In 1946, Wilson moved from
Trail, British Columbia to
Fort Worth, Texas to play for the Rangers in the
United States Hockey League (1945-51). In 1950, Wilson became the manager of the new
Hobart Arena, in
Troy, Ohio. As manager, Wilson booked and promoted many of the leading acts of the 1950s, including the first Ohio venue for
Elvis Presley on November 24, 1956,
Roy Rogers,
Gene Autry,
Nat King Cole,
Tex Ritter,
Sonja Henie,
Victor Borge,
Liberace,
Guy Lombardo, and
Patti Page. Starting in 1951 and for the next eight seasons, he owned and operated the
IHL team
Troy Bruins. Wilson spent the 1959-1960 hockey season as
EHL Greensboro Generals' general manager. For three seasons starting in 1960, Wilson was the general manager of the
Omaha Knights in the
IHL. In 1963, Wilson moved to
Toledo, Ohio, where he owned and started the
Toledo Blades in the
IHL. Over the next three seasons, he served as general manager and as a mid-season replacement in 1966, as coach. In 1964, the
Toledo Blades won the
Fred A. Huber Trophy, awarded for "Most Points in the Regular Season' and the
Turner Cup awarded to the playoff champions. In 1966, Wilson managed the
Vancouver Canucks in the
Western Hockey League.
Bert Olmstead was the coach. In 1967 the
National Hockey League expanded and Olmstead was hired as general manager and coach of the
Oakland Seals after the June 7, 1967 NHL player draft. Olmstead hired Wilson to run a farm team the following season. The entire hockey staff was fired at the end of the first season. Wilson was assistant manager of the
Muskegon Mohawks in the IHL for two seasons, 1970–1971 and 1971-1972. In 1972 Wilson was hired as general manager by the
Des Moines, Iowa franchise in the
IHL. Feeling the franchise needed a new look and image, Wilson changed the name to the
Des Moines Capitols. In 1973-1974, the Capitols won the Huber Trophy and the Turner Cup. This was the only season that a Des Moines-based IHL team finished first and won the playoffs. The Capitols disbanded in 1975. Wilson managed the
Flint Generals in 1975-1976 and the
Dayton Gems in 1976-1977. In 1981, Wilson formed a group of investors to establish an IHL team in
Peoria, Illinois. The
Peoria Prancers began play in the 1982-1983 season. After years of good labor relations, the
United Auto Workers went on strike against
Caterpillar Inc. on October 1, 1982. At the time 50% of Peorians were employed directly or indirectly by Caterpillar. The strike lasted the entire first hockey season. The Prancers were never able to recover from the effects of the strike and folded after the 1983-1984 season. Wilson moved to
Danville, Illinois and took over full-time duties for the
Danville Dashers in the
Continental Hockey League for the next two seasons. He retired from hockey following the 1985-1986 season. Wilson lived in
Chandler, Arizona with his wife Betty, until his death in 2008. ==Team Awards==