Wilson is one of six American coaches in the NHL. One of them, Pittsburgh Penguins coach Eddie Olczyk, said he wants to be on Wilson's staff.
Good as goals
Fans bemoaning the lack of offense in the present-day NHL should enjoy the All-Star game.
Because of the virtual lack of checking, physical play and penalties, an average of 16 goals have been scored in the last 10 All-Star games -- about 11 more than in a normal regular-season game this season.
For comparison's sake, four NHL games played Thursday night didn't produce 16 goals among them: St. Louis 2, Calgary 1; Montreal 2, New York Islanders 1; Detroit 3, Colorado 2 (OT); and Vancouver 4, New Jersey 0.
Brooks tribute
Actor Kurt Russell, who portrays US Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks in the movie "Miracle" that opened this weekend, will take part in a pregame tribute Sunday to Brooks, a Minnesota native.
Brooks coached the Rangers, North Stars, Devils and Penguins and was the Penguins' director of player development when he died in a single-car accident last summer.
A statue honoring Brooks was unveiled Thursday night near one of the Xcel Energy Center's entrances. Brooks, one of the most revered figures in US hockey history, coached a group of American college players to the 1980 Olympic gold medal. They beat the Soviet Union along the way in one of the greatest upsets in Winter Olympics history.
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