Alumnus Kerry Williston 1978-1981
Kerry Williston
Kitchener Rangers 1978-1981
Rangers Coaching Staff 1988-1991
By Dave McLelland
On March 9, 1960, in the metropolis of Port Colborne, Ontario, Kerry Williston was born.
Although they were not your typical hockey family, the Willistons always supported Kerry and were truly his biggest fans. At the age of seven, Kerry began his minor hockey career with both of his parents in his corner, motivating him to play his heart out. His mom used a special tactic to get him motivated to score goals; she would make him his favourite dessert every time he scored a hat trick. The dessert is still, to this day, one of his favourites.
As minor hockey player, Kerry preferred to play as a forward. However, his coach recognized his skill level and moved him to defence, which also gave him more ice time. During his minor hockey years, Kerry had several highlights including a trip to Sweden with his bantam team to play a series of games over Christmas and scoring a hat trick playing against "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky in his Jr. B league.
Kerry also has fond memories of his coaches, Murray Crosby and Jack Stover. He has stated that both coaches greatly influenced his life, calling them the "greatest coaches in minor hockey".
While not drafted in his under age year, Kerry was contacted by the North York Rangers, a team that played in the Tier 2 Junior "A" League and was a member of the Ontario Hockey Association Champions for that season. He played his first OHA game for the Kingston Canadians who were affiliated with North York. Ironically, the game was against the Kitchener Rangers. "As a 16 year old, it was a scary experience," he remembers.
Mike Penny, then General Manager of the Kitchener Rangers, drafted Kerry in the first round. While with Kitchener, he billeted with Mary and Howard Allan and then later, Donna and Ron Pearson. However, during his third year he was traded with Doug Shedden to Sault Ste. Marie for Paul Coffey.
Following his short time in Sault Ste. Marie, Kerry returned to the Kitchener-Waterloo region to pursue his studies, assuming his hockey career was over. However, the Rangers were struggling in last place and fellow defenceman, Al MacInnis, went down with a broken wrist. Kerry received a phone call from the late Les Bradley, who was the trainer for Coach Orval Tessier, asking him to put his skates back on for the Rangers as an over-ager. At first, Kerry refused but after negotiating an educational package, he returned to the ice.
During the 1980-81 season, the Rangers did something remarkable; the team went from last place to first and earned their right to play in the Memorial Cup in Windsor. Considered by most to be an overachieving team, the Rangers advanced to the Cup finals, only to lose to Cornwall.
After his Junior "A" hockey experience, Kerry signed with the Boston Bruins but in the end, he didn’t make the team. Following this, he decided to end his hockey career and focus on his education.
Like many former Rangers, Kerry has remained in the Kitchener-Waterloo region after hockey. Ten years after playing for the Rangers, he returned to the Auditorium as a member of Joe McDonnell’s coaching team from 1988 to 1991. Later, he took up coaching in the community, for both hockey and baseball house league and rep teams. Currently, he and his son, Bryan, share coaching responsibilities with the Midget "AA" girls’ hockey team.
As a coach, Kerry believes in "putting the team first. It is important to know what you need to do in order to be successful both on and off the ice." He truly enjoys coaching and hopes that his players will decide to give back to their communities in the future by also coaching and mentoring.
His advice for aspiring athletes: "athletic careers are short so make the best of your time. Look at the game as a preparation for life; the values that you learn, you can then apply to life. Work hard, but have fun doing it!"
