Chad Wiseman
Chad Wiseman | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 25, 1981 Burlington, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey player, coach |
| Years active | 2000–2015 (player), 2015–2024 (coach) |
| Known for | Playing in the NHL for San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers; Head coach and general manager of Metropolitan Riveters; Head coach of Guelph Storm |
Chad Wiseman (born March 25, 1981) is a Canadian former ice hockey player turned professional coach. Between 2003 and 2005, he participated in nine NHL contests representing the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. Following his retirement in 2015, Wiseman took on the roles of head coach and general manager for the Metropolitan Riveters in the National Women's Hockey League, serving from 2015 until 2018. More recently, he held the position of head coach for the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League between 2022 and 2024.
Biography
Hailing from Burlington, Ontario, Wiseman developed his early hockey skills playing with a minor ice hockey squad based in Wexford, Toronto.
Junior hockey
Selected 42nd overall by the expansion Mississauga IceDogs during the 1998 OHL Priority Selection, Wiseman launched his junior career.
He made his debut on September 25, 1998, and assisted on the IceDogs' inaugural franchise goal in his second outing. His first goal in the OHL came on October 25, followed by a multi-point performance on November 1. On December 20, despite an overtime defeat, he tallied four points. Concluding the 1998–99 season, Wiseman amassed 11 goals and 25 assists for a total of 36 points across 64 games, ranking third in team scoring.
The following season (1999–00), Wiseman enhanced his offensive output, highlighted by a two-goal and one-assist effort on September 25. He led Mississauga with a team-high of 23 goals and accumulated 68 points over 68 games.
In the course of the 2000–01 campaign, after registering two four-point games, Wiseman was traded to the Plymouth Whalers. Prior to the trade, he had tallied 15 goals and totaled 44 points in just 30 games with Mississauga. Upon joining Plymouth on December 29, he scored twice in his debut and went on to record 11 goals and 27 points over 32 games. His contributions helped Plymouth secure first place in the West Division.
During his initial OHL playoff appearance, Wiseman led Plymouth by scoring 12 goals and adding eight assists for an overall total of 20 points across 19 games. The Whalers advanced to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals but were ultimately defeated by the Ottawa 67's.
San Jose Sharks (2000–2003)
Chosen as the 246th overall pick by the San Jose Sharks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, Wiseman began his professional journey with their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Barons. During the 2001–02 AHL season, he contributed 21 goals and finished with a total of 50 points over 76 games. The subsequent season saw him improve to 17 goals and accumulate 52 points in 77 contests, placing him second in team scoring. Wiseman made his NHL debut in March 2003, participating in four games but did not register any points. On August 12, 2003, he was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Nils Ekman.
New York Rangers (2003–2006)
Throughout most of the 2003–04 AHL season, Wiseman played with the Rangers' affiliate team, the Hartford Wolf Pack, where he led with a total of 25 goals and amassed 52 points across 62 games. In postseason play, he added five goals and totaled eleven points over fifteen games. That season also saw him appear in four NHL matches, during which he scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Martin Brodeur on January 15, 2004.
During the lockout-affected 2004–05 AHL season, Wiseman participated in sixty games for Hartford, recording seventeen goals and thirty-three points. In the following 2005–06 AHL season, he posted nineteen goals and fifty-five points over sixty-nine games while contributing nine points during eleven playoff appearances. Additionally, Wiseman played one NHL game that year for New York, earning an assist and marking his debut in an NHL postseason game.
Washington Capitals (2006–2007)
On July 14, 2006, Wiseman agreed to a one-year, two-way deal with the Washington Capitals. He spent the 2006–07 AHL season playing for their affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where he tallied 15 goals and accumulated 35 points over 48 games. During the postseason, he added two goals and eight points in 16 contests as Hershey advanced to the Calder Cup finals but ultimately fell to the Hamilton Bulldogs.
EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams (2007–2008)
Wiseman signed a one-year contract on July 9, 2007, with EHC Wolfsburg Grizzly Adams competing in Germany’s Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Throughout the 2007–08 campaign, he registered 10 goals and 23 points in 28 games; however, Wolfsburg did not secure a playoff berth.
New Jersey Devils (2008–2009)
On July 17, 2008, Wiseman inked a one-year, two-way contract with the New Jersey Devils. He spent the 2008–09 season with the Lowell Devils, where injuries limited him to 23 games in which he scored nine goals and earned 19 points.
Springfield Falcons (2009–2010)
For the 2009–10 season, Wiseman joined the roster of the Springfield Falcons. Notably, on January 17, he recorded four goals and six points during a 6–3 victory against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He concluded the season ranking second on the team with totals of 24 goals and 59 points across 67 games.
New Jersey Devils (2010–2013)
Wiseman returned to the New Jersey Devils organization on July 28, 2010, signing a two-year, two-way contract valued at $1.05 million. He played the full 2010–11 with the Albany Devils, scoring 16 goals and collecting 44 points in 48 games. On March 9, he set a franchise record by netting four goals within a span of 9:03 minutes and tied the record for most goals scored in a single game during a 5–4 triumph over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
During the 2011–12 season, Wiseman contributed five goals and 19 points in 37 games for Albany before signing a one-year contract at the AHL level. In 2012–13, he added three goals and totaled 13 points in 36 appearances.
Östersunds IK (2013–2014)
Wiseman signed with Division 1’s Swedish third-tier club Östersunds IK. Over 23 games, he scored 11 goals and amassed 30 points, ranking third in team scoring. In four playoff matches, he recorded one goal and three points.
Nippon Paper Cranes (2014–2015)
For the 2014–15 campaign, Wiseman competed with the Nippon Paper Cranes in Asia League Ice Hockey. He finished with totals of 14 goals and 29 points across 36 games before announcing his retirement from professional play.
New York Riveters (2015–2018)
On August 4, 2015, Wiseman was appointed head coach of the New York Riveters for the inaugural National Women's Hockey League season. The team ended their first year at the bottom of the standings with a record of 4–12–2 and were eliminated by the Boston Pride in the playoffs.
He continued as head coach while also taking on general manager responsibilities for the 2016–17 season. The Riveters improved significantly to finish second with an 8–7–3 record but were defeated by the Buffalo Beauts in the semifinal round.
With a rebranding to the Metropolitan Riveters for the 2017–18 season, Wiseman guided them to a league-leading record of 13–3–0. The Riveters secured a dominant 5–0 win over the Connecticut Whale in the semifinals and then shut out the Buffalo Beauts 1–0 to capture the Isobel Cup championship.
Following this achievement, Wiseman resigned from his head coaching position.
Burlington Cougars (2018)
Following his title-winning campaign with the Riveters, Wiseman was appointed head coach of the Burlington Cougars competing in the Ontario Junior Hockey League for the 2018–19 season. Nevertheless, prior to leading the team in any contests, he accepted an assistant coaching role with the Guelph Storm of the major junior Ontario Hockey League.
Guelph Storm (2018–2024)
Wiseman became part of the Guelph Storm coaching staff as an assistant under head coach George Burnett. During the 2018–19 season, Guelph achieved a 40–18–6–4 record, finishing fourth in the Western Conference. The team secured the J. Ross Robertson Cup by overcoming the Ottawa 67's and progressed to the 2019 Memorial Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-final by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
Elevated to associate coach for the 2019–20 campaign, Wiseman contributed to Guelph’s 32–23–3–5 performance and sixth-place finish in the Western Conference before playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following 2020–21 season was also cancelled entirely.
Returning as associate coach in 2021–22, Wiseman helped guide Guelph to a 36–24–5–3 record, securing fifth place in the Western Conference; however, their postseason ended with a loss in the conference quarter-finals.
For the 2022–23 season, Scott Walker took over as head coach while Burnett concentrated on general manager responsibilities; Wiseman continued as associate coach. After just two games, Walker resigned citing health concerns, prompting Wiseman to take over head coaching duties. His debut on October 7 resulted in a defeat, but he claimed his first OHL victory the following night. Under his leadership, Guelph finished with a 35–27–4 record, ranking second in the Midwest Division and sixth overall in the Western Conference. Their playoff run concluded with a six-game loss to the Sarnia Sting in the conference quarter-finals.
In the 2023–24 season, Wiseman led Guelph to a 33–28–7 record, placing fourth in the Midwest Division and sixth within the Western Conference standings. The Storm were swept in four games by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds during the conference quarter-finals.
At season’s end, Wiseman was dismissed from his coaching position.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1997–98 | Burlington Cougars | OPJHL | 50 | 28 | 36 | 64 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Mississauga IceDogs | OHL | 64 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Mississauga IceDogs | OHL | 68 | 23 | 45 | 68 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Mississauga IceDogs | OHL | 30 | 15 | 29 | 44 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Plymouth Whalers | OHL | 32 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 12 | 19 | 12 | 8 | 20 | 22 | ||
| 2001–02 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 76 | 21 | 29 | 50 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Cleveland Barons | AHL | 77 | 17 | 35 | 52 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 62 | 25 | 27 | 52 | 45 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 2003–04 | New York Rangers | NHL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 AHL season | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 60 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 74 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2005–06 AHL season | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 69 | 19 | 36 | 55 | 65 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 22 | ||
| 2005–06 NHL season | New York Rangers | NHL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07 AHL season | Hershey Bears | AHL | 48 | 15 | 20 | 35 | 80 | 16 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 16 | ||
| 2007–08 DEL season | Grizzly Adams Wolfsburg | Deutsche Eishockey Liga | 28 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 41 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 AHL season | Lowell Devils | AHL | 23 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 AHL season | Springfield Falcons | AHL | 67 | 24 | 35 | 59 | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 48 | 16 | 28 | 44 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 37 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | |||||||
| 2012–13 AHL season | Albany Devils | AHL | 36 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 27 | |||||||
| 2013–14 Division 1 season (Swedish ice hockey) | Östersunds IK | Hockeyettan | 23 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 53 | |||||||
| 2014–15 Asia League Ice Hockey season | Nippon Paper Cranes | Asia League Ice Hockey | 36 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 26 | |||||||
| AHL totals | 603 | 171 | 260 | 431 | 560 | 48 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 56 | ||||
| NHL totals | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
OHL
| Team | Season | Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Standing | Outcome | ||
| Guelph Storm | 2022–23 | 66 | 35 | 27 | 4 | 74 | 2nd place, Midwest Division | Eliminated in conference quarter-finals (2–4 vs. SAR) |
| Guelph Storm | 2023–24 | 68 | 33 | 28 | 7 | 73 | 4th place, Midwest Division | Exited in conference quarter-finals (0–4 vs. SOO) |
| OHL career totals | 2022–2024 | 134 | 68 | 55 | 11 | 147 | — | (2–8, .200) |
NWHL
| Team | Season | Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | L | OTL | Pts | Standing | Outcome | ||
| New York Riveters | 2015–16 | 18 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 4th place in NWHL | Defeated in league semi-finals (0–2 vs. BOS) |
| New York Riveters | 2016–17 | 18 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 19 | Finished 2nd in NWHL | Lost league semi-finals (2–4 vs. BUF) |
| Metropolitan Riveters | 2017–18 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 1st place in NWHL | Victorious in league semi-finals (5–0 vs. CON) Captured the Isobel Cup (1–0 vs. BUF) |
| NWHL career totals | 2015–2018 | 52 | 25 | 22 | 5 | 55 | One regular season championship | One Isobel Cup |