Scott Wilson (ice hockey)

Scott Wilson

Wilson with the Penguins in 2016.
Born (1992-04-24) April 24, 1992
Oakville, Ontario
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shoots Left
NHL team Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Draft 209th overall, 2011
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 2014–present

Scott Wilson (born April 24, 1992 in Oakville, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins. On June 25, 2011, Wilson was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft with the 28th pick (209th overall) of the seventh round. Wilson has completed his junior season for the UMass Lowell River Hawks.

Playing career

Junior

Scott Wilson started his junior career on the Georgetown Raiders with a short 7-game stint for the 2008–09 season, scoring one point in the process. The next year Wilson played in every game (56) for the Raiders, finishing the season with 67 points, good enough for third best on the team. Georgetown continued its recent winning ways in 2009–10 season, going 41–10–5 and marched into the playoffs with Scott Wilson among the leaders. After dropping the Villanova Knights 4–2 in the first round, Georgetown fell to the #2-seed Oakville Blades 4–1. In the 11 playoff games Scott Wilson finished second on the Raiders with 17 points (9 goals, 8 assists).

Wilson returned to Georgetown for 2010–11 and put up very similar numbers to his first year, scoring 61 points in 42 games (14 fewer games than the year before). The Raiders slid in the standings, ending up with a 32–15–2–1 record and though it was good enough for them to earn a bye past the qualifier, they entered the round of 16 facing off against the #3-seed Oakville Blades. in a reprise from the previous season, Oakville won the series 4–1. In four games Wilson managed 3 points, a far cry from his previous season. Despite the playoff disappointment, Wilson was able to not only earn a spot on U. Mass-Lowell's roster starting the upcoming fall, but he was also taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.[1]

College

From the start of the 2011–12 season, it was apparent that Lowell would have a resurgence from their abysmal 5-win season the year before when they matched the win total by mid-November.[2] It wasn't until two separate 5-game win streaks that the River Hawks showed how improved they were with new players and under 1st-year coach Norm Bazin. Lowell entered the Hockey East tournament as the #2-seed with a 22–10–1 record, facing the Providence Friars in a best-of-three opening round. Scott Wilson posted a goal and an assist in the first game, but the River Hawks' defence failed them in a 5–3 loss. Lowell won the second game 3–2 in overtime, but couldn't manage any offence in a 1–0 loss as they meekly bowed out of the tournament. Lowell's 23 wins, however, were enough to give them an at-large bid into the 2012 NCAA tournament for the first time in 16 years.[3] the River Hawks were matched up against Miami (Ohio) and dropped the RedHawks 4–3 in overtime. Their tournament was short-lived, however, as they couldn't hold off the #1-seed (3rd overall) Union Dutchmen, losing 4–2. Despite the loss, it was one of Lowell must successful campaigns since they joined Division I hockey in 1984. Though he was held to only an assist in Lowell's final four games, Scott Wilson finished the season second in team scoring with 38 points and was named the Hockey East Rookie-of-the-year.[4]

Returning for his sophomore season, both Scott Wilson and the River Hawks started 2012–13 very slow. Regardless of their #7 ranking in the USCHO preseason poll,[5] Lowell opened with a 2–5–1 mark with Wilson managing only a single goal in the 8 games. After an 8–2 trouncing of the Massachusetts Minutemen on November 18, followed by freshman goaltender Connor Hellebuyck taking over the starting role in net, the River Hawks got back to their winning ways, going 19–5–1 the rest of the way, including 7- and 9-game winning streaks. during this time Scott Wilson rediscovered his scoring touch, failing to record a point in only 8 of the 25 games after the bad start, helping Lowell cruise into the conference tournament as the number 1 seed, winning their first Hockey East regular season title.[6] Lowell faced Maine in the first round, downing the Black Bears in straight games, 4–2 and 2–1 With Scott Wilson notching 2 goals and an assist in the two games. The second round matchup saw the River Hawks against Providence and after a quick goal from the Friars, it looked like Lowell would be ousted from the Hockey East tournament for the second time in two years, but shortly after the third period started the River Hawks tied the score, allowing Scott Wilson to pot the game-winner with 7:30 left in the game, sending Lowell to the conference title match against the Boston University Terriers. Needing a win to enter the NCAA tournament, Boston University was unable to solve Lowell's defence, but also held the River Hawks off of the score sheet until less than 9 minutes left in regulation when Wilson assisted on the only goal of the game by Derek Arnold, earning U. Mass-Lowell their first ever Hockey East conference title.

While the title victory guaranteed Lowell a spot in the NCAA tournament, their stellar play during the season allowed Lowell to be selected as one of the four #1-seeds (3rd overall) and be placed in the Northeast Regional. In the opening round Lowell was set against the WCHA conference champion Wisconsin Badgers and while Scott Wilson could only manage an assist, nothing else was required as the River Hawks demolished the Badgers 6–1. The next round matched the #2-seed New Hampshire Wildcats against Lowell and Scott Wilson was able to play hero once more, scoring the game-winner with 30 seconds left in the second period and assisting on the only other goal as the River Hawks won 2–0, sending Lowell to the first frozen four in team history. Two weeks later, when the tournament resumed in Pittsburgh, Lowell found themselves down 2–0 early in their semifinal against the surprising Yale Bulldogs. While Lowell was able to tie the game with a pair of goals 14 seconds apart in the 3rd period, Yale scored in overtime, ending Lowell's season two wins short of a national title. 2012–13 ends up being Lowell's most successful Division I season ever in terms of wins (28) winning percentage (.707) and tournament victories (2) as well as their first conference tournament title and conference regular season title. Along the way, Scott Wilson finished tied for the team lead in goals (16) and scoring (38 points) while leading the team outright in power-play goals (6) and game-winning goals (5) despite his slow start.[7]

With team-captain Riley Wetmore graduating, Scott Wilson is expected to be one of the leaders going forward for the River Hawks.

Professional

Wilson officially signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 1, 2014, and finished the 2013–14 season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. His assignment to Wilkes-Barre continued for the 2014–15 season. Wilson spent most of the 2015-16 season with Wilkes-Barre, though he did see action in 24 NHL games and opened the 2016-17 season with parent team.[8]

With Chris Kunitz being a late scratch due to a foot fracture,[9] Wilson made his NHL debut on December 2, 2014 in a 1–0 victory over the New Jersey Devils, but played a team-low 4:21 after suffering a leg injury of his own in the second period.[9]

In the 2015–16 season, Wilson played with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the first half of the year, leading the American Hockey League with 22 goals and earned a regular NHL spot for now with Nick Bonino, Eric Fehr, Evgeni Malkin and Beau Bennett on long-term injuries to the bottom six forwards, as of Saturday, February 20, 2016. Wilson earned his first career point on a goal by Phil Kessel on December 21, 2015 sending a stretch pass to the right winger for a breakaway. He scored his first NHL goal on Thursday February 18, 2016 against Petr Mrazek of the Detroit Red Wings, one timing a Conor Sheary pass from the left-hand side. He would score again two days later in a 6–2 loss to the Lightning as he rebounded Kris Letang's slapshot into the back of the net. On March 14, 2016, after recording 6 points in 24 games in 2015–16, Wilson, along with other break-out players Tom Kuhnhackl and Bryan Rust, signed a 2-year contract extension with Pittsburgh.[10]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2008–09 Georgetown Raiders OJHL 6 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0
2009–10 Georgetown Raiders OJHL 56 24 43 67 28 11 9 8 17 2
2010–11 Georgetown Raiders OJHL 42 20 41 61 59 4 1 2 3 8
2011–12 UMass Lowell River Hawks HE 37 16 22 38 26 — — — — —
2012–13 UMass Lowell River Hawks HE 41 16 22 38 32 — — — — —
2013–14 UMass Lowell River Hawks HE 31 7 12 19 24 — — — — —
2013–14 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2014–15 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 55 19 22 41 30 3 2 2 4 0
2014–15 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0
2015–16 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 34 22 14 36 19 — — — — —
2015–16 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 24 5 1 6 12 — — — — —
NHL totals 25 5 1 6 12 3 0 0 0 0
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Canada Canada East
World Junior A Challenge
2010 Penticton

Awards and honours

Award Year
All-Hockey East Rookie Team 2011–12
Hockey East All-Tournament Team 2013 [11]
Stanley Cup Champion

References

  1. ↑ "Local prospects taken in day two of the draft". Pittsburgh Sports Report. 2011. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Mass-Lowell's 2011–12 results". USCHO.com. 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Mass-Lowell's team history". USCHO.com. 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Hockey East Awards and All-Stars announced". Hockey East Online.com. 2012. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  5. ↑ "USCHO.com Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. October 1, 2012. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Massachusetts-Lowell Men's Hockey Team History". USCHO.com. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Mass-Lowell's 2012–13 player stats". USCHO.com. 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Scott Wilson \ #23". NHL.com. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
  9. 1 2 Mahiban, Dhiren (December 2, 2014). "Pens' place Letang on IR, Kunitz to miss 2 weeks with a foot fracture". NBC Sports ProHockeyTalk. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Scott Wilson inks two-year extension with Pittsburgh Penguins". Mill City Sports. 2016-03-15. Retrieved 2016-03-15.
  11. ↑ "2013–14 Hockey East Media Guide". Hockey East. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by
Charlie Coyle		 Hockey East Rookie of the Year
2011–12 		Succeeded by
Jon Gillies
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