Johnny Wilson (ice hockey)

John Edward Wilson
Born	Template:Birth date Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 27, 2011(2011-12-27) (aged 82)
Occupation(s)	Professional ice hockey player and coach
Years active	1950–1962 (player), 1967–1981 (coach)

John Edward Wilson (June 14, 1929 – December 27, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey athlete and coach. His NHL playing career spanned from 1950 to 1962, during which he represented the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers. Wilson secured four Stanley Cup titles while with Detroit. Transitioning into coaching after his playing days, he led NHL teams such as the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Colorado Rockies, and Pittsburgh Penguins between 1969 and 1980. Additionally, he managed the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades and Cleveland Crusaders in the World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1976, and helmed the Canadian national team at the 1977 World Championship. Born in Kincardine, Ontario, Wilson was raised in Shawinigan Falls, Quebec.

Playing career

Wilson spent three seasons with the Windsor Spitfires before signing his initial professional contract with the Detroit Red Wings in September 1949. He primarily played for their minor league affiliate, the Omaha Knights, during that season but was called up late to contribute to Detroit’s Stanley Cup triumph. After spending most of the 1950–51 season in the minors, Wilson secured a full-time position with the Red Wings midway through the 1951–52 campaign and played a key role in winning three additional Stanley Cups in 1952, 1954, and 1955.

Following Detroit’s 1955 championship, General Manager Jack Adams traded Wilson to the Chicago Black Hawks as part of an eight-player exchange. After two seasons in Chicago, he returned to Detroit through the prominent Ted Lindsay trade and spent another two years there before being dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1959. In 1960, Wilson was traded to the New York Rangers for Eddie Shack and retired following the conclusion of the 1961–62 season.

Over his NHL tenure, Wilson accumulated 161 goals and 171 assists across 688 regular-season games, along with 27 points in 66 playoff contests. He earned four Stanley Cup rings with Detroit and was selected for two all-star games (1954 and 1956). Remarkably durable, Wilson logged 580 consecutive games from 1951 to 1960, ranking him as the league’s second all-time iron man.

Coaching career

Wilson began his coaching journey in 1967 as head coach of the Springfield Kings in the American Hockey League, serving as a minor league affiliate for the newly established Los Angeles Kings. Partway through his third season, he was elevated to interim head coach of Los Angeles after Hal Laycoe’s dismissal amid a poor start. Despite his efforts, Wilson could not reverse the team’s fortunes and returned to Springfield after that season, where he led them to a Calder Cup championship the following year.

Following Springfield’s Calder Cup victory in 1971, Wilson was appointed midseason head coach of the Detroit Red Wings for the 1971–72 season. Although achieving a winning record, Detroit failed to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons under his leadership, resulting in his termination. His coaching record with Detroit stood unmatched for fifteen years.

Wilson then spent two seasons coaching in the World Hockey Association with the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades (1974–75) and Cleveland Crusaders (1975–76). He returned to NHL coaching for one season with the Colorado Rockies (1976–77) followed by three seasons guiding the Pittsburgh Penguins (1977–80), leading Pittsburgh to two playoff berths. He wrapped up his coaching career with a final season at Springfield before retiring in 1981.

In addition to club coaching duties, Wilson served as head coach for Canada’s national team at the 1977 World Championship held in Vienna. The team finished fourth with a roster exclusively composed of players from NHL clubs that did not qualify for that year’s playoffs.

Personal

Johnny Wilson was the sibling of NHL player and coach Larry Wilson (ice hockey) and the uncle of NHL coach Ron Wilson (ice hockey b. 1955). He resided in the Detroit region alongside his wife, Pat, and they had two children named Kelly and Tracy. Tracy A. Wilson, who previously worked as a television writer and host, is currently writing a book about her father's life and also runs a writing blog.

Wilson passed away on December 27, 2011, at the age of 82 due to pulmonary fibrosis, following battles with lung disease and colon cancer.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1947–48	Windsor Spitfires	OHA		34	23	28	51	15		12	4	6	10	11
1947–48	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	IHL		25	21	13	34	19		—	—	—	—	—
1948–49	Windsor Spitfires	OHA		25	30	20	50	24		4	1	0	1	2
1948–49	Windsor Hettche Spitfires	IHL		4	5	4	9	0		13	16	7	23	16
1949–50	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		1	0	0	0	0		8	0	1	1	0
1949–50	Omaha Knights	USHL		70	41	39	80	46		7	2	5	7	4
1950–51	Indianapolis Capitals	AHL		70	34	21	55	48		3	1	0	1	4
1951–52	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		28	4	5	9	18		8	4	1	5	5
1952–53	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	23	19	42	22		6	2	5	7	0
1953–54	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	17	17	34	22		12	3	0	3	0
1954–55	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	12	15	27	14		11	0	1	1	0
1955–56	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		70	24	9	33	12
1956–57 NHL season	Chicago Black Hawks	NHL		70	18	30	48	24
1957–58 NHL season	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	12	27	39	14		2 |1 |3 |0
1958–59 NHL season	Detroit Red Wings	NHL		70	11	17	28	18
1959–60 NHL season	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		70	15	16	31	8		1 |2 |3 |2
1960–61 NHL season	Toronto Maple Leafs	NHL		3	0	1	1	0
1960–61 AHL season	Rochester Americans	AHL		2	2	2	4	0
1960–61	New York Rangers	NHL		56	14	12	26	24
1961–62 NHL season	New York Rangers	NHL		40	11	3	14	14		2 |2 |4 |4
NHL totals !688				161	171	332	190 !66	14		13	27	16

NHL

Team	Season	Regular Season						Playoffs
		GP	W	L	T	Pts	Standing	Outcome
Los Angeles Kings	1969–70	52	9	34	9	27	6th place in West Division	Did not qualify
Detroit Red Wings	1971–72	76	30	27	10	70	5th place in East Division	Did not qualify
Detroit Red Wings	1972–73	78	37	29	12	86	5th place in East Division	Did not qualify
Colorado Rockies	1976–77	80	20	46	14	54	5th place in Smythe Division	Did not qualify
Pittsburgh Penguins	1977–78	80	25	37	18	68	4th place in Norris Division	Did not qualify
Pittsburgh Penguins	1978–79	80	36	31	13	85	2nd place in Norris Division	Eliminated in quarter-finals
Pittsburgh Penguins	1979–80	80	30	37	13	73	3rd place in Norris Division	Eliminated in preliminary round
Career NHL Totals		517	187	241	89	} WHA Team Season Regular Season Playoffs GP W L T Pts Standing Outcome Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades 1974–75 78 21 53 4 46 5th place in West Division Did not qualify Cleveland Crusaders 1975–76 80 35 40 5 75 2nd place in East Division Eliminated in preliminary round