Johnny Wilson (ice hockey) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Wilson
Wilson with the Detroit Red Wings
Born	(1929-06-14)June 14, 1929 Kincardine, Ontario, Canada
Died	December 27, 2011(2011-12-27) (aged 82) Livonia, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	165 lb (75 kg; 11 st 11 lb)
Position	Left wing
Shot	Left
Played for	Detroit Red Wings Chicago Black Hawks Toronto Maple Leafs New York Rangers
Playing career	1947–1962 Coaching career
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1965–1967	Princeton
1967–1969	Springfield Kings
1969–1970	Los Angeles Kings
1970–1971	Springfield Kings
1971	Tidewater Wings
1971–1973	Detroit Red Wings
1974–1975	Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades
1975–1976	Cleveland Crusaders
1976–1977	Colorado Rockies
1977–1980	Pittsburgh Penguins
1980–1981	Springfield Indians
Head coaching record
Overall	14–27–1 (.345) [College]

John Edward Wilson (born June 14, 1929 – died December 27, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and coach. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for many teams. These included the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Black Hawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Rangers. He played from 1950 to 1962.

Johnny Wilson won the famous Stanley Cup four times with the Detroit Red Wings. After he stopped playing, he became a coach. He coached in the NHL for the Los Angeles Kings, Detroit, the Colorado Rockies, and Pittsburgh Penguins. He coached from 1969 to 1980. He also coached the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades and Cleveland Crusaders in the World Hockey Association. Wilson even coached the Canadian national team at the 1977 World Championship.

Playing Career Highlights

Johnny Wilson started his professional hockey journey with the Windsor Spitfires. In September 1949, he signed his first big contract with the Detroit Red Wings. He spent most of his first year with their minor league team, the Omaha Knights.

Later that season, he joined the Red Wings. He helped them win the Stanley Cup right away! After playing more in the minor leagues, Wilson joined the Red Wings full-time in 1951. He then helped them win three more Stanley Cups in 1952, 1954, and 1955.

After winning the Stanley Cup in 1955, Wilson was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks. He played two good seasons there. Then, he was traded back to the Red Wings. He played two more seasons for Detroit. In 1959, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. A year later, the Leafs sent him to the New York Rangers. Wilson retired after the 1961–62 season.

During his NHL career, Wilson played 688 regular-season games. He scored 161 goals and made 171 assists. In playoff games, he scored 27 points. He played in two NHL All-Star Games, in 1954 and 1956. One of his most amazing achievements was playing in 580 games in a row. This "iron man" streak lasted from 1951 to 1960. He was the second player in NHL history to do this.

Coaching Career Highlights

In 1967, Johnny Wilson became a coach for the Springfield Kings. This team was in the American Hockey League (AHL). It was a minor league team for the new Los Angeles Kings. In his third season, Wilson became the head coach of the Los Angeles Kings. He was an interim coach, meaning he filled in temporarily. However, he returned to Springfield after that season. The very next year, he led Springfield to win the Calder Cup championship.

After winning the Calder Cup in 1971, Wilson was hired by the Detroit Red Wings. He became their coach during the 1971–72 season. Even though his team had a winning record, they missed the playoffs for two seasons. So, Wilson was let go. It took 15 years for another Red Wings coach to have a better record than him.

After Detroit, he coached for two years in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He coached the Michigan Stags/Baltimore Blades and the Cleveland Crusaders. He then returned to the NHL. He coached the Colorado Rockies for one season (1976–77). Then he coached the Pittsburgh Penguins for three seasons (1977–80). He led the Penguins to the playoffs twice. Wilson coached Springfield for one more season before retiring from coaching in 1981.

Wilson was also chosen to coach the Canadian national team. They played in the 1977 World Championship in Vienna. Canada finished fourth in the tournament. The team was made up of players whose NHL teams had not made the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Personal Life

Johnny Wilson came from a family of hockey players. His brother, Larry Wilson, also played and coached in the NHL. His nephew, Ron Wilson, also played and coached in the NHL.

Johnny Wilson lived in the Detroit area with his wife, Pat. He often went to Red Wings home games. They had two children, a son named Kelly and a daughter named Tracy. His daughter, Tracy A. Wilson, used to write for TV. She is now writing a book about her father's life. She also writes a blog called Tracy Wilson Writing Life.

Johnny Wilson passed away on December 27, 2011, at 82 years old. He had been battling lung disease and colon cancer for several years.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Head coaching record

College

NHL

WHA