Ron Wilson is serving as head coach of the U.S. National Junior Team for the first time.
Wilson, who is eighth all-time in National Hockey League history in wins, is the first U.S. National Junior Team head coach to have previously served as a head coach in the NHL.
The 2016 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship marks the eighth time Wilson will lead Team USA in international competition. Wilson has been Team USA’s head coach for some of its brightest moments, including guiding Team USA to the silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the championship in the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996. Wilson also directed the U.S. Men’s National Team that captured the bronze medal at the 1996 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Vienna, Austria. The medal was the first for the United States in an IIHF Men’s World Championship A-Pool since 1962 (excluding Olympic years), when the U.S. also earned the bronze.
Wilson also led the U.S. Men’s National Team to fourth-place finishes at the 2009 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Bern and Zurich-Kloten, Switzerland, and the 1994 IIHF Men’s World Championship in Bolzano, Canazei and Milan, Italy. He also served as head coach for Team USA at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
An assistant coach for the U.S. entry at the 1990 Goodwill Games, Wilson has been involved with USA Hockey since the mid-1970s, having played for the U.S. Men’s National Team at four IIHF Men’s World Championships (1975, 1981, 1983, 1987). He also captained the 1988 U.S. Men’s Select Team that captured the championship of the prestigious Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.
Wilson, who has coached 1,401 NHL games and has 648 wins to his credit, has 18 years of experience as a head coach in the NHL with stops in Toronto (2008-12), San Jose (2002-08), Washington (1997-2002) and Anaheim (1993-97). In 15 full NHL seasons (minimum 82 games in a season) as head coach, Wilson’s teams reached the post-season eight times; won four division titles; won one playoff conference title; reached the Stanley Cup Final once; reached at least 90 points seven times; reached at least 100 points four times; reached at least 40 wins seven times; and reached 50 wins once.
A seventh-round selection (132nd overall) of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, Wilson recorded 26 goals and 67 assists for 93 points in 117 career NHL games as a player with Toronto and Minnesota.
Prior to his time in the NHL, Wilson played four years of college hockey at Providence (1973-77). He was an All-America selection twice and a four-time All-ECAC selection. As a sophomore, he was named ECAC Player of the Year when he led the nation with 87 points (26 goals and 61 assists) in only 26 games. Wilson, a member of the Providence Athletic Hall of Fame, still holds the school records (and NCAA records for defensemen) in career points (250), assists (172), most points in a single season (87) and single-season assists (61).
Wilson and his wife, Maureen, have two grown daughters, Kristen and Lauren.