Roger Neilson
| Roger Neilson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Roger Paul Neilson June 16, 1934 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | June 21, 2003 (aged 69) Peterborough, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation | Former NHL coach |
Roger Paul Neilson, CM (June 16, 1934 – June 21, 2003) was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, after attending North Toronto Collegiate Institute, Neilson's coaching career began as a student at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and continued upon graduation with a degree in Physical Education in both hockey and baseball.
Neilson's coaching career began as head coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Peterborough Petes (then the junior farm team of the Montreal Canadiens in Hamilton) in 1966, and remained for 10 years in Peterborough, Ontario, where he maintained a home until his death. He also worked at the University of Windsor with a summer hockey camp programme, which led to camps from Port Hope, Ontario to Israel.
Neilson moved into professional hockey coaching in Dallas with the Dallas Black Hawks in the Central Hockey League in 1976–1977.
Neilson was head coach in the NHL for:
In 1979, Neilson was actually fired as head coach of the Maple Leafs by then-owner Harold Ballard. There was outrage throughout the players, media, and general public. Ballard then relented. Ballard wanted Neilson to enter the next game with a paper bag over his head (to be "the mystery coach") but Neilson refused and coached the next game as if nothing had happened.
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