Duncan Shepherd Wilson (March 22, 1948 – October 8, 2023) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as goalie or netminder) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their own team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays ...

who spent ten seasons in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) between 1969 and 1979, with the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team play ...

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. The Maple Leafs compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the A ...

New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...

, and

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. The Penguins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), E ...

. Wilson made his NHL debut with Philadelphia in 1970, and then spent three seasons with the expansion Canucks. Traded to Toronto in 1973, he played part of two seasons there before going to New York in 1975, and then to Pittsburgh for two seasons before finishing his NHL career with the Canucks in 1979.

Playing career

Wilson was originally signed by the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The t ...

and rose through their junior system, but was drafted away by the

in 1968 just before turning professional. He spent two seasons with the

Quebec Aces The Quebec Aces, also known in French as Les As de Québec, were an amateur and later a professional men's ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec. History The Aces were founded in 1928 by Anglo-Canadian Pulp and Paper Mills, the name Aces stan ...

, Philadelphia's

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL) affiliate, appearing in a single NHL game for the Flyers in the

1969–70 NHL season The 1969–70 NHL season was the 53rd season of the National Hockey League. For the third straight season, the St. Louis Blues reached the Stanley Cup Finals, and for the third straight year, the winners of the expansion West Division were swept ...

, on February 26, 1970 against the

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. Wilson was claimed by the

in the

1970 NHL Expansion Draft The 1970 NHL expansion draft was the second expansion draft of the National Hockey League (NHL). The draft was held on June 10, 1970, a day before the 1970 NHL amateur draft. The expansion draft was held to allow the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver ...

. In Vancouver, he was one of three goaltenders carried by the team in their inaugural campaign. His first season was rocky, as he posted a dismal 3–25–2 record in 35 appearances. However, he was recognized as having significant potential, and at age 22 was viewed as the club's long-term starter over Charlie Hodge, the team's main goaltending option that year, who was 37. When Hodge retired following a contract dispute, Wilson became Vancouver's starting goalie for 1971–72. He appeared in 53 games for the Canucks, posting a 16–30–3 record (his backups went 4–20–5) and a 3.61 GAA. In

1972–73 Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...

, he had another solid year, finishing 13–21–5 with a 3.94 GAA. In 1973, Vancouver acquired highly rated veteran Gary "Suitcase" Smith to be the team's starting goalie and Wilson was dealt to the

. He spent nearly two seasons in Toronto backing up

Doug Favell Douglas Robert Favell (born April 5, 1945) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and former box lacrosse player. Favell played in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Rockies. ...

before being waived, and he was claimed by the

late in the 1974–75 season. He backed up John Davidson for the Rangers in 1975–76, but won just five games and being demoted briefly to the minors for the first time since 1970. Dealt to the

for a draft pick, Wilson bounced back in 1976–77. As Pittsburgh's starting netminder, he appeared in 45 games and posted an 18–19–8 record and a sparkling 2.95 GAA along with five shutouts. In the process, he was named team MVP by both the franchise and their booster club. However, in 1977–78 he lost his starting job to Denis Herron, and posted a 5–11–3 record with a dismal 4.83 GAA. Wilson started the 1978–79 season in the AHL after losing the backup job to rookie

Greg Millen Gregory H. Millen (June 25, 1957 – April 7, 2025) was a Canadian hockey commentator-analyst and professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons for six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). During his career as a colour comment ...

, and was sold back to the Canucks a month into the season. However, his performance was no better in Vancouver as he won just twice in 17 appearances, and he retired at the end of the season. Following his retirement he sued the Canucks, alleging that they did not properly treat a mole which turned out to be

skin cancer Skin cancers are cancers that arise from the Human skin, skin. They are due to the development of abnormal cells (biology), cells that have the ability to invade or metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. It occurs when skin cells grow ...

, and which later required extensive surgery to remove, helping to prematurely end his career. He lost his $400,000

lawsuit A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...

in front of the

Supreme Court of British Columbia The Supreme Court of British Columbia is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia, Canada. The Court hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. There are 90 judici ...

on November 18, 1983. In 287 career NHL games, Wilson posted an 80–150–33 record along with eight shutouts and a 3.74 GAA.

Death

Wilson died on October 8, 2023 in

Utila Utila () is the smallest of Honduras' major Bay Islands, after Roatán and Guanaja, in a region that marks the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest in the world. It has been documented in history since Columbus ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

, where he had been living for several years.Late goalie Wilson remembered as free spirit who loved life on, off ice
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Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wilson, Dunc 1948 births 2023 deaths Baltimore Clippers players Binghamton Dusters players Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Dallas Black Hawks players New York Rangers players Niagara Falls Flyers players Oshawa Generals players Ice hockey people from Toronto Peterborough Petes (ice hockey) players Philadelphia Flyers players Pittsburgh Penguins players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States Quebec Aces (AHL) players Toronto Maple Leafs players Vancouver Canucks players 20th-century Canadian sportsmen