, the defenceman could rush the attacker and cut down the latter's angle of shot, greatly reducing the chances of a goal. Today the rule states that a team must use a goalie in net for a penalty shot.
One game during a time-out, Neilson told his goaltender, “...when we pull you, just leave your goal stick lying in the crease.” When the other team gained possession, they sent the puck the length of the ice toward the open net, only to deflect wide when it hit the goal stick lying in the crease. The rule was changed the next season so that a goal would be awarded in such a situation.
Neilson also broke the rules, in a sense, when he didn't like what was going on on the ice. As the Canucks coach during a 1982 playoff game against the Chicago Blackhawks
, he felt his team was unfairly penalized on several occasions during the third period. He took a trainer's white towel and held it on a hockey stick, as if to wave a white flag. Three other Canucks players did the same thing, and all were ejected from the game. By doing this, Neilson inadvertently started an NHL tradition. Canucks fans waved white towels by the thousands
at the next game, a playoff tradition that continues to this day and that is widely copied by other hockey teams.
as a builder in November 2002. He was also appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada
{CM} in 2002. The City of Peterbrough renamed George Street South Roger Neilson Way opposite the Memorial Centre Arena in 2003; the address of the Arena was supposed to be changed to 1 Roger Neilson Way. The Ottawa Senators have named their coaches office at Scotiabank Place
The Roger Neilson Room. The City of Ottawa renamed their Minor Peewee AAA Hockey Division after Neilson in 2005. Also in 2005, the Ontario Hockey League
created an award for the top academic player attending college or university and named it the Roger Neilson Memorial Award
.
In 1999, Neilson was diagnosed with bone cancer, which spread to become skin cancer
in 2001. He died on June 21, 2003, only five days after his 69th birthday, and the funeral was held in Northview Pentecostal Church in Peterborough.
Shortly after his death, the Ottawa Senators Foundation announced plans to build Roger's House/La maison de Roger, a pediatric palliative care facility built in his memory on the grounds of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
in Ottawa. The building was opened on April 21, 2006, by the Premier of Ontario
, Dalton McGuinty
.
In September 2004, a new elementary school in Peterborough named Roger Neilson Public School opened. The name was chosen because of Roger's commitment to teaching and that Roger exemplified the qualities of the Character Education program of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
.
On April 7, 2011, Rogers Arena in Vancouver commemorated Roger Nielson's contribution to the NHL and Vancouver Canucks, in particular to the tradition he created during the 1982 playoff series with the Chicago Blackhawks, later named "Towel Power", by erecting a large statue of himself in the courtyard of Rogers Arena.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(June 16, 1934 – June 21, 2003) was a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, after attending North Toronto Collegiate Institute
North Toronto Collegiate Institute
North Toronto Collegiate Institute is a non-semestered public high school of over 1,000 students located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Toronto District School Board....
, Neilson's coaching career began as a student at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
in Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, and continued upon graduation with a degree in Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
in both hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and baseball.
Coaching career
Neilson's coaching career began as head coach of the Ontario Hockey LeagueOntario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
's Peterborough Petes
Peterborough Petes
The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...
(then the junior farm team of the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
in Hamilton) in 1966, and remained for 10 years in Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough, Ontario
Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...
, where he maintained a home until his death. He also worked at the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
with a summer hockey camp programme, which led to camps from Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope, Ontario
Port Hope is a municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, about east of Toronto and about west of Kingston. It is located at the mouth of the Ganaraska River on the north shore of Lake Ontario, in the west end of Northumberland County...
to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Neilson moved into professional hockey coaching in Dallas with the Dallas Black Hawks
Dallas Black Hawks
The Dallas Black Hawks were a minor-league professional ice hockey team in Dallas, Texas. They were a member of the Central Hockey League and played home games at State Fair Coliseum....
in the Central Hockey League in 1976–1977.
Neilson was head coach in the NHL for:
- Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
from 1977 to 1979 (following another eventual member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, Red KellyRed KellyLeonard Patrick "Red" Kelly, CM is a retired Canadian ice hockey player in the NHL. He played on more Stanley Cup winning teams than any player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens, and is the only player to be part of two of the nine dynasties recognized by the NHL in its history...
), - Buffalo SabresBuffalo SabresThe Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
for the 1980–81 season, - Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
from March 1982 to January 1984, - Los Angeles KingsLos Angeles KingsThe Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
from February to April 1984, - New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
from 1989 to 1993, - Florida PanthersFlorida PanthersThe Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
from 1993 to 1995, - Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
from 1997 to 1998 and 1999 to 2000, - Ottawa SenatorsOttawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
for two games in April 2002. (Nielson was an Ottawa assistant coach, but was allowed to coach the final two games of the season so that he could hit the 1000 game mark)
In 1979, Neilson was actually fired as head coach of the Maple Leafs by then-owner Harold Ballard. There was outrage throughout the players, media, and general public. Ballard then relented. Ballard wanted Neilson to enter the next game with a paper bag over his head (to be "the mystery coach") but Neilson refused and coached the next game as if nothing had happened.
He was initially an assistant coach with Vancouver, but he took over as Head Coach after Harry Neale
Harry Neale
Harold Watson Neale is a hockey colour commentator, who currently works for the Buffalo Sabres on the Sabres Hockey Network...
was suspended for taking part in an altercation with fans during a brawl in Quebec
Quebec Nordiques
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League...
. When the team went unbeaten in the next seven games, he was given the job permanently. It was in his new capacity that Neilson led the team on its Cinderella
Cinderella (sports)
In American and Canadian sports, a Cinderella or "Cinderella Story" refers to a team or player who advances much further in a tournament or career than originally anticipated. Cinderellas tend to gain much media and fan attention as they move closer to the championship game at the end of the...
run to the Stanley Cup Finals
1982 Stanley Cup Finals
-References:...
.
His tenure with the New York Rangers was also successful; the highlight was coaching the team to the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
as the first place team in the league in 1992.
With Philadelphia, he led the team to first place in the Eastern Conference in 2000, a position that the team would retain for the rest of the regular season. With the Flyers leading in the conference standings by the midseason All-Star Game, Neilson earned the honour of being head coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Previously, he had coached the Campbell Conference All-Stars at the 1983 All-Star Game
35th National Hockey League All-Star Game
The 35th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 8, 1983, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, home to the New York Islanders. In the game, Edmonton Oilers' centre Wayne Gretzky set an All-Star Game record by scoring all of his four goals in the third...
.
In addition, he also worked for the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
as a video analyst during the 1984 Stanley Cup Playoffs, which lead to the Oilers' first Stanley Cup championship, and Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
as an assistant coach under Bob Pulford
Bob Pulford
Robert Jesse Pulford is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Los Angeles Kings in the National Hockey League...
from 1984 to 1987. From 1995 to 1997 he was an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues.
During the 1987-88
1987-88 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
and 1988-89
1988-89 NHL season
-NHL awards:-All-Star teams:-Scoring Leaders:Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes, PPG = Powerplay Goals, SHG = Shorthanded Goals, GWG = Game Winning Goals-Leading goaltenders:...
seasons, Neilson did not coach but worked as a television analyst for hockey coverage on TSN
NHL on TSN
The NHL on TSN is TSN's broadcast of National Hockey League games. The show's current incarnation debuted in 2002. The channel has exclusive local rights to the Montreal Canadiens and the Winnipeg Jets.-Coverage overview:...
.
Retirement from hockey
Neilson had gone on medical leave from the Flyers just before the 2000 playoffs for cancer treatment but was later informed that he had been permanently replaced by Craig RamsayCraig Ramsay
Craig Ramsay is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 and the final head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers.-Playing career:...
. Neilson's unceremonious dismissal by Flyers General Manager Bobby Clarke
Bobby Clarke
Robert Earle Clarke, OC , better known as Bobby Clarke or, in later life, Bob Clarke, is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played his entire National Hockey League career with the Philadelphia Flyers and is currently an executive with the team...
was widely lamented by fans and media as lacking class and respect. Neilson's doctors advised the Flyers that he lacked the strength to perform his duties as head coach. Neilson insisted on trying to return at the end of the first round of the playoffs. At the end of the season, Neilson was dismissed as head coach. He later conceded Clarke did the right thing and he never served as a head coach again.
Neilson was then hired as an assistant coach of the Senators. For the last two games of the 2001–02 season, which were inconsequential to the standings, Head Coach Jacques Martin stepped away from the bench, allowing Neilson to take the reins and become the ninth man to coach 1000 games. The following season, the Senators won the Presidents' Trophy
Presidents' Trophy
The Presidents' Trophy is an award presented by the National Hockey League to the team that finishes with the most points in the league during the regular season. If two teams tie for the most points, then the trophy goes to the team with the most wins. The winning team is also awarded C$350,000...
as the first place team in the league, and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. As it was well known that Neilson's cancer was terminal
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
when the Senators were eliminated in a tough seven game series, several players expressed their sadness at not being able to win the Stanley Cup for Neilson before he died.
Neilson's overall regular season record was 460 wins, 381 losses, and 159 ties.
Coaching legacy
Neilson dedicated his entire life to coaching and to hockey and affected the careers of thousands. He had no family and would stay up late into the night watching video and analysing games.Among his most well-known innovations was the use of videotape to analyze other teams, leading to the nickname "Captain Video". He was also the first to use microphone headsets to communicate with his assistant coaches.
Neilson was well known for closely reading the rule book looking for loopholes. During one particular game in the OHL his team was up one goal, but was down two men in a five on three situation for the last minute of the game. Realizing that more penalties could not be served under the existing rules, Neilson put too many men on the ice every ten seconds. The referees stopped the play and a faceoff was held relieving pressure on the defence. After this display, the rule was changed so that a call for intentional too many men on the ice in a 5-on-3 situation in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime resulted in a penalty shot
Penalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...
.
Neilson also discovered that if he put a defenceman in net instead of a goalie during a penalty shot, the defenceman could rush the attacker and cut down the latter's angle of shot, greatly reducing the chances of a goal. Today the rule states that a team must use a goalie in net for a penalty shot.
One game during a time-out, Neilson told his goaltender, “...when we pull you, just leave your goal stick lying in the crease.” When the other team gained possession, they sent the puck the length of the ice toward the open net, only to deflect wide when it hit the goal stick lying in the crease. The rule was changed the next season so that a goal would be awarded in such a situation.
Neilson also broke the rules, in a sense, when he didn't like what was going on on the ice. As the Canucks coach during a 1982 playoff game against the Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
, he felt his team was unfairly penalized on several occasions during the third period. He took a trainer's white towel and held it on a hockey stick, as if to wave a white flag. Three other Canucks players did the same thing, and all were ejected from the game. By doing this, Neilson inadvertently started an NHL tradition. Canucks fans waved white towels by the thousands
Towel Power
Towel Power is a term used by the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League to describe the waving of rally towels by their fans. The tradition started in the 1982 Western Conference Finals where Vancouver played the Chicago Blackhawks...
at the next game, a playoff tradition that continues to this day and that is widely copied by other hockey teams.
Life after hockey
He was awarded a Doctor of Laws by McMaster University in 2001 (see below). He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of FameHockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
as a builder in November 2002. He was also appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
{CM} in 2002. The City of Peterbrough renamed George Street South Roger Neilson Way opposite the Memorial Centre Arena in 2003; the address of the Arena was supposed to be changed to 1 Roger Neilson Way. The Ottawa Senators have named their coaches office at Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place
Scotiabank Place is a multi-purpose arena, located in Kanata, a suburban district of Ottawa, Ontario. It is home to the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League. It has also hosted the Canadian University Men's Basketball Championship...
The Roger Neilson Room. The City of Ottawa renamed their Minor Peewee AAA Hockey Division after Neilson in 2005. Also in 2005, the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
created an award for the top academic player attending college or university and named it the Roger Neilson Memorial Award
Roger Neilson Memorial Award
The Roger Neilson Memorial Award is awarded annually to the top academic College/University player in the Ontario Hockey League. The award is named in honour of Hockey Hall of Fame coach Roger Neilson, a former high school teacher and coach of the Peterborough Petes...
.
In 1999, Neilson was diagnosed with bone cancer, which spread to become skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
in 2001. He died on June 21, 2003, only five days after his 69th birthday, and the funeral was held in Northview Pentecostal Church in Peterborough.
Shortly after his death, the Ottawa Senators Foundation announced plans to build Roger's House/La maison de Roger, a pediatric palliative care facility built in his memory on the grounds of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario is a major children's hospital and university teaching hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, serving Eastern Ontario and western Quebec. It is affiliated with The Ottawa Hospital and the University of Ottawa, and is funded by the provincial Government of Ontario...
in Ottawa. The building was opened on April 21, 2006, by the Premier of Ontario
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
, Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
.
In September 2004, a new elementary school in Peterborough named Roger Neilson Public School opened. The name was chosen because of Roger's commitment to teaching and that Roger exemplified the qualities of the Character Education program of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board
Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board has its headquarters in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board is the public, English language school board that takes in the regions of the previous Peterborough County Board of Education and the...
.
On April 7, 2011, Rogers Arena in Vancouver commemorated Roger Nielson's contribution to the NHL and Vancouver Canucks, in particular to the tradition he created during the 1982 playoff series with the Chicago Blackhawks, later named "Towel Power", by erecting a large statue of himself in the courtyard of Rogers Arena.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | TOR Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1977–78 | 80 | 41 | 29 | 10 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92 | 3rd in Adams | Lost in Third round | |||||||
| TOR Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1978–79 | 80 | 34 | 33 | 13 | ||||
| 81 | 3rd in Adams | Lost in Second round | |||||||
| BUF Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
1980–81 | 80 | 39 | 20 | 21 | ||||
| 99 | 1st in Adams | Lost in Second round | |||||||
| VAN Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1981–82 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| (77) | 2nd in Smythe | Lost in Stanley Cup Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug... Finals |
|||||||
| VAN Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1982–83 | 80 | 30 | 35 | 15 | ||||
| 75 | 3rd in Smythe | Lost in First round | |||||||
| VAN Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
1983–84 | 48 | 17 | 26 | 5 | ||||
| (73) | 3rd in Smythe | (fired) | |||||||
| LAK Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1983–84 | 28 | 8 | 17 | 3 | ||||
| (59) | 5th in Smythe | Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
1989–90 | 80 | 36 | 31 | 13 | ||||
| 85 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Second round | |||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
1990–91 | 80 | 36 | 31 | 13 | ||||
| 85 | 2nd in Patrick | Lost in First round | |||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
1991–92 | 80 | 50 | 25 | 5 | ||||
| 105 | 1st in Patrick | Lost in Second round | |||||||
| NYR New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
1992–93 | 40 | 19 | 17 | 4 | ||||
| (79) | 6th in Patrick | (fired) | |||||||
| FLA Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
1993–94 | 84 | 33 | 34 | 17 | ||||
| 83 | 5th in Atlantic | Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| FLA Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
1994–95 | 48 | 20 | 22 | 6 | ||||
| 46 | 5th in Atlantic | Did Not Qualify | |||||||
| PHI Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1997–98 | 21 | 10 | 9 | 2 | ||||
| (95) | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in First round | |||||||
| PHI Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1998–99 | 82 | 37 | 26 | 19 | ||||
| 93 | 2nd in Atlantic | Lost in First round | |||||||
| PHI Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1999–2000 | 82 | 45 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 105 | 1st in Atlantic | Lost in Third round |
| OTT Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
2001–02 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | (94) | 3rd in Northeast | Interim Head Coach |