Although he was born in Canada, Ron Wilson was raised in the United States and is an American citizen. As a player, he represented the United States on the National Team in 1975, 1981, 1983, and 1987. He helped the Americans win the B-Pool World Championship in 1983 and was named to the tournament All-Star Team. Wilson first coached the American squad at the 1994 World Championships and guided the United States to victory over Canada in the World Cup of Hockey in September of 1996. He also coached the U.S. team at the Nagano Olympics in 1998.
As a player, Wilson starred at Providence University between 1973-74 and 1976-77, earning All-American honors twice. He made his NHL debut in 1977-78, though most of his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs was spent in the minor leagues. Wilson played in Switzerland from 1980-81 until 1985-86 when he returned to the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars. He spent the rest of his career with Minnesota before retiring after the 1988-89 season. |