Ron Wilson
Encyclopedia
- There are two people associated with ice hockeyIce hockeyIce 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...
named Ron Wilson. For the other see Ron Wilson (ice hockey b. 1956)
Ronald Lawrence Wilson (born May 28, 1955) is a Canadian-American former professional ice 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...
player and current head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs
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...
of the 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...
(NHL) and the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. He is also the former head coach of the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the NHL. Wilson holds dual citizenship of the United States and Canada.
Early years
Wilson was born in Windsor, OntarioWindsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly across the river from Buffalo, New York....
. He moved from Fort Erie to Riverside, Rhode Island
Riverside, Rhode Island
Riverside, Rhode Island is the southern section of the city of East Providence in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Riverside's zip code is 02915 and has a population of approximately 18,000.Riverside is a suburban neighborhood for Providence...
, when he was 12 years old. As a result, Wilson holds dual citizenship of Canada and the United States, and has represented Team USA in both playing and coaching.
Both his father, Larry Wilson
Larry Wilson (ice hockey)
Lawrence Wilson was a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and head coach.Wilson played 152 career games with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks winning the Stanley Cup in his first season with Detroit . His name was engraved on the Stanley Cup in 1950...
, and his uncle, Johnny Wilson
Johnny Wilson (ice hockey)
John Edward Wilson was a professional ice hockey forward and head coach. He played with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers, in the National Hockey League, scoring 332 points in 668 games...
coached the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
.
He began his career playing hockey at East Providence High School and then went on to attend Providence College
Providence College
Providence College is a private, coeducational, Catholic university located about two miles west of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, United States, the state's capital city. With a 2010–2011 enrollment of 3,850 undergraduate students and 735 graduate students, the College specializes in academic...
, where he set several NCAA defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
scoring records and was named the ECAC
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
Player of the Year in 1975. He was a teammate of Brian Burke and Jeffrey Nixon at Providence. Burke and Wilson now work together for both the Toronto Maple Leafs
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...
and USA Hockey
USA Hockey
USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. The organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and has...
.
Playing career
After his successful college career, he was drafted by the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto 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...
of the 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...
in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft in the eighth round. He played only parts of 3 seasons with the Maple Leafs before spending six years in Switzerland, playing for EHC Kloten and HC Davos
HC Davos
Hockey Club Davos is a professional Swiss ice hockey club based in Davos, Switzerland. Davos play in the Swiss National League A, which is ranked as Europe's sixth best ice hockey league. The team is usually a strong force in the league and often bolster their roster with Swiss national team...
of Nationalliga A. He returned to the NHL in 1985 and played three seasons with the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
before retiring as a player in 1988.
Wilson was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at the age of 24.
Wilson also played on the U.S. national hockey team on a number of occasions throughout his career, including the 1975, 1981, 1983 and 1987 Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments.
Vancouver Canucks
Wilson's coaching career began in 1990, where he became an assistant coach for the Vancouver CanucksVancouver 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,...
.
Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
In 1993, Wilson was named as the first coach of the expansion Mighty Ducks of AnaheimAnaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, where he coached the team for 4 years.
Washington Capitals
After the Ducks released him following the 1996–97 NHL season, Wilson was hired to coach the Washington CapitalsWashington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. In his first year coaching the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, he led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals
1998 Stanley Cup Finals
- Detroit Red Wings - 1998 Stanley Cup Champions :- Stanley Cup engravings :* Wally Crossman was oldest person engraved on the Stanley Cup at age 87....
, where the Capitals were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in four games.
The appearance in the Finals would prove to be the highlight of Wilson's tenure in Washington. In the season immediately following Washington's run to the Finals, the Caps backslid significantly and missed the playoffs. In the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons, Wilson led the team to back-to-back Southeast Division titles, though the team failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs both times.
San Jose Sharks
With the elimination of the Sharks in the 2007 Playoffs by the Detroit Red WingsDetroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Wilson became the first coach in NHL postseason history to lose to the same team with three different franchises.
Wilson is 6th on the all-time list of the number of games coached, and is ranked third amongst the active coaching list.
Wilson earned his 500th win of his coaching career when the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
beat the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
4–3 on February 9, 2008, at HP Pavilion at San Jose. He is the 11th coach in the history of the NHL to reach 500 victories.
On March 1, 2008, Wilson became the coach with most wins in San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
franchise history with 193 wins, and passed Darryl Sutter, who held the earlier record of 192 wins. The San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
beat the St. Louis Blues, 2–0, which gave Wilson the win. As of March 1, 2008, he is currently in 9th place on the NHL’s list of coaches’ victories of all time with 505 victories.
On May 12, 2008, Wilson was fired by Doug Wilson (no relation), after three straight second round exits in the playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs
On June 10, 2008, it was announced that Ron Wilson had signed on as the new coach of the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto 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...
. The deal will see Wilson as the team's bench boss, on a 4-year contract worth 5.6 million dollars plus incentives.
On January 11, 2011, he won his 600th game as an NHL coach, becoming only the seventh coach to accomplish the feat. The 4–2 victory came against his former team, San Jose.
The Maple Leafs have yet to make the playoffs with Wilson as their coach and Brian Burke told the press that he is staying in Toronto
International career
Wilson was named the coach of the U.S. national team at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey1996 World Cup of Hockey
The first World Cup of Hockey , or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional ice hockey ....
, where he led the Americans to the tournament championship.
In April 2009 he was named the head coach for the U.S. Olympic hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The team went undefeated through round robin play and advanced through the knockout stages, losing to Canada in the final in overtime. The team won the silver medal.
Coaching style
As a coach, Wilson is well-known for integrating technology into his coaching plans. During his stint with the Washington Capitals, he and assistant coach Tim 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 a tablet computerTablet computer
A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a complete mobile computer, larger than a mobile phone or personal digital assistant, integrated into a flat touch screen and primarily operated by touching the screen...
to be used in the team bench by himself or his assistants to instantly plan out strategies and review plays.
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California, USA. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
1993–94 | 84 | 33 | 46 | 5 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71 | 4th in Pacific | Missed playoffs | |||||||
| 1994–95 | 48 | 16 | 27 | 5 | |||||
| 37 | 6th in Pacific | Missed playoffs | |||||||
| 1995–96 | 82 | 35 | 39 | 8 | |||||
| 78 | 4th in Pacific | Missed playoffs | |||||||
| 1996–97 | 82 | 36 | 33 | 13 | |||||
| 85 | 2nd in Pacific | Lost in second round | |||||||
| Washington Capitals Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... |
1997–98 | 82 | 40 | 30 | 12 | ||||
| 92 | 3rd in Atlantic | Lost in Cup Finals | |||||||
| 1998–99 | 82 | 31 | 45 | 6 | |||||
| 68 | 4th in Southeast | Missed playoffs | |||||||
| 1999–2000 | 82 | 44 | 24 | 12 | 2 | 102 | 1st in Southeast | Lost in first round | |
| 2000–01 | 82 | 41 | 27 | 10 | 4 | 96 | 1st in Southeast | Lost in first round | |
| 2001–02 | 82 | 36 | 33 | 11 | 2 | 85 | 2nd in Southeast | Missed playoffs | |
| San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
2002–03 | 57 | 19 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 73 | 5th in Pacific | Missed playoffs |
| 2003–04 | 82 | 43 | 21 | 12 | 6 | 104 | 1st in Pacific | Lost in Conf. Champ | |
| 2005–06 | 82 | 44 | 27 | ||||||
| 11 | 99 | 2nd in Pacific | Lost in second round | ||||||
| 2006–07 | 82 | 51 | 26 | ||||||
| 5 | 107 | 2nd in Pacific | Lost in second round | ||||||
| 2007–08 | 82 | 49 | 23 | ||||||
| 10 | 108 | 1st in Pacific | Lost in second round | ||||||
| Toronto Maple Leafs 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... |
2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
82 | 34 | 35 | |||||
| 13 | 81 | 5th in Northeast | Missed playoffs | ||||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
82 | 30 | 38 | ||||||
| 14 | 74 | 5th in Northeast | Missed playoffs | ||||||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
82 | 37 | 34 | ||||||
| 11 | 85 | 4th in Northeast | Missed playoffs | ||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 NHL season The 2011–12 NHL season is the 95th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It is the fifth consecutive season that opens in Europe with NHL Premiere games. As with the previous season, three events are scheduled: two games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden; one game in Helsinki,... |
24 | 14 | 8 | ||||||
| 2 | 30 | ||||||||
| Total | 1361 | 633 | 541 | 101 | 86 | 1475 |