Wes Walz (born May 15, 1970) is a Canadian former 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 ...

centre Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

and coach. During his career, he was captain of the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...

. He also played for 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 ...

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 ...

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

, and

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...

. Walz had 260 points (109 goals, 151 assists), 343 penalty minutes, and earned 40 career multi-point games.

Playing career

Walz was drafted 57th overall by the

in the

1989 NHL entry draft The 1989 NHL entry draft was the 27th NHL entry draft. It was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft has been noted as exceptionally successful, with 5,955 total NHL games played by the p ...

. At the time, he was playing for the

Lethbridge Hurricanes The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Lethbridge, Alberta. The Hurricanes play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League's Eastern Conference, and play their home games at the VisitLethbridge.com Are ...

of the

Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior hocke ...

(WHL), a team for which he played two seasons, playing 119 games and scoring 83 goals and 161 assists for 244 points. For the next seven seasons, Walz played in the secondary

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). He averaged over one point per game in the AHL and was named MVP of the 1996 AHL All-Star Game. Walz scored his first NHL goal on February 20, 1990, in Boston's 5-3 win at Calgary. He scored a career-high 38 points in 53 games for the

in 1993–94, but in 1996, he left North America to play in Switzerland's

National League A The National League (NL) is a professional ice hockey league in Switzerland and the highest level of the Swiss league system. Prior to the 2017–18 season, the league was known as National League A. During the 2018–19 season, the league h ...

(NLA). After four seasons in Switzerland, Walz returned to the NHL, signing a contract with expansion franchise

. During training camp for the Wild, Wild Head Coach

Jacques Lemaire Jacques Gérard Lemaire (born September 7, 1945) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward and head coach who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1984. He spent his entire twelve-year National Hockey League (NHL) playing career with the ...

dubbed Walz his designated checker, placing him on the checking line. This was a turning point in Walz's career. In his first season back, Walz played all 82 regular season games, scoring 18 goals, 7 of which were shorthanded. When the Wild made the playoffs in 2003, Walz played a significant role in helping the team get to the Western Conference Finals, scoring 7 goals and 6 assists in 18 games. On December 1, 2007, the Wild held a press conference during which Walz announced his retirement. Walz retired as the franchise's leader in all-time games played at that time.

Coaching career

In June 2008, Walz signed a three-year contract to become an assistant coach with the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the ...

, under Head Coach Barry Melrose. Though Melrose was fired only 16 games into his tenure with the Lightning, Walz was retained as a member of the coaching staff under new Head Coach Rick Tocchet. During his tenure in Tampa Bay, Tocchet asked Walz to personally tutor first overall draft pick

Steven Stamkos Steven Stamkos (born February 7, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). Stamkos was selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sta ...

. In an interview, Stamkos told the ''Minneapolis Star-Tribune'', "It was pretty special that he took the time to work with me and make me a better player, and I'm thankful for it." In February 2010, Lightning general manager Brian Lawton informed Walz he was being replaced by Jim Johnson, then Head Coach of the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. In turn, Lawton offered Walz the opportunity to take Johnson's place as Head Coach of the Admirals. When Walz declined due to family reasons, Lawton dismissed him from the organization. Later, it was revealed Lawton made the change without consulting Tocchet.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Personal life

Since 2023, Walz has worked as a sports analyst on Fox Sports North for the Minnesota Wild. He and his wife Kerry-AnneCalling all Men
by Dave Hrbacek; published March 1, 2011; retrieved December 20, 2018 have five children together.Former Wild star Wes Walz resigns as East Ridge hockey coach
by Blaze Fugina, in the ''

Twin Cities Pioneer Press The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (often abbreviated St. Paul) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey Co ...

''; published April 6, 2017; retrieved December 20, 2018 Gilson, Chantelle Marie "Channy"
at DignityMemorial; published November 29, 2017; retrieved December 20, 2018 Walz volunteered as Head Coach with the Raptors of East Ridge High School in Woodbury, Minnesota. There he coached his son, Kelvin, on the boys Varsity ice hockey team, and a few years later he coached his daughter, Jaedyn, on the girls Varsity hockey team. In 2017, after 3 years of coaching Walz resigns from East Ridge citing he wanted to spend more time with his family at home.

Awards

* WHL East First All-Star Team – 1990

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Walz, Wes 1970 births Adirondack Red Wings players Boston Bruins draft picks Boston Bruins players Calgary Flames players Canadian ice hockey centres Detroit Red Wings players Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in the United States ECH Chur players EV Zug players HC Lugano players Hershey Bears players Ice hockey people from Calgary Lethbridge Hurricanes players Living people Long Beach Ice Dogs (IHL) players Maine Mariners (AHL) players Minnesota Wild players Philadelphia Flyers players Prince Albert Raiders players Saint John Flames players Tampa Bay Lightning coaches Canadian ice hockey coaches