Former two-time All-American and Hobey Baker Memorial Award recipient Bill Watson, a name synonymous with UMD hockey, has lent his expertise with the Bulldogs staff for the past 14Â seasons, first as a volunteer assistant coach from 2006 to 2014 and as an operations assistant beginning in 2014-15.
Watson closed out his memorable three-year playing career with a bang in 1984-85 by becoming the first -- and only -- Bulldog to ever crack the 100-point plateau. He wound up the year with a then NCAA-record 109 points while helping propel UMD to its second straight NCAA Frozen Four appearance and WCHA championship. The Powerview, Manitoba, native paced the WCHA in scoring for a second straight season that year en route to being chosen the league's Most Valuable Player For his efforts, was also bestowed with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the most outstanding player in college hockey and received his second consecutive first team All-American citation. In 108 lifetime outings, Watson racked up 210 points for a 1.94 points per game average -- the best figure ever turned in by a Bulldog. He also set club single-season records (all of which still stand) for assists (60) and multiple-point games (36) as well as longest overall point-scoring streak (33 games). In addition to having his No. 14 jersey retired in October 2014, Watson was was one of 21 players chosen to the All-DECC Team in 2010.
A member of the both the UMD Athletic Hall of Fame (Class of 1997) and Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (Class of 2013), Watson passed up his final year of collegiate eligibility to skate with the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks, who drafted him in 1982 (fourth round, 70th selection overall). He played four seasons and 115 regular season games as a Blackhawk and in 1986-87 received the Emery-Edge Award for having the best-plus minus rating of any Chicago skater. Watson went on to serve as a student assistant coach at UMD during the 1989-90 season and as head coach with the (Junior B) Northlands Voyageurs (1990-91) and the College of St. Scholastica (1991-95). From 1995-96 to 1997-98, he was employed in an assistant coaching capacity at Western Michigan University.
Watson, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from UMD in 1990, currently is a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. He resides in Duluth with his wife and fellow UMD graduate, Molly, and has three adult children -- Anthony, Patrick and Emily .
