Kenneth Athol Wilson (July 23, 1923 – April 3, 2008) was a minor league hockey

general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

and owner for forty years. He was born in

Craik, Saskatchewan Craik is a town in south central Saskatchewan, Canada, incorporated on August 1, 1907. It is strategically located along Provincial Highway 11 (Louis Riel Trail) in the RM of Craik No. 222, 140 km south-east of Saskatoon and 117 k ...

. His career as a manager spanned sixteen years in the International Hockey League, five years in the Continental Hockey League and single seasons each 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 ...

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior h ...

and

Eastern Hockey League The Eastern Hockey League was a minor professional United States ice hockey league. Eastern Amateur Hockey League (1933–1953) The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League (EAHL). The league was founded by Tommy Lockhart, ...

. Wilson was known for identifying young talent; his players won league-wide Rookie of the Year awards seven times.

Early life

Wilson played for the Mayfair Public School hockey team in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

. In 1937, Mayfair won the J.D. McDonald Cup for Saskatoon public schools Hockey Championship, with Wilson playing from the centre and left wing positions.

Career

In 1946, Wilson moved from

Trail, British Columbia Trail is a city in the West Kootenay region of the Interior of British Columbia, Canada. It was named after the Dewdney Trail, which passed through the area. The town was first called Trail Creek or Trail Creek Landing, and the name was shorten ...

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

to play football for the Rangers; competing on the

United States Hockey League (1945-51) 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 strictl ...

. In 1950, Wilson became the manager of the brand new Hobart Arena, in

Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, Miami County, Ohio, United States, located north of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the largest city in Miami Cou ...

. As manager, Wilson booked and promoted many of the leading acts of the 1950s, including the first Ohio venue for

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

on November 24, 1956,

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

Gene Autry Orvon Grover "Gene" Autry (September 29, 1907 – October 2, 1998), nicknamed the Singing Cowboy, was an American singer, songwriter, actor, musician, rodeo performer, and baseball owner who gained fame largely by singing in a crooning s ...

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

Tex Ritter Woodward Maurice Ritter (January 12, 1905 – January 2, 1974) was a pioneer of American country music, a popular singer and actor from the mid-1930s into the 1960s, and the patriarch of the Ritter acting family (son John, grandsons Jason and ...

Sonja Henie Sonja Henie (8 April 1912 – 12 October 1969) was a Norway, Norwegian figure skating, figure skater and film star. She was a three-time List of Olympic medalists in figure skating, Olympic champion (Figure skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics, ...

Victor Borge Børge Rosenbaum (3 January 1909 – 23 December 2000), known professionally as Victor Borge ( ), was a Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist who achieved great popularity in radio and television in the North America and Europe. His ...

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

Guy Lombardo Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo (June 19, 1902 – November 5, 1977) was an Italian-Canadian-American bandleader, violinist, and hydroplane racer. Lombardo formed the Royal Canadians in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert and Victor, and othe ...

, and

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

. Starting in 1951 and for the next eight seasons, he owned and operated the IHL team

Troy Bruins The Troy Bruins were an International Hockey League team based in Troy, Ohio that played from 1951 to 1959 at the Hobart Arena. Notable players were Brian Kilrea and Larry King Kwong. Goaltender Bill Tibbs won the James Norris Memorial Troph ...

. Wilson spent the 1959-1960 hockey season as EHL

Greensboro Generals The Greensboro Generals were an East Coast Hockey League team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, and played at the Greensboro Coliseum from 1999 to 2004. The name was originally used by the Greensboro Generals in the Eastern Hockey League. Th ...

' general manager. For three seasons starting in 1960, Wilson was the general manager of the

Omaha Knights The Omaha Knights was the name of three minor league professional ice hockey teams from 1959 to 1965 and from 1966 to 1975, based in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Ak-Sar-Ben Arena. The Knights were founded in 1959 as members of the International Hoc ...

in the IHL. In 1963, Wilson moved to

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

, where he owned and started the

Toledo Blades The Toledo Blades and Hornets were the International Hockey League franchise of Toledo, Ohio from 1963 to 1974. The first four years (1959-1963) of the franchise was in Omaha, NE as the Omaha Knights. After moving to Toledo for the 1963-64 seas ...

in the IHL. Over the next three seasons, he served as general manager and as a mid-season replacement in 1966, as coach. In 1964, the

won the Fred A. Huber Trophy, awarded for "Most Points in the Regular Season' and the

Turner Cup The Turner Cup was the championship trophy of the International Hockey League from 1945 to 2001 and the renamed United Hockey League from 2007 to 2010. The Cup was named for Joe Turner, a goaltender from Windsor, Ontario. Turner became professi ...

awarded to the Playoff Champions. In 1966, Wilson managed the

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 ...

in the

Bert Olmstead Murray Albert Olmstead (September 4, 1926 – November 16, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL). Olmstead b ...

was the coach. In 1967 the

expanded and Olmstead was hired as general manager and coach of the

Oakland Seals The California Golden Seals were a professional ice hockey club that competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967 to 1976. Based in Oakland, California, they played their home games at the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Arena. The ...

after the June 7, 1967 NHL player draft. Olmstead hired Wilson to run a farm team the following season. The entire hockey staff was fired at the end of the first season. Wilson was assistant manager of the

Muskegon Mohawks The Muskegon Mohawks were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1965 to 1984. Muskegon were Turner Cup champions in 1968. This team was originally named the Muskegon Zephyrs. After the completion of ...

in the IHL for two seasons, 1970–1971 and 1971-1972. In 1972 Wilson was hired as general manager by the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

franchise in the IHL. Feeling the franchise needed a new look and image, Wilson changed the name to the

Des Moines Capitols The Des Moines Capitols, were a minor league professional ice hockey team in Des Moines, Iowa, playing at the 95KGGO Arena, Des Moines Ice Arena. They were members of the International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League from ...

. In 1973-1974, the Capitols won the Huber Trophy and the Turner Cup. This was the only season that a Des Moines-based IHL team finished first and won the playoffs. The Capitols disbanded in 1975. Wilson managed the

Flint Generals The Flint Generals were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at Perani Arena and Event Center. The Generals won two league championship ...

in 1975-1976 and the

Dayton Gems The Dayton Gems were a minor league ice hockey team based in Dayton, Ohio, and members of the International Hockey League from 1964 to 1977, and 1979–1980. In the fall of 1964, the lobby of their new arena, Hara Arena, had a natural gas ex ...

in 1976-1977. In 1981, Wilson formed a group of investors to put an IHL team in

Peoria, Illinois Peoria ( ) is the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, United States, and the largest city on the Illinois River. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the city had a population of 113,150. It is the principal city of the Peoria ...

. The Peoria Prancers began play in the 1982-1983 season. After years of good labor relations, the

United Auto Workers The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico ...

went on strike against

Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. (stock symbol CAT) is an American ''Fortune'' 500 corporation and the world's largest construction-equipment manufacturer. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 65 on the ''Fortune'' 500 list and number 238 on the Global ''Fo ...

on October 1, 1982. At the time 50% of Peorians were employed directly or indirectly by Caterpillar. The strike lasted the entire first hockey season. The Prancers were never able to recover from the effects of the strike and folded after the 1983-1984 season. Wilson moved to

Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...

and took over full-time duties for the

Danville Dashers The Danville Dashers were a semi-professional ice hockey team that played in Danville, Illinois, United States, at the David S. Palmer Arena. Originally, the Dashers played in the Continental Hockey League (1972–1986), Continental Hockey Leagu ...

in the Continental Hockey League for the next two seasons. He retired from hockey following the 1985-1986 season. Wilson lived in

Chandler, Arizona Chandler is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, and a suburb in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It is bordered to the north and west by Tempe, to the north by Mesa, to the west by Phoenix, to the ...

with his wife Betty, until his death in 2008.

Team Awards

* 1963 - 1964

Fred A. Huber Trophy Most Points in the Regular Season * 1963 - 1964

Playoff Champions * 1970 - 1971

Fred A. Huber Trophy Most Points in the Regular Season * 1971 - 1972

Fred A. Huber Trophy Most Points in the Regular Season * 1973 - 1974

Playoff Champions * 1981 - 1982

Most Points Regular Season * 1981 - 1982

Wal-Mar Cup Playoff Champions * 1983 - 1984

Wal-Mar Cup'Playoff Champions

Rookie of the Year awards

* 1962-1963

John Gravel John Gravel (born October 27, 1941) is a former ice hockey defenceman who played 16 seasons of professional hockey from 1962 to 1978. Gravel played eight games in the World Hockey Association during 1972–73 WHA season with the Philadelphia Blaz ...

, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1963-1964

, Don Westbrook, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1964-1965

, Bob Thomas, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1971-1972

, Glenn "Chico" Resch, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1972-1973

, Danny Gloor, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1973-1974

, Frank DeMarco, Rookie of the Year Trophy * 1982-1983 Peoria Prancers, Paul Fenton, Ken McKenzie Trophy IHL Most Outstanding American Born Rookie

References

External links

Dayton Daily News - Ken Wilson Remembers Hobart Arena

Dayton Daily News - Ken Wilson Remembers Former Player

Troy Bruins Play Hockey Double Header

Wilson, GM of Troy Bruins recommends Ken Ullyot for GM of Komets

Ken Wilson, Peoria Prancers Coach

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Ken International Hockey League (1945–2001) head coaches Sportspeople from Chandler, Arizona Ice hockey people from Saskatchewan People from Craik, Saskatchewan Ice hockey in Dayton, Ohio