During the 1980’s, the Chicago Blackhawks had no problem getting to the playoffs year after year. The team had lots of talented players on the roster. They seemed like they were always missing one or two ingredients. It kept them from being really good, rising throughout the playoffs, and making it to the Stanley Cup finals. Maybe win one. The owner at the time, Bill Wirtz, was happy as a camper just making it to the playoffs. Stanley Cup teams cost too much money, he was quoted saying. One and done could have been their advertising campaign back then. Bill Wirtz had rational thinking. Besides the money aspect of it, fans would keep getting hooked, line, and sinkered… wanting more. Players like Doug Wilson never got to experience what Duncan Keith did during those three Cups he was a part of. During the 1980’s, Doug Wilson was the Duncan Keith of the Blackhawks. Wilson was the best defense-man on the team and around the league. Finally all the hard work to try to get the Stanley Cup did not pay off. After 24 years on the ballot, Doug Wilson received the call and will be heading to the Hockey Hall of Fame on a 2020 ticket.

It is well deserved, playing 14-16 years with the Blackhawks under the Wirtz tyranny and Tom Foolery. Doug Wilson left Chicago through a trade and ended up playing two more seasons in San Jose with the Sharks. Wilson easily has etched his name in both the Blackhawks and the Sharks franchises, after being drafted in 1977 as a sixth pick overall. The Ottawa native has made a life in the game he loved growing up. His playing career on the ice and working in the front office, meant putting some great Shark teams on the ice each year as the teams GM. Doug Wilson was one of the last helmet-less players to skate in the NHL. Wilson’s hair in the 1980’s had that Doug Collins look going as he coached a very young Michael Jordan at that time during that decade. Doug Wilson was the first Shark to wear the captain C on his sweater since the Sharks were new kid in the league at the time.

Still to this day, Doug Wilson owns some of the Chicago Blackhawk franchise records from his playing days. Wilson has the most goals of all-time wearing the Indian head as a defense-man scoring 225 goals with that wicked slap shot he had. Wilson also is number one in assists with 554 and points overall as a defense-man with 779. Doug Wilson also 4th in games played. Then add his 95 post season games he scored 19 more goals and dishing out 61 assists. Wilson finished his career lighting the lamp 237 times and had 590 assists with 827 points. These numbers rank him high with NHL defense-men all-time. Wilson is 12th all-time among defense-men in the whole history of the league in goals scored by his position. Then 15th in points. Then 18th in assists. Those are very impressive numbers. You wonder why it took so long to get him into the hall in the first place. Let’s not forget he was a seven time all-star. Plus he took home the Norris Trophy in the 1981-82 season, as top defense-man of the league that year. That year he put the puck in the net 39 times which is 4th highest single season by a defense-man.

Seems like the norm back then was that all great athletes that leave the Chicago sports landscape, go kicking and screaming. A strained relationship with Mike Keenan who was coach and GM at the time, meant shipping Doug Wilson to San Jose to end his Chicago ties. This always happens as we chase the wrong guy out of town. Doug Wilson takes  a front office job with the Sharks after his playing career was over. Wilson uses his Hockey wisdom and Sharks hardly ever missed the playoffs. While we have Stan Bowman trying to figure out what to do next with the Blackhawks. Wilson, I have faith he could pair up Toews and Kane with some talent to make the Blackhawks a once again playoff threat. If only he was in the Blackhawks front office right now. Doug Wilson got to wear the two coolest sweaters in the league with the Blackhawk Indian head and the teal shark head biting the hockey stick. Wilson going to the Sharks from the Blackhawks made me become a fan of San Jose, and I still am today. Both the Sharks and Blackhawks have been awesome to watch over the last decade. With no live sports, this a great sports story and the hockey hall of fame gets a true grit style type of guy in their museum.