Wilson Ducked Any Contact

Winger Brian Bellows, acquired from Tampa Bay on Monday, remembers Duck Coach Ron Wilson as a teammate with the Minnesota North Stars in the mid-1980s.

Wilson, a defenseman, joined the team in time for the 1985 Stanley Cup playoffs after spending the regular season playing on the oversized rinks in Europe. In the second round, the North Stars faced the Blackhawks, a hated rival, on the tiny rink at Chicago Stadium.

“He managed to avoid most of the hits,” Bellows said of Wilson. “He was really a smooth skater. Back then you were either a pacifist or you were nuts. There was no in between.”

Wilson, who in seven NHL seasons had only 60 penalty minutes, says he was never a fighter.

*

Wilson on what’s expected of new enforcer Shawn Antoski, acquired Tuesday from Pittsburgh: “He’s got a lot of potential. He’s got a good attitude. He’s a big, physical guy. But he can’t just rely on [intimidation]. He’s got to play physical. He’s got to play tough.”

Antoski has scored only two goals but recorded 581 penalty minutes in 173 NHL games.