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Entries with the tag: ron+wilson
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson,
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.’
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ron+wilson,
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
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).
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ron+wilson,
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.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL Media | KK Hockey | Permalink
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks | KK Hockey | Permalink
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
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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.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ron+wilson,
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson,
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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Ron+Wilson,
Goodbye Ron Wilson
by Paul on 05/05/08 at 02:10 PM ET
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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.
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
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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