Thomas James Wiley (April 28, 1950 – December 26, 2021) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

. He played 62 games in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL) between 1972 and 1977, split between the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

and

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and play their home games at Rogers Arena. Bruce B ...

, with the bulk of his career being spent in the minor

Central Hockey League The Central Hockey League (CHL) was a North American mid-level minor professional ice hockey league which operated from 1992 until 2014. It was founded by Ray Miron and Bill Levins and later sold to Global Entertainment Corporation, which opera ...

. Wiley retired as a player in 1980, and in 1984 became a coach in the

United States Hockey League The United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior ice hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey. The league consists of 16 active teams located in the midwestern United States, for players between the ages of 16 and 21. The USHL is strictly ...

, and later coached in several minor leagues. In 1995–96 Wiley coached the NHL's

San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...

for the final 57 games of the season, before returning to the minors. His last season as a coach was in 2008.

Playing career

Born in Sault Ste. Marie,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Wiley signed as a free agent with the

in 1972 following a fine collegiate career at

Lake Superior State University Lake Superior State University (colloquially Lake State, Lake Superior State, Soo Tech, and LSSU) is a public college in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. It is enrolls approximately 2,000 students. Due to its proximity to the Canadian border, and the ...

, becoming the first Lakers alum to play in the NHL. He spent the majority of the next two seasons with the

Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the c ...

, Pittsburgh's

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

(AHL) affiliate, although he did appear in 26 games for the Penguins over that stretch, recording four assists. Wiley was selected by the

in the 1974 intra-league draft, but continued to find himself toiling in minor pro. He earned a two-game callup in 1975–76, and had his longest NHL stint in 1976–77, when he recorded four goals and ten points in 34 games for the Canucks. He retired in 1980 without seeing any further NHL action. Wiley appeared in 62 NHL games, recording four goals and ten assists for 14 points along with eight penalty minutes.

Coaching career

Following his retirement, Wiley moved into coaching. He was the long-time coach of the

Des Moines Buccaneers The Des Moines Buccaneers are a Tier I junior ice hockey team in the United States Hockey League (USHL). The team has played in the Western Conference since the 2009–10 season. History The Buccaneers began USHL play during the 1980–81 season ...

of the

before breaking into the pro ranks in 1993 as head coach of the

Kansas City Blades The Kansas City Blades were a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1990 until 2001, when the league folded. The Blades were based in Kansas City, Missouri, at Kemper Arena. Team history Russ and Diane Pa ...

, the top affiliate of the

. When the Sharks fired head coach

Kevin Constantine Kevin Lars Constantine (born December 27, 1958) is an American ice hockey coach who currently serves as the head coach of the Hungarian hockey club Fehérvár AV19 of the ICE Hockey League (ICE). Constantine has coached hockey teams in the NHL, ...

after a dismal 3–18–4 start, Wiley was promoted to the head coaching position with the NHL club. While his 17–37–3 record was somewhat of an improvement over their start, it was not enough for Wiley to keep his job. Following the season, he was reassigned back to the Sharks' top farm team, then the

Kentucky Thoroughblades The Kentucky Thoroughblades were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, who existed from 1996 to 2001. The Thoroughblades were based in Lexington, Kentucky, playing home games at Rupp Arena. The Thoroughblades were ...

, where he served until 1998. After leaving the Sharks organization, Wiley made stops in the

East Coast Hockey League The ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, with teams scattered across the United States and Canada. It is a tier below the American Hockey League (AHL). The E ...

, and

United Hockey League The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the Unite ...

Personal life and death

Wiley died on December 26, 2021, at the age of 71.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Coaching

NHL

Other leagues

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiley, Jim 1950 births 2021 deaths Canadian ice hockey centres Canadian ice hockey coaches Hershey Bears players Ice hockey people from Ontario Lake Superior State Lakers men's ice hockey players Pittsburgh Penguins players San Jose Sharks coaches Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds players Seattle Totems (CHL) players Sportspeople from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Tulsa Oilers (1964–1984) players Undrafted National Hockey League players Vancouver Canucks players