Wilson was one of the highest-scoring NHL defensemen of the 1980s and still is the Chicago Blackhawks leader among defensemen in goals (225), assists (554) and points (779). He won the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the League in 1981-82, when he was an NHL First-Team All-Star, played in the NHL All-Star Game seven times and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Blackhawks selected Wilson with the No. 6 pick in the 1977 NHL Draft after he scored 79 points (25 goals, 54 assists) in 43 games with Ottawa of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, his hometown team, in 1976-77. He became an NHL regular as a rookie, finishing with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games in 1977-78. He developed into a consistent offensive producer until enjoying a breakout season at age 24 in 1981-82.
Wilson was one of the highest-scoring NHL defensemen of the 1980s and still is the Chicago Blackhawks leader among defensemen in goals (225), assists (554) and points (779). He won the Norris Trophy as the top defenseman in the League in 1981-82, when he was an NHL First-Team All-Star, played in the NHL All-Star Game seven times and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.
The Blackhawks selected Wilson with the No. 6 pick in the 1977 NHL Draft after he scored 79 points (25 goals, 54 assists) in 43 games with Ottawa of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League, his hometown team, in 1976-77. He became an NHL regular as a rookie, finishing with 34 points (14 goals, 20 assists) in 77 games in 1977-78. He developed into a consistent offensive producer until enjoying a breakout season at age 24 in 1981-82.
Wilson won the Norris Trophy that season by scoring 39 goals, then second in NHL history to the 46 scored by Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins in 1974-75, and finishing with 85 points. It was his only 80-point season, but remained among the most consistently productive offensive-defensemen in the NHL for the next decade. Wilson was selected to the NHL Second All-Star Team two other times, in 1984-85 when he scored 76 points (22 goals, 54 assists), and in 1989-90 when he scored 73 points (23 goals, 50 assists). He also scored a goal and had an assist for the NHL All-Stars against the Soviet Union national team at Rendez-Vous '87.
Wilson scored 40 points (11 goals, 29 assists) in 51 games in 1990-91, and the Blackhawks traded him to the expansion San Jose Sharks on Sept. 6, 1991. Wilson was named the first captain of the Sharks and played his final two NHL seasons with San Jose before retiring in 1993 with 827 points (237 goals, 590 assists) in 1,024 NHL games, as well as 80 points (19 goals, 61 assists) in 95 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Wilson returned to the Sharks in 1997 as director of player personnel, and in 2003 he was named general manager, replacing Dean Lombardi. During his tenure the Sharks have been one of the most consistent winners in the NHL. San Jose reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 2016, although they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.
Wilson's accomplishments on the ice were recognized 27 years after he retired when he was elected to the Hall of Fame.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- OMJHL First All-Star Team (1977)
- NHL First All-Star Team (1982)
- NHL Second All-Star Team (1985, 1990)
- Played in NHL All-Star Game (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992)
- Traded to San Jose by Chicago for Kerry Toporowski and San Jose's 2nd round choice (later traded to Winnipeg, Winnipeg selected Boris Mironov) in 1992 Entry Draft, September 6, 1991.
