Clay Wilson Explained

Birth Date:5 April 1983
Birth Place:Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:0
Weight Lb:195
Position:Defense
Shoots:Left
Played For:Columbus Blue Jackets
Atlanta Thrashers
Florida Panthers
Calgary Flames
HC Donbass
HC Sochi
Severstal Cherepovets
AIK IF
Ntl Team:USA
Draft:Undrafted
Career Start:2005
Career End:2018

Clay Daniel Wilson (born April 5, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played 36 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Atlanta Thrashers, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames.

Playing career

Clay Wilson played collegiate hockey for Michigan Tech from 2001 until 2005. After the 2004–05 collegiate season ended, he turned professional with the Muskegon Fury of the UHL. He played parts of two seasons with Muskegon before joining the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. After the 2005–06 season, he was signed as a free agent by the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL. He played for the Ducks' AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates before being traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL in November 2007.

Wilson made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets on March 25, 2008, against the Nashville Predators. He scored his first NHL goal and assist on March 26, 2008, in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks, earning him first star honors in only his second NHL game.[1] On January 14, 2009, Wilson was traded by the Blue Jackets, along with a 6th round draft pick, to the Atlanta Thrashers for Jason Williams.[2] [3]

Wilson signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers on July 2, 2009.[4] Wilson was then assigned to AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, for the majority of the 2009–10 season before making his Panthers debut on April 3, 2010, against the New York Rangers.[5] Although appearing in only two NHL games, Clay scored an impressive 60 points in 75 games with the Americans to be named to the AHL's Second All-Star Team.[6]

The Calgary Flames signed Wilson to a two-way deal for the 2011–12 season. He spent the majority of it with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL, but appeared in five games with Calgary. He had a one-way deal with the Flames for 2012–13, but was expected to again spend most of the season in Abbotsford. Wilson instead chose to leave the Flames organization, signing with HC Donbass of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The Flames terminated his NHL contract.[7] He won the 2012–13 IIHF Continental Cup with HC Donbass and was named the best defender in the tournament.[8] He was named best defender again in 2014.[9]

Wilson was re-signed by Donbass to a further two-year contract extension, however with civil unrest in Ukraine forcing Donbass to suspend operations for the 2014–15 season, Wilson signed a one-year contract with expansion club, HC Sochi on July 1, 2014.[10] He then had his contract renewed for a second season. Following the 2015-16 campaign, he left Sochi, moving on to fellow KHL outfit Severstal Cherepovets.[11]

After moving to Sweden to play in the HockeyAllsvenskan with AIK IF for the 2017–18 season, Wilson ended his 13-year professional career in accepting an assistant coach role in a return to Donbas, Ukraine, with HC Donbass on October 16, 2018.[12]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

  Regular season Playoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2001–02Michigan TechWCHA38481218
2002–03Michigan TechWCHA388172537
2003–04Michigan TechWCHA372111322
2004–05Michigan TechWCHA3534742
2004–05Muskegon FuryUHL143362170228
2005–06Muskegon FuryUHL1339129
2005–06Grand Rapids GriffinsAHL6010273740160338
2006–07Portland PiratesAHL799344352
2007–08Portland PiratesAHL143586
2007–08Syracuse CrunchAHL5711283929132574
2007–08Columbus Blue JacketsNHL71122
2008–09Syracuse CrunchAHL33812206
2008–09Columbus Blue JacketsNHL50110
2008–09Chicago WolvesAHL376192510
2008–09Atlanta ThrashersNHL20000
2009–10Rochester AmericansAHL7514466058720222
2009–10Florida PanthersNHL20000
2010–11Rochester AmericansAHL6612364824
2010–11Florida PanthersNHL153256
2011–12Abbotsford HeatAHL6616274341824612
2011–12Calgary FlamesNHL50004
2012–13HC DonbassKHL518122026
2013–14HC DonbassKHL5461622221316711
2014–15HC SochiKHL60225271440114
2015–16HC SochiKHL45313162010004
2016–17Severstal CherepovetsKHL52671326
2017–18AIK IFAllsv38316191651230
NHL totals3644812

International

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Wilson scores goal, assist in win . . 2008-03-26 . 2008-06-10.
  2. Web site: Thrashers acquire Clay Wilson and a 6th round draft pick in 2009 NHL Draft from Columbus for Jason Williams. Atlanta Thrashers. 2009-01-14. 2009-01-14. January 16, 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090116170305/http://thrashers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=404165. dead.
  3. Web site: Blue Jackets trade for help on the power play. https://archive.today/20120712202352/http://dispatch.com/live/content/sports/stories/2009/01/14/0114cbjtrade.html?sid=101. dead. 2012-07-12. dispatch.com. 2009-01-14. 2009-01-14.
  4. Web site: Florida Panthers sign Clay Wilson . . 2009-07-02 . 2009-08-25.
  5. Web site: Rangers 4, Panthers 1 . . 2010-04-03 . 2010-05-17.
  6. Web site: First and Second All-Star Team named. AHL. 2010-04-01. 2010-05-03. April 5, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100405235201/http://theahl.com/first-and-second-all-star-teams-unveiled-p141811. dead.
  7. News: Fisher . Scott . Feet of Clay . Calgary Sun . 2012-08-04 . S2.
  8. Web site: Donbass dethrones Dragons . 2013-01-14 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130116013905/http://www.iihf.com/competition/326/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/recap/7491.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7028&cHash=213b662f3e . January 16, 2013 . mdy .
  9. Web site: Dragons win for Oilers . www.iihf.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140114013448/http://www.iihf.com/competition/431/news/news-singleview-club-continental-cup/recap/8383.html?tx_ttnews%5BbackPid%5D=7643&cHash=3da2701544 . 2014-01-14.
  10. Web site: Donbass players continue to seek employment . . 2014-07-01 . 2014-07-01 . Russian.
  11. Web site: Хоккейный клуб Северсталь. severstalclub.ru. 2016-05-06.
  12. Web site: Clay Wilson - Assistant Coach of Donbass . . 2018-10-16 . 2018-10-16 . Ukrainian.