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Entries with the tag: ron+wilson
The Ron Wilson Watch
by Paul on 11/21/09 at 08:09 AM ET
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from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star,
So if the water keeps rising, and it’s rising very quickly around the Leaf enterprise right now, Burke may ultimately get pushed into doing something he is dead set against.
The guess here is that Wilson has 10 more games to show some noticeably positive results.
The team is healthy, particularly the key players, Wilson was lucky enough to have a pure scorer in Phil Kessel added in early November and he’s working with a team that isn’t overly inexperienced.
The club, however, was dead last in defence and penalty killing last year. It still is. Youngsters like Luke Schenn, Nikolai Kulemin and John Mitchell are going backwards or sideways.
Whatever Wilson and his assistants are preaching either isn’t getting across to the players, or it’s a game plan they can’t execute.
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Ron Wilson Ripped
by Paul on 10/24/09 at 07:16 PM ET
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via the Sporting News,
Jim Thomson played for Ron Wilson in Anaheim, and the former Duck thinks Wilson is the reason for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ early-season struggles. He was a guest on Off The Record, and ripped his former coach.
“Ron Wilson is not a good coach,” Thomson told OTR in an interview picked up by TSN.ca. “Where it breaks down is he can’t motivate players, he doesn’t know what to do with players when there’s controversy and they are losing.”
Thomson was especially critical of Wilson’s handling of sophomore defenseman Luke Schenn who has struggled this season.
“When he calls out Luke Schenn three games into the season, a young player who’s their future, and starts beating the hell out of him ... You don’t call a player out in the media, you go behind closed doors,” Thomson said.
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Talking Ron Wilson
by Paul on 10/13/09 at 11:30 AM ET
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from Greg Wyshynski of PuckDaddy,
Like the source of Taco Bell’s ground beef and the possibility of a “Lady In The Water” sequel, the potential for Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Ron Wilson losing his job at this point in the season is something I’ve refused to contemplate.
added 12:27pm, from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,
Reeling from their worst start in almost 20 years, the 0-4-1 Leafs called up centre Tyler Bozak from the Marlies, apparently benching forwards Matt Stajan and Niklas Hagman and sitting goalie Vesa Toskala out with a lower body injury.
”Why not?,” coach Ron Wilson said of the high-profile benchings. “We need more from everyone, we’re giving opportunities to younger guys.”
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How Long Will Ron Wilson Last?
by Paul on 10/07/09 at 01:47 PM ET
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via Bruce Garrioch of Off The Posts,
Is it me or does anybody else think that Ron Wilson won’t - or shouldn’t - last long as coach of the Maple Leafs.
He had a total, and complete, meltdown following the 2-1 loss to the Senators Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre. It was awfully funny to hear.
Apparently his early-morning practice was moved to noon so he didn’t follow through on that threat.
I just don’t get the feeling he is going to be behind the Toronto bench forever - five year contract or not - if this team doesn’t pick it up.
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Morning Line
by Paul on 10/07/09 at 08:35 AM ET
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“We stunk. We had no offence at all. I mean, that was almost embarrassing from seven or eight guys who we are counting heavily on. They only showed up when it was too late (a third-period Matt Stajan power-play goal).
“Playing on the perimeter, not wanting the puck, not willing to take a hit to make a play. Jittery when we do have the puck. We need a much better effort.”
-Toronto Coach Ron Wilson after losing to the Senators last night. More on the game from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
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Wilson Keeps Talking
by Paul on 07/03/09 at 10:57 AM ET
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from Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province,
For a couple of days now, Internet message boards have been humming with amateur sleuths who have been trying to determine if the Toronto Maple Leafs should be investigated for tampering with the Sedin twins.
Even if most media have ignored this story, they are not alone.
Privately, team execs have been wondering the same thing. Did Leafs coach Ron Wilson breach NHL bylaws on a Toronto radio show when he suggested his team was targeting the Sedin twins a day before the start of free agency?
“I heard what he said and it seems to be a clear-cut case of tampering. He basically tells those two free agents: ‘Hey, we’re coming for you, wait for us,’” one NHL executive said. “There’s not a question in my mind. It could have left the Canucks high and dry. Look at what he said, then look at what (Leafs GM) Brian Burke did. He flew to Sweden.”
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Ron Wilson Expected To Be Named Coach Of Team USA
by Paul on 04/03/09 at 11:55 AM ET
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from TSN,
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson will be busy during the 2010 Olympic Games.
According to sources, Wilson will be officially named the head coach for the U.S. Men’s Olympic team on Monday.
Wilson, who has a long-standing relationship with USA Hockey, led the team to a gold medal in the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996. He was also coached the team again in 2004.
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The Other Side Of Ron Wilson
by Paul on 03/26/09 at 07:30 AM ET
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from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
This season was supposed to be all about losing, and maybe, for the future development of the Leafs that would have been best. The worse the team performed, the better draft position come June. But Wilson, like all coaches, worries only about today. How do you make your team better? From the beginning, he didn’t want to talk about wins and losses.
But in a rare humble moment, he stopped to consider just how far this team has come and confessed: “I admit, I’m pretty proud of our record.”
That Ron Wilson is easy to like. When he’s more human. When he’s relaxed. When he’s not picking fights that aren’t necessary. No one in hockey could have done what he has done with this Leafs team this season.
And on the nights when the chip on his shoulder is gone, and his inherent detest of the media is not so apparent, you can see what the players see in him, how they want to fight for him.
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Ron Wilson Tossed
by Paul on 03/13/09 at 08:47 AM ET
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from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,
“They want to take fighting out of the game,” growled the Toronto forward, “and all the stick work is going up.”
Ondrus was referring to Evgeny Artyukhin, the 6-foot-5 behemoth of the Bolts, whom Ondrus claimed was jabbing him liberally near the end of the game and getting away with no retribution.
“Maybe someone beats the crap out of him and he doesn’t do it again,” Ondrus said. “I was standing there and he put his stick between my legs and he tried to lift me up or something, I don’t know what he was doing. I don’t think he speaks a word of English so that was another problem.”
Ondrus wound up with a 10-minute misconduct, but enraged coach Ron Wilson went one better by berating referees Kevin Pollock and Chris Lee to the point they gave him a game misconduct rather than a bench minor. Loud applause followed Wilson through the exit tunnel.
more and watch a video of Wilson being tossed below…
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Ron Wilson Annoyed With Howard Berger
by Paul on 03/11/09 at 09:17 AM ET
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Ron Wilson ‘addresses’ Leafs beat-man Howard Berger after last night’s victory over the Islanders.
Howard Berger of Fan590 responds…
If there is one thing, among many, that I’ve learned in my first season around Ron Wilson, it’s that the coach of the Maple Leafs doesn’t react well to criticism. That’s not to suggest the other Leaf coaches I’ve had experience with in the past 20 years enjoyed being challenged, but Wilson takes it as a particular affront — mainly because of his heightened sensitivity to all things media.
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Tags: Howard+Berger, Ron+Wilson,
Morning Line
by Paul on 02/19/09 at 09:24 AM ET
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“I don’t want Justin Pogge to be what Carey Price is today, a shell of himself...”
-Leafs coach Ron Wilson this morning. Wilson did go on to say Price will get out of his slump. You can listen to the whole Wilson interview at Fan590 in Toronto. The Pogge talk starts around the 2:30 mark.
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Morning Line
by Paul on 01/20/09 at 09:24 AM ET
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“I try to tell our guys we’re making the equivalent of a 60-foot putt, which Tiger Woods can’t even make, instead of simplifying our game which in golf would be a three-foot putt and in hockey a 10-foot pass,"."
“We continually try to look long. It looks pretty, but it’s totally ineffective.”
-Toronto coach Ron Wilson after losing to Carolina last night. More on the game from Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.
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Only In Toronto
by Paul on 01/13/09 at 04:37 PM ET
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from Tim Wharnsby of the Globe and Mail,
The talent that surprised several opponents earlier this season is no longer getting the job done, according to head coach Ron Wilson. His team heads into its match against the Nashville Predators Tuesday night on a three-game slide and has dropped seven of nine outings.
“I know where our talent level is, and when you’re not blessed with a lot of talent there will be inconsistencies,” Wilson said.
read more and that story was in the morning edition of the Globe and Mail.
This afternoon, Don Cherry was on Fan590 and did not think much of Wilson’s words.
This feud has been going on since the moment Wilson was hired by the Leafs. I wonder what the next chapter will bring?
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Tags: Don+Cherry, Ron+Wilson,
What Could Have Been For Ron Wilson
by Paul on 12/16/08 at 10:59 AM ET
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from Damien Cox at The Spin,
Although he’s been getting solid reviews for his coaching work this season with the severely undertalented Maple Leafs, Wilson has to be feeling the extraordinary success of the San Jose Sharks.
On one hand, many of the players that have powered the Sharks to the best record ever in the NHL history after 30 games were not only coached by Wilson and his assistants, Tim Hunter and Rob Zettler, but taught their first NHL lessons by that crew.
Wilson still has ties to that organization, still talks to Sharks players, still discusses hockey matters from time-to-time with GM Doug Wilson. On the other hand, of course, the way in which rookie coach Todd MacLellan has guided the Sharks to such a powerhouse, 52-point showing so far is, to some degree, an indictment of that which Wilson couldn’t do.
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Mr. Grumpy
by Paul on 12/02/08 at 12:10 PM ET
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from Mike Milbury of Blogs and Colums at CBC,
Those of you who are old enough to remember the television comedy show, Dennis the Menace, are sure to recollect the grumpy old next door neighbour to the mischievous Dennis.
Somehow, someway, Dennis always found a way irritate the fastidious Mr. Wilson. Still, in the end, Dennis would somehow find his way back into his good graces.
The Toronto media can only hope for that ending with the Maple Leafs’ own grumpy head coach, Ron Wilson. It seems there is nothing the media can do that won’t ignite the man. Be it dumb questions, the inability to listen or perhaps thinking that they might know the game a little, the media always seem to get it wrong with Ron.
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Ask a Stupid Question…
by Alanah McGinley on 12/01/08 at 02:38 PM ET
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From Mike Ulmer of the Toronto Maple Leafs:
I was curious about the ramifications of the relationship between Ron Wilson and Brian Burke. They go back, as you may have heard, to their first week of school at Providence College in Rhode Island.
“There’s a reason best friends often don’t date,” I said. “You two have never run an NHL team together. Are you worried that the pressures of the job will affect the friendship?”
First, guys don’t like it when you refer to their business relationship as “a date.” Wilson let that one go, which was kind.
Second, this is a classic cart-before-the-horse question.
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Tags: brian+burke, ron+wilson,
A Look At Ron Wilson
by Paul on 11/07/08 at 07:04 AM ET
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from Stephen Brunt of the Globe and Mail,
Wilson is a modernist, in the way he applies technology and statistical analysis to the game of hockey, and he is a traditionalist, in the way he believes his players ought to feel a special responsibility donning the uniform.
He does not suffer fools, he is expansive in conversation, he is confident of being the smartest guy in most rooms (or at very least, dressing rooms), he has won more than 500 games in a sport where anyone resembling an egghead is met with a degree of suspicion, he has taken one team to the Stanley Cup final and been fired three times.
And Wilson talks in a way the Toronto sports crowd is still trying to process.
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Look Who’s Talking
by Paul on 10/24/08 at 04:57 PM ET
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from Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun,
Responding to Hockey Night In Canada icon Don Cherry’s verbal punching yesterday on the Fan 590, in which Grapes ripped Wilson for, among other things, “throwing his players under the bus,” Wilson took the high road.
“I have no comment for that,” Wilson said.
But when informed later that Cherry called him “pompous and arrogant, one of those Americans that know everything,” Wilson couldn’t suppress a sarcastic chuckle.
“Me pompous and arrogant? Wow,” Wilson said implying it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. “I just laugh.”
Update 4:57pm ET: From Mike Toth at Sportsnet:
You want a dirty little secret about the media?
We can be the biggest bunch of crybabies you’ve ever seen.
The war of words between the Toronto media and Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson is just the latest example.
*original post-time was 7:38am ET
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Wilson Not A Miracle Worker
by Paul on 10/16/08 at 08:12 AM ET
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from The Good, The Bad And The Duthie,
Toronto Maple Leafs Coach Ron Wilson was strolling through Yorkville, the trendy downtown Toronto neighbourhood recently, when a fan yelled, “Hey Wilson, you need to turn those guys into a bunch of Wendel Clarks’!” Wilson, who majored in Sarcasm at University, responded: “Wendel was good, but how many Cups did he win?” When the fan wouldn’t shut up, Wilson kept going. “Hey buddy, can you turn the cup of coffee I’m holding into a glass of red wine? I can’t either.” The fan, confused and defeated, quietly walked away.
more notes from James Duthie…
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The Bipolar Media
by Paul on 10/13/08 at 08:27 AM ET
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from Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun,
“I’ve already seen how every- body gets euphoric when you win a game and how every- body wants to blow up the world when you lose a game, and I don’t understand that kind of hysteria. And a lot of it comes, believe it or not, from the media—in the sense of a bipolar approach to reporting, instead of a nice and even approach to everything,” Wilson said, after being asked how his club could beat the Wings 3-2 at Joe Louis Arena, and then lose 6-1 to Montreal at the ACC.
Wilson, like pretty well every other professional coach in North America, insisted that he does not read newspapers, but gets a sense of the media “hysteria” by the questions asked—and it’s something he doesn’t love, nor does he want his players to get caught up in it.
more and you can watch Wilson talk about the media at TSN video (thanks to a KK member for the pointer).
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Ron Wilson High On The List For Team USA Coach
by Paul on 10/12/08 at 09:06 AM ET
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from Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
Ron Wilson and Brian Burke may be teaming up sooner than expected—and not necessarily in Toronto.
Burke admitted yesterday that Wilson is a strong candidate to coach Team USA for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Upon hearing this, Wilson said he had definite interest in coaching the U.S. Olympic team.
continued and more hockey notes scattered about Simmon’s Sunday column.
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Morning Line
by Paul on 10/10/08 at 08:47 AM ET
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“Oh, I’m sure there’s a lot of people with crayons right now writing down a parade route. But it’s one game, and it’s part of the process. Tonight, we were fortunate enough to not make many mistakes and our attention to detail was pretty good. I’m really proud of the group, they paid attention. We’ve really only had eight practices and to have the game figured out somewhat tells you a lot about our players.
“They bought in, and we’ve had a lot of fun. They’re having a great time in there right now and they should—they beat the Stanley Cup champions. It’s a tremendous accomplishment and it can only do good things for our confidence, I hope.”
-Leafs coach Ron Wilson after defeating Detroit last night. More on the Leafs/Wings from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.
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Leafs Plan To Pass The Leadership Torch
by Paul on 09/05/08 at 08:39 AM ET
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from Steve Buffery of the London Free Press,
But, Toronto being Toronto, (Ron) Wilson repeatedly was asked about Sundin yesterday.
While he was gracious enough to give some thoughtful answers—through clinched teeth—his message was definitely mixed.
On one hand, Wilson said he respects Sundin for not rushing back if he is unsure whether or not he wants to play—adding that he would welcome the longtime Leafs captain back with open arms.
Then he said this,
“If the leadership was a burden for some of the people that aren’t here anymore, then we’ll try to spread that out and shoulder the responsibility with a lot of our younger people,” Wilson said. “Inevitably, people step up and assume the leadership on a team when they see the opportunity is there.
“We’ve got to go in a different direction. We’ve got to get younger and we have to pass the torch to other people in that room.”
more on the Leafs…
added 11:02am, from Darren Dreger of TSN,
Sources tell TSN Mats Sundin and his representatives JP Barry and Claes Elefalk met with Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Cliff Fletcher Friday morning. Joe Nieuwendyk, recently hired as Fletcher’s assistant was also involved in the discussions.
Sources say Fletcher outlined his plan for the team this season and assured Sundin that Toronto will keep the door open for the 37-year-old captain in the event he decides to resume his career.
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Ron Wilson Talks
by Paul on 07/14/08 at 12:13 PM ET
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from Adam Proteau of the Hockey News,
Wilson and I drifted away from Toskala as the topic of conversation and turned to his thoughts on a few different hockey-related issues. Below are the highlights....
On the need to keep himself and his new team grounded in the face of the usual Toronto hype:
“I’m around (Toronto) now, and I go into a store to buy something; you go in other places and everybody knows who you are, but in this particular store, the guy asked what I did, I told him I was coach of the Leafs. And he says, ‘oh, the hockey team?’ and you’re shocked – there’s people here in Toronto who don’t know about the hockey team! But that’s cool with me, too. The guy was all apologetic, and I told him, ‘hey, you don’t have anything to be sorry about.’
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Wilson Can’t Fix Leafs Problems
by Alanah McGinley on 06/11/08 at 08:25 AM ET
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From Damien Cox in the Toronto Star,
Look, Cliff Fletcher stated categorically on April 7 he wouldn’t be the one to fire Paul Maurice. A month after that, he contradicted himself and fired Maurice, saying it was his job to “clear the decks” so the next GM could make his own choice.
And yesterday? Why Fletcher contradicted himself again and hired a coach to a huge, long-term deal, thus clogging up the decks again. Best to write down things the man says in pencil, methinks.
Wilson’s a good coach, but Maurice was a good coach, too, and good coaches can’t overcome lousy, overpaid players, misguided and/or short-sighted management and clueless, fixated-on-23-per-cent-return owners who think tradition is celebrating Tie Domi’s 1,000th game.
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Tags: cliff+fletcher, ron+wilson,
Ron Wilson Officially Named Leafs Coach
by Alanah McGinley on 06/10/08 at 01:12 PM ET
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Not that it was exactly a secret before this moment, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have formally announced their contract agreement with Ron Wilson. Press conference is being carried live now and can be seen at this link.
More on Wilson at Mike Ulmer’s blog at TorontoMapleLeafs.com, who shares his thoughts on the new coach.
At THN, Adam Proteau provides some analysis on the links between this and Brian Burke rumors:
Really, there can be no more doubt as to who Toronto’s targeting for the GM position. If the team wanted a “proven winner,” it would’ve/should’ve hired Craig Patrick or Neil Smith by now.
The fact they haven’t, combined with Burke’s unwillingness to sign a contract extension after the Ducks prevented him from even talking to the Leafs’ GM search committee –which I believe is currently being jointly sponsored by O.J. Simpson and Iraqis For Finding Weapons of Mass Destruction – tells you all you need to know.
Note: David Shoalts at the Globe & Mail also had thoughts on this yesterday
Update 4:01pm ET: Sharkspage provides a partial transcript of Wilson’s remarks today.
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Tags: brian+burke, ron+wilson,
Turning Around the Leafs
by Alanah McGinley on 06/09/08 at 08:45 AM ET
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From Kevin McGran at the Toronto Star,
“An opportunity to coach a team, an Original Six team, is very intriguing to me,” said Wilson. “It’s a team that I began with, I kind of feel like I might have an opportunity to complete the circle. A team that maybe right now is ... in a little bit of disarray. And I’ve functioned very well in helping those teams get on the right path.
“With what lies ahead for the Leafs, having to go a lot younger, and all the situations that are going to happen with transition, I think I’ve been able with my experience to kind of navigate through all that. Hopefully I can get the Leafs turned around in short order.”
Ron Wilson is expected to sign a 4-year contract with the Leafs by Tuesday, for $5.6 million (or $6.5 million, depending on who you ask).
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Stepping into the Spotlight (Updated)
by Alanah McGinley on 06/07/08 at 07:43 PM ET
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From Lance Hornby at the Toronto Sun,
Local TV stations have been running clips of Ron Wilson snapping at the media to underline the thorny side of the projected new coach of the Maple Leafs.
Wilson has coached more than 1,000 games, all in what can be termed non-traditional hockey markets: Anaheim, Washington and San Jose. Sensitive to being second-guessed, even for an NHL coach, Wilson never has faced four newspapers and four all-sports electronic outlets on a daily basis—and that would be just daily practices.
But Cliff Fletcher, who hopes to have Wilson under contract by Monday, is confident his man won’t burn in the atmosphere of the alleged centre of the hockey universe.
more odds & ends on the Leafs
Note: Tonight, TSN states that Fletcher and Wilson are set to meet again Sunday to iron out some issues, with the likelihood they’ll announce a 4-year term for Wilson within days.
Update 10:01am ET June 8th: Ron Wilson has reportedly been hired, but with the formal announcement expected on Tuesday.
Update 3:23pm ET June 8th: From the CP via the Globe & Mail,
“We have a verbal agreement but nothing’s on paper yet,” Leafs interim GM Cliff Fetcher told The Canadian Press on Sunday. “It isn’t a contract until it’s signed by the parties. And that won’t happen for a couple of days.”
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Tags: cliff+fletcher, media, ron+wilson,
Pat Quinn on Burke & Wilson
by Alanah McGinley on 06/03/08 at 09:55 PM ET
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From Joe O’Connor at the National Post,
He gave both men [Brian Burke and Ron Wilson] their first big breaks in the NHL back when he was the general manager of the Vancouver Canucks. Quinn met Burke well before that, in 1977, when Burke was a player and he was the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Maine Mariners.
“Brian really took a shine to me,” he said. “I think he liked that I was someone who would always give him an honest answer.”
Burke lasted one season with Maine before deciding law school was a better idea. He was reborn afterwards as a hard bargaining players’ agent, just as NHL salaries were rocketing to the moon. And a lot of hockey people didn’t like it when Quinn recruited failed minor league pro to work for him in Vancouver in 1987.
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Tags: brian+burke, pat+quinn, ron+wilson,
Leafs Have Offered Head Coach Position to… Someone
by Alanah McGinley on 06/02/08 at 04:16 PM ET
Comments (1)
From David Shoalts at the Globe & Mail,
Cliff Fletcher confirmed on Monday the Toronto Maple Leafs offered their head coach’s job to someone but did not identify him.
However, the only coach the Leafs spoke to recently was former San Jose Sharks head coach Ron Wilson. The Leafs recently asked for permission to talk to Wilson.
“We’re in negotiations,” Fletcher said before leaving an NHL GMs’ meeting to catch a plane.
He said they have spoken to only one coach about the job.
Update 4:48pm ET: Some thoughts on Fletcher’s future from Kevin McGran in the Toronto Star,
In an apparent about-face from what had been the Leafs stance since he replaced John Ferguson, it seems Fletcher is in the job for the long haul.
“Am I interested in keeping it? No, but I’m prepared to continue as long as necessary until they issues is resolved favourably for our board,” said Fletcher. “I’m committed to doing whatever I can to get the Maple Leafs going in the right direction and I’ll continue to do so.”
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All Ron Wilson
by Paul on 05/13/08 at 07:09 AM ET
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Sharkspage does a great job covering the Ron Wilson firing and takes a look back at his coaching career in San Jose.
Update 11:34am ET (alanah): An article that I don’t think PJ references at Sharkspage, that I also thought was very good—Ray Ratto of the SF Chronicle considers that the issues in San Jose may be more systemic than specific to Ron Wilson.
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Ron Wilson Gone
by Paul on 05/12/08 at 07:37 PM ET
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From the San Jose Sharks,
San Jose Sharks Executive Vice President and General Manager Doug Wilson announced today that the team has relieved Head Coach Ron Wilson of his coaching duties. The Sharks general manager also announced that team will begin a search for a new head coach immediately.
“Ron helped foster a new era in San Jose Sharks hockey with some record-setting regular season performances,” said Doug Wilson. “However, ultimately we have decided that it is time for a different voice and a different approach to lead this team. We are proud of what we’ve accomplished as an organization but we feel that this team is capable of achieving greater success. I want to thank Ron for his level of commitment and desire to make our organization successful. Our entire organization wishes him well.”
added 9:40pm, from Mark Purdy of the Mercury News,
If his motivational strategies had worked, Wilson would have been applauded. But after four-plus seasons of attempting every possible ploy, what could Wilson have done differently next season to get a different result? I am sure that’s what team management was thinking. I can’t disagree.
Still, you won’t catch me saying “Good riddance.” I will miss Wilson, though he won’t believe that. We had our differences. We dug in for some, shall I say, spirited discussions when he disagreed with something I wrote.
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Tags: Ron+Wilson,
Goodbye Ron Wilson
by Paul on 05/05/08 at 02:10 PM ET
Comments (6)
from Al Strachan at Fox Sports,
Now that the San Jose Sharks are gone, you can be sure of one thing. Coach Ron Wilson won’t be far behind.
Wilson had been hanging by a hair all season long, even though to the casual viewer, the Sharks appeared to be forging a first-rate season.
In fact, Wilson barely made it back after last year’s postseason collapse (hey, in San Jose, anything short of a Stanley Cup is seen as a collapse.)
On its heels, the Sharks held one of the longest exit interviews in the history of hockey, and every player was required to give full and frank views of the team, its future, and its coach. The coach didn’t fare very well.
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Tags: Ron+Wilson,
The Handshake Agreement
by Alanah McGinley on 04/22/08 at 01:55 PM ET
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From Mark Emmons at the Mercury News,
No matter how intense, physical or downright dirty a series becomes, hockey players suddenly discover their inner-Miss Manners, rein in their raging emotions and shake on it - win or lose. A rugged contest will come to a civilized conclusion.
“We’re probably the most violent sport where you can get hurt at any time,” Sharks Coach Ron Wilson said. “And it’s just an incredible show of respect that when it’s all done, you can leave it right there and shake hands.
“Maybe it’s because we’re a classy sport. Unfortunately, sports can be about chest-bumping and pointing at myself. But that’s not what hockey players are all about.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: playoffs, ron+wilson, sportsmanship,
Evening Line
by Paul on 04/11/08 at 06:28 PM ET
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from the AP via Sports Illustrated,
“I’m biting my tongue here,’’ Keenan said after Game 2.
That didn’t sit well with Sharks coach Ron Wilson, who has long argued against a more relaxed standard of officiating in the postseason.
“The playoffs are an extension of the regular season, and we play by the same rules,’’ Wilson said Friday. “There’s not a red rulebook for the playoffs and a white one for the regular season.’’
All in all, it’s been a virtuoso performance by two of the NHL’s top bench bosses and media agitators. Both are experts with pungent sound bites and jabbing comments to their players as well.
“They both have their thick books of things they say,’’ Roenick said. “At times, I’d like to put earplugs in my ears on the bench, but they both do it because they’re passionate about the game.’’
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jeremy+roenick, mike+keenan, ron+wilson,
Morning Line
by Paul on 02/03/08 at 08:42 AM ET
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from Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal,
Sharks coach Ron Wilson says the goaltenders’ union should take a vote and refuse to play the straight-man in the nutsy skills shootout in future all-star games. “Let the broadcasters get in there ... they’re all former NHL goalies anyway. They can be miked up. I can hear it now: ‘Oh God, I just ripped my groin on Ovechkin. I don’t know what the hell he just did with the puck, but I’m hurt,’ ‘’ said Wilson.
read on for the goalies in the booth and much more NHL talk…
Filed in: NHL Teams | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson,
Morning Line
by Paul on 01/24/08 at 09:16 AM ET
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Sharks coach Ron Wilson via Working the Corners,
“What’s going to happen if you don’t win that game? Now we’re the underachieving team again. Last week we were rated #1 team in hockey . . . It’s all a bunch of …
“Geeze, you win a few games, you lose a few games — it’s part of life in sports. It’s where you are at the end of the year. They don’t hand out awards for where we are today, tomorrow — it’s only at the end of the year and what you do in the playoffs....”
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson,
The Ideas Of Ron Wilson
by Paul on 12/03/07 at 08:39 AM ET
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from Working the Corners,
Limit teams to only four skaters in their own defensive zone. That does two things — unclogs the scoring areas and legitimizes the cherry-picking scoring threat who never wanted to worry about defense anyway. Opposing coaches would have to decide whether to have someone hang with the cherry-picker or go for the man advantage in the offensive zone. Linesmen would have responsibility for whistling a new penalty — too many men inside the blue line.
Wilson acknowledges that he and his fellow coaches deserve some of the blame for the current drop in scoring since play resumed after the lockout.
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: coaching, Ron+Wilson, san+jose+sharks,
Sharks Committed To Defense
by Paul on 11/28/07 at 08:16 AM ET
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from Media News via Inside Bay Area,
Sharks coach Ron Wilson knows that his name has been kicked around in the hockey media at various points this season as someone who needs to be worried about his job.
He routinely shrugs that off. And Tuesday, he used his team’s strong play in its own zone — second fewest goals allowed, second fewest shots allowed — to help explain why.
“If we were bad defensively, yeah, I’d be, ‘It’s me,’” Wilson said. “The only way you can play defense is if you have a team committed to doing something. If I’ve lost the whole team, why are we playing so well defensively?”
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson, san+jose+sharks,
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