Wilson, Quinn face off Saturday night

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson is a self-professed practical joker. It’s a side of him that not many people know about, but Edmonton Oilers bench boss Pat Quinn is only too aware.

Wilson was under the watchful eye of Quinn when he began his NHL coaching career in Vancouver in 1990, where he became an assistant coach for the Canucks. And when Wilson got his first job as head coach of the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, he made sure his departure from Vancouver was a memorable one.

Wilson purchased bumper stickers which read ‘Mighty Ducks of Anaheim’ and stuck them on Quinn’s car – one on the back bumper and one on the front. After a month of driving around Vancouver with fans honking their horns and waving at him, Quinn finally clued in on the prank.

Jokes aside, the two coaches maintain a friendship to this day. Wilson considers Quinn to be his mentor while Quinn maintains Wilson has one of the best hockey minds. And although Quinn’s been coaching 31 years over Wilson’s 16, the two at times are remarkably similar.

Both are very outspoken when it comes to critiquing players, and they don’t hold back when it comes to the media not performing at their best as well. And when it comes to their careers, their winding paths have included equal amounts of success and heartache.

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