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Tuesday, 27 December 2011 12:30

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

Former Penguins coach Johnny Wilson passed away today. He was 82.

An all-star left winger with the Red Wings and Blackhawks in the 1950s, Mr. Wilson coached seven seasons in the NHL with the Kings, Red Wings, Colorado Rockies and Penguins. The final three years of his coaching career were spent in Pittsburgh.

In 1977-78, Mr. Wilson took over as the Penguins' head coach and directed the club to a 25-37-18 record. The following year, the club improved to 36-13-13 and advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Mr. Wilson's final season as an NHL coach saw him lead the Penguins to a 30-37-13 record and a second consecutive playoff appearance. Wilson was fired following the season with a record of 91-105-44 in three campaigns with the franchise.

At the time of his firing, Mr. Wilson had the most coaching wins in franchise history.

Mr. Wilson's death was announced via Twitter by his nephew, Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson.

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