Jerold Joseph Wilson (April 10, 1937 — March 22, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and physician. Wilson played three games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1956–57 season . His son, Carey Wilson , also played in the NHL, and his grandson Colin was most recently a member of the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL.
16-845: Credited with recruiting Swedish hockey stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson to the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association , Wilson is said to be the man most responsible for pioneering the arrival of European hockey players to North America. He later worked as the team doctor for the Jets and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League . He died on March 22, 2011, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Wilson played three games in
32-420: A hockey player, and he also tested Ulf Nilsson . Wilson informed the Jets of both Hedberg and Nilsson in 1974, and they would join the team that year. This biographical article relating to a Canadian ice hockey winger born in the 1930s is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Anders Hedberg Anders Hedberg (born 25 February 1951) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player who
48-504: The Avco Cup , is the playoff championship trophy of the defunct World Hockey Association , which operated from 1972 until 1979 . The trophy's naming rights were sold to the former Avco Corporation (a name originally derived from "Aviation Company"), a defense contractor who bought the rights to advertise their consumer finance division. The trophy was mocked by some for its corporate sponsorship and never developed anything approaching
64-612: The National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens during the 1956–57 season . He mainly played in the minor leagues, and retired in 1960. Wilson retired from hockey as a result of injuries to his shoulders and knees. He then enrolled in pre-medical courses at the University of Manitoba , also coaching their hockey team. Specializing in orthopedics , Wilson was given a grant in 1973 to study
80-631: The National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Rangers . He was twice voted best junior in Sweden and as such the only one (1969 and 1970) and is a graduate from the Stockholm School of Physical Education (GIH). In the early 1970s Hedberg worked as an intern with Jerry Wilson , a Canadian former hockey player who was studying the physiology of hockey players, specifically their heart and lung conditioning. Wilson had been asked by
96-934: The Toronto Maple Leafs before moving up to the position as assistant general manager from 1997 to 1999. In 2000, he was appointed general manager of the Swedish national ice hockey team , later serving with the Ottawa Senators as Director of Player Personnel from 2002 to 2007. In August 2007, he returned to the New York Rangers as the Head Professional European Scout. He was elected to the Swedish Hockey Hall of Fame on 11 February 2012. Avco World Trophy The Avco World Trophy , also known as
112-636: The USSR National Team in the 1979 Challenge Cup . Hedberg recorded 856 professional points in North American hockey over 751 games, and retired from the Rangers in 1985 . After his active career, Hedberg became an assistant to general manager Craig Patrick of the New York Rangers , the first European to have a front office job in the NHL. Between 1991 and 1997 he worked as a scout for
128-601: The Winnipeg Jets claimed the trophy on three occasions, including the final league championship against Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers . Gordie Howe and the Houston Aeros vied for the trophy three times, winning twice. The Avco Trophy in fact may have been most famous, or perhaps infamous, in its absence. When the New England Whalers won the league's inaugural championship in 1973
144-451: The Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association (WHA) to watch out for any notable Swedish hockey players, and he recommended both Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson , who was one of Wilson's subjects. Both would join the Jets in 1974. At the time the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League owned Hedberg's NHL rights, but by going to the WHA there was no compensation required. Hedberg
160-443: The NHL, as they had nothing left to prove in the WHA. They were also looking for a massive increase in salary: both had earned around $ 125,000 in the 1976–77 season . With their high salary demands, the only NHL team capable of signing them was the New York Rangers . While the Jets stated they wanted to re-sign both players, the team did not have the financial backing to do so. In the summer of 1978, Nilsson and Hedberg signed with
176-485: The Rangers. Each signed contracts $ 600,000 per season for two years. Their signings further weakened the struggling WHA which would cease operations after just one more season. This was one of the first open acknowledgements that the quality of the WHA was on par with the NHL, making a merger with the WHA possible the following summer . In his first NHL season, Hedberg was a member of the NHL All-Stars that faced
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#1732781025338192-722: The first major sports league championship trophy to bear the name of a private corporation. Three Avco trophies exist; besides the one that is on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame , the others are in Winnipeg at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame and Museum , and in the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame in Halifax . The trophy was retired after the WHA ceased operations in 1979. Led by Bobby Hull ,
208-583: The significance and sentiment of the Stanley Cup , its National Hockey League rival. Still, the cup's design was often seen as creative in that it involved a freely-floating etched crystal globe embedded in the "stem" of the cup. The cup was designed by Frank Bonnerkopf of Boise, Idaho. The trophy was donated to the new league in 1972 along with approximately $ 500,000 by the Avco Financial Services Corporation, and became
224-459: The subject, along with physical education, at an institute in Stockholm, Sweden . As part of his research Wilson would study the physiology of hockey players, specifically their heart and lung conditioning. As a result, he was asked by the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association to watch out for any notable Swedish hockey players. In Stockholm one of Wilson's interns was Anders Hedberg ,
240-557: Was an instant sensation in the WHA, recording 100 points in 65 games in his first season, and playing alongside established superstar Bobby Hull . He scored at least 50 goals and 100 points in his other three WHA seasons, peaking with 70 goals and 61 assists in 1976-77 despite only playing 68 games that year. Hedberg played a starring role when the Jets won the Avco World Trophy WHA championship in 1976 and 1978 . By this time both Hedberg and Nilsson were looking to join
256-664: Was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America. He played internationally for the Sweden men's national ice hockey team , and was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 1997. Along with countryman Ulf Nilsson , Hedberg signed a contract to play for the Winnipeg Jets in the World Hockey Association (WHA) in 1974 , after having represented both Modo Hockey and Djurgårdens IF in his native Sweden. Hedberg subsequently played during seven seasons in
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