Ron Wilson

At 69 years old, Ron Wilson has this physical status:

Ronald Lawrence Wilson (born May 28, 1955) is a former professional ice hockey player and head coach in Canada.

He has worked with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, and Toronto Maple Leafs as part of his coaching career in the National Hockey League (NHL).

At the 1998 and 2010 Winter Olympics, he served as head coach of the United States national ice hockey team.

Wilson has dual citizenship in both the United States and Canada.

Personal life

Wilson was born in Windsor, Ontario, and raised in Fort Erie, Ontario. When he was 12 years old, he went from Fort Erie to Riverside, Rhode Island. As a result, Wilson holds dual citizenship of Canada and the United States, and has represented Team USA in both playing and coaching.

Larry Wilson's father and uncle, Johnny Wilson, were both active in the Detroit Red Wings in the 1950s and later coached in the NHL.

Kristen and Lauren are Wilson's two children with Maurice Wilson and his wife Maureen.

Wilson suffered a stroke in December 2016 and underwent rehabilitation.

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Playing career

Wilson began playing for Providence College in 1973–74, where he led the Friars in scoring in his rookie season with 16 goals and 38 points in 26 games, assisting the Friars in their ECAC quarter-finals, where they were defeated 9–3.

Wilson stood out offensively in 27 games, helping the Friars advance to the ECAC tournament for the second consecutive season. The Friars will lose in the quarterfinals to the Vermont Catamounts, 7-5, in the tournament.

Wilson had another good season with the Friars in 1975–76, scoring 19 goals and 66 points in 28 games, but the team failed to qualify for the tournament and didn't even qualify for the tournament.

Wilson's offense suffered in his last season at Providence, 1976–77, although he still had strong 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 6–3 in the quarter-finals to Clarkson.

Wilson was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the eighth round, 132nd overall, at the 1975 NHL Entry Draft. In the 1974 WHA Amateur Draft, he was also drafted by the Houston Aeros but he decided to join the Maple Leafs rather than pursue an NHL career.

Wilson was in his first professional action in 1976–77 after his college hockey career was over, where he appeared in four games with the Dallas Black Hawks of the Central Hockey League (CHL), scoring a goal.

Wilson played for the Black Hawks from 1977 to 1978, scoring 31 goals and 69 points to lead the team in scoring. He was drafted into the NHL late last season and appeared in 13 games with the Maple Leafs, scoring two goals and three points. Wilson did not get any playing time in the offseason, however, as the Maple Leafs lost to the Montreal Canadiens in the third round of the playoffs.

Wilson played for the New Brunswick Hawks of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 31 games, scoring 11 goals and 32 points and the Maple Leafs, and split the 1978–79 season between the 1978–79 seasons. Wilson appeared in 46 games in Toronto, scoring five goals and 17 points. In the quarter-finals, he appeared in three playoff games for Toronto, earning an assist.

Wilson spent the majority of the 1979-1980 season in New Brunswick, where he scored 20 goals and 63 points to finish fourth in team scoring. He appeared in just five games with the Maple Leafs, receiving two assists. Wilson spent three games with the Leafs in the post-season, where he scored a goal and three points in three games as Toronto was swept by the Minnesota North Stars in the first round. Wilson played for the Hawks in the Calder Cup playoffs, and he had three goals and five points as New Brunswick lost to the Hershey Bears in the final round.

Wilson spent time in Switzerland with EHC Kloten, where Wilson scored 22 goals and 45 points in 38 games.

Wilson played for Kloten for one season before moving to the HC Davos in 1981–82. Wilson played in 38 games, totaling 24 goals and 47 points, assisting the team in finishing second place in second place.

Wilson's offense soared to 32 goals and 64 points in 36 games in 1982–83, as Davos finished the season with a record-best 20–8 record in the first round before falling to a 3–2–5 record in the final round to finish third place in third place.

Wilson saw more progress with his offense in 1983-84, scoring 33 goals and 72 points in 36 games, assisting the Davos in winning the championship.

Wilson scored 39 goals and 102 points in 38 games between 1984 and 1985, winning the club's second-straight Swiss championship.

Wilson returned to the NHL and signed with the Minnesota North Stars for the remainder of the 1984-1985 season after his time with Davos. Wilson scored four goals and 12 points in 13 games, assisting the club in securing the fourth and final playoff spot in the Norris Division. Wilson scored a goal and seven points in nine playoff games as Minnesota swept the first place St. Louis Blues before losing to the Chicago Black Hawks in the division finals.

Wilson returned to HC Davos in Switzerland for the 1985–86 season after a late-season with the North Stars in 1984–85. Wilson played in 27 games, leading the club into the post-season. Wilson had six goals and eight points in five playoff games, but HC Davos lost to HC Lugano in the final round.

Wilson joined the North Stars after his stint with HC Davos and ended 1985–86 with Minnesota, scoring a goal and four points in 11 games, helping the club finish second in the Norris Division. Wilson had two goals and six points in five games as Minnesota lost to the St. Louis Blues in the division semifinals in 1986.

Wilson played for the North Stars in 1986-87, scoring 12 goals and 41 points to finish second among North Star defensemen in team scoring, but the club failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Wilson spent his entire career with the North Stars, where he scored two goals and 14 points in 24 games. He appeared in his last NHL game on December 16, 1987, assisting in a 4–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Wilson was activated by the North Stars shortly after the game.

Wilson returned to HC Davos in Switzerland after being released from Minnesota. Wilson had eight goals and 32 points in 36 games, as well as six playoff games, with two goals and seven points as HC Davos finished in fourth place.

Wilson resigned as a player after the season, and he's sad to say so.

Coaching career

Wilson joined the Milwaukee Admirals of the International Hockey League (IHL) as an assistant coach, under Head Coach Ron Lapointe. The Admirals' youngest player, Andy Harman, finished in third place in the West Division in his first season with the club. In the first round of the playoffs, the Admirals lost to the Salt Lake Golden Eagles.

Wilson joined the Vancouver Canucks coaching staff as an assistant coach under Bob McCammon in the 1990s to 1991. After the Canucks struggled to a 19-30-5 record, McCammon was fired and Pat Quinn was named in place of him. Wilson remained as an assistant, and the Canucks defeated the Canucks 9–13–4 to advance to their fourth and final playoff position in the Smythe Division under Quinn. The Canucks lost in six games to the Los Angeles Kings in the 1991 post-season.

Vancouver's point total rise in 1991-92 soared by 31 points, when the team ended the year with a 42–12 record and ended in first place in the Smythe Division. The Canucks, who were heavily favored, were able to defeat the Winnipeg Jets in seven games before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in six games in the Smythe Division Finals.

Vancouver raised their point total from 1992-93, going 46-29–9 for their second straight Smythe Division title. The Canucks defeated the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the 1993 playoffs before losing to the Los Angeles Kings in the division finals.

Wilson left the Canucks and became Anaheim's first head coach.

Wilson was the first head coach of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the 1993–94 season. Wilson and the Mighty Ducks lost by 7-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on October 8, 1993, his first game as an NHL head coach. He won his first game on October 13, beating the Edmonton Oilers 4–3. The team finished the season with a 33–46–5 record for 71 points, falling short of the 1993 playoffs.

In the following season, the Mighty Ducks continued to fail, finishing 16–27–5 in the lockout-shortened season, their lowest record in the Western Conference.

Anaheim made a significant leap in 1995–96, but the team went 35–39–8 for the first time (78 points). Nonetheless, Wilson and the Mighty Ducks' attempts came just shy of qualifying for the 1996 playoffs, finishing one spot out of playoff contention, ninth in the Conference, just shy of being out of playoff contention. Despite accumulating the same point total as the eighth-placed Winnipeg Jets, the two teams failed to break the tie-breaker between the two teams when they finished with one less victory.

The Mighty Ducks continued their improvement in 1996–97 season, winning their first-ever victory record, 36–33–13, and qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in team history. Anaheim defeated the Phoenix Coyotes in seven games before being swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Despite team advancement, the Mighty Ducks fired Wilson on May 20, 1997.

Wilson was hired by the Washington Capitals on June 9, 1997, after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs in 1996–97.

Wilson led the team to a 40–12 record, a 17-point increase over the previous season's total, as Washington qualified for the 1998 playoffs. The fourth-seeded Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins in the first round, then the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres advanced to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in the team's 24 years of existence. The Capitals were swept in four games by the Detroit Red Wings, who won their second straight Stanley Cup in the finals.

In the ensuing 1998-99 season, Washington fell apart, finishing 12th in the Eastern Conference and a 31–45–6 record and 12th overall, well out of a playoff position.

However, the Capitals resurgent in 1999–2000, winning the Southeast Division with a 44–24–2 record and finishing second place in the East. In the first round of the 2000 playoffs, the Capitals were stunned by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games.

In 2000–01, the Capitals won their second straight Southeast Division title, going 41–27–10–4 and netting 96 points, enough points for a third-place finish in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals were also upset by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who won the series in six games, again in the 2001 playoffs.

The Capitals acquired Jaromr Jágr from the Penguins in the summer of 2001 and were considered a Stanley Cup candidate for 2001–02. Despite the high-profile acquisition, the club suffered for a large part of the season, finishing in ninth place in the East, out of the 2002 playoffs. Wilson was fired by the Capitals on May 10, 2002, following their poor season.

Wilson was signed by the San Jose Sharks on December 4, 2002, who had recently fired Darryl Sutter and had a 9-2–2-2 record at the time Wilson was hired. The Sharks continued to fail under Wilson, going 19-25–7–6 and losing out on the 2003 playoffs.

Wilson turned around the team in his first full season with San Jose (2003–04), winning them to a 43–21–6 record for 104 points, a first-place finish in the Pacific Division, and a second-place finish in the Western Conference. The Sharks advanced to the Western Conference Finals in the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs over the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche. Despite being favored to win the series, the Calgary Flames, boosted by the play of recently acquired goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff, defeated San Jose in six games.

Wilson played for the Sharks during the 2004–05 season, which was later cancelled due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout.

As play resumed, the Sharks were a top team in 2005–06, winning 44–27–11 for 99 points. Joe Thornton was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Sharks in mid-season. The Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators in the first round of the 2006 playoffs before falling to the eighth-seeded Edmonton Oilers in the second round.

San Jose continued to improve in 2006-07 as the team won 50 games for the first time in club history, going 51–26–5 for 107 points and securing another playoff berth. The Sharks defeated the Nashville Predators for the second time in the second season, but they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. Wilson became the first head coach in NHL history to lose to the Red Wings while coaching three separate clubs (including Anaheim in 1997 and 1998) during his career (including Anaheim in 1997 and 1998).

The Sharks raised their point total in 2007–08 by going 49–23–10, scoring 108 points and establishing the best record in the Pacific Division and winning the second seed in the Western Conference, while still placing second in the Western Conference. The Sharks barely beat the Calgary Flames in seven games before losing to the Dallas Stars in the second round. Wilson was fired by the Sharks on May 12, 2008, after the team failed to comply with management's playoff aspirations.

Wilson was hired by the Toronto Maple Leafs to become the team's head coach on June 10, 2008, replacing Paul Maurice. Since his hire, Toronto had not made the playoffs since 2003–04.

Wilson's first year with the Leafs was 2008–2009, the team went 34–13-13, earning 81 points for last place in the Northeast Division and 12th in the Eastern Conference, placing them 12th.

In 2009–10, the Maple Leafs continued to struggle, ending with a 30–38–14 record, receiving 74 points, and their last place finish in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs traded their two first-round draft picks — as well as a second-rounder — to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Phil Kessel, as well as adding defenseman Dion Phaneuf from the Calgary Flames to the team midway through the season.

The Leafs' 2011–11 season saw some improvement, finishing with an above-.500 record under Wilson for the first time under Wilson, going 37–41–11. Despite the change, the club failed to qualify for the 2011 playoffs, finishing in tenth place in the East.

Wilson's last year in 2011–12 got off to a promising start to the season. The team had an 18–13–4 record on December 26, 2011 and was in a playoff position. Wilson was then signed to a labour contract extension by Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke. The Maple Leafs' season began shortly after the contract extension, going 11-15-3 in their next 29 games to fall out of playoff contention. Wilson was fired by the Maple Leafs on March 2, 2012, replacing him with Randy Carlyle, who had been fired as head coach by the Anaheim Ducks. At the time Wilson's dismissal, Toronto had a 29-28-7 record.

Wilson first worked in Vienna, where he coached the United States to a bronze medal in 1996, the country's first medal at the tournament in 34 years. Later that year, he was named team's coach at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, where he led the Americans to the tournament championship.

Wilson again coached the Americans in Nagano, 1998, defeating Belarus and the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals, despite this triumph.

Wilson was named head coach for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver in April 2009. The team was undefeated throughout round robin play and advanced to knockout stages, losing in the final in overtime to the hosts Canada; the team claimed the silver medal.

Wilson, the head coach for the men's under 20 team at the 2016 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in Helsinki, Finland, was confirmed on June 4, 2015.

Wilson, a coach, is well-known for infusing technology into his teaching methods. Tim Hunter, a Washington Capitals assistant, brought personal computers into the team's strategic planning and burned DVDs of Capitals games for the team to review during his time as a Washington Capitalist. Wilson used a tablet computer to be used in the team bench by himself or his assistants to quickly plan out goals and review plays during his San Jose Sharks tenure.

Broadcasting career

Wilson joined the TSN Hockey panel in early 2015 as an analyst.

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