{{Short description|British-Canadian icehockey player (born 1976)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox ice hockey player | caption = | alt = | name = Corey Neilson | image = Corey neilson 2022 bad nauheim.jpg | image_size = 230px | position = Defence | shoots = Right | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 5 | weight_lb = 220 | team = TBC | league = | played_for = Quad City Mallards<br />Portland Pirates<br />EC Timmendorfer Strand<br />Louisiana IceGators<br />Elmira Jackals<br />Syracuse Crunch<br />Pensacola Ice Pilots<br />Florida Everblades<br />Nottingham Panthers | ntl_team = GBR | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|8|22|mf=y}} | birth_place = Oromocto, New Brunswick, Canada | draft = 53rd overall | draft_year = 1994 | draft_team = Edmonton Oilers | career_start = 1997 | career_end = 2012 }} '''Corey Neilson''' (born August 22, 1976) is a Canadian born-British former professional ice hockey defenceman and most recently was the head coach of Scottish EIHL side the Glasgow Clan. Neilson was formerly the long-time head coach of the Nottingham Panthers of the British Elite Ice Hockey League from 2008 to 2018, later returning to Nottingham on an interim basis from 2022 to 2023.
Neilson was drafted 53rd overall in the 1994 NHL entry draft by the Edmonton Oilers and spent the next few years developing his game in the major junior Ontario Hockey League before turning professional in 1997. Neilson spent several seasons in the ECHL, getting called up to the American Hockey League before heading over to England to play for the Nottingham Panthers, where he played from 2006 when he was signed by then coach Mike Ellis as a player. He was later appointed player-coach in 2008 following a season as assistant player coach to Ellis.
Neilson continued to play and coach for the Panthers until he retired part way through the 2012–13 season, in which he later led the Nottingham Panthers to their first league title in 57 years and a grand slam season in 2012–13 (even though they only won 3 out of the 4 available trophies). Upon securing the league, the club retired Neilson's number 77 jersey alongside some of the Panthers legends of the past, Neilson became the 5th player to have his jersey retired by the club. In addition, under his leadership Panthers won six Challenge Cups and four Playoff championships, making him the most successful coach in Nottingham Panthers history.
Neilson also played for the Great Britain national ice hockey team after he obtained dual nationality. He is currently an assistant coach of the GB team - along with Adam Keefe - working under head coach Pete Russell.
In 2018, Neilson became the new head coach of German DEL2 side Lausitzer Füchse.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.lausitzer-fuechse.de/article.asp?id=NEUER-TRAINER-FUR-DIE-LAUSITZER-FUCHSE-8071 |title = Neuer Trainer für die Lausitzer Füchse}}</ref> He was relieved of his position in February 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lausitzer-fuechse.de/article.asp?id=BISHERIGER-CO-CHRIS-STRAUBE-AB-SOFORT-CHEFTRAINER-DER-LAUSITZER-FUCHSE-8731|title=Bisheriger Co Chris Straube Ab Sofort Cheftrainer der Lausitzer Füchse}}</ref>
After a short spell coaching Norwegian side Manglerud Star Ishockey, Neilson was named the new head coach of Slovak Extraliga side HK Poprad in November 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.fox-24.com/sport/news/amp/18845|title = Poprad has found a replacement for Mikula: Kamzíkov will be led by a Canadian coach}}</ref>
After leaving HK Poprad, Neilson was named as the new head coach of German DEL2 side EC Kassel Huskies on February 23, 2022 - replacing Tim Kehler.<ref>{{cite tweet|number=1496440971151749122|user=ECKASSELHUSKIES|title=#Huskies trennen sich von Cheftrainer Tim Kehler - Corey Neilson übernimmtAlles zum Trainerwechsel ➡️…|date=23 February 2022}}</ref>
In November 2022, Neilson returned to Nottingham as head coach on a deal until the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.eliteleague.co.uk/article/2675-corey-neilson-returns-to-panthers | title=Corey Neilson returns to Panthers | date=21 August 2019 }}</ref> He departed the club in April 2023, after leading the team to the play-off semi-finals, to take a position elsewhere in Europe.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.panthers.co.uk/home/neilson-to-leave-panthers-for-job-in-europe | title= Neilson to leave Panthers for job in Europe}}</ref>
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, Neilson returned to Germany to take charge of DEL2 side Dresdner Eislowen.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.eisloewen.de/2023/05/09/corey-neilson-neuer-eisloewen-cheftrainer/ | title=Corey Neilson New Ice Lions Head Coach| date=9 May 2023}}</ref>
At the end of the 2023–24 season, Neilson returned to the UK as the new head coach of EIHL club the Glasgow Clan on April 15, 2024, replacing Jason Morgan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NEWS: Neilson takes the reins in Glasgow |url=https://clanihc.com/news-neilson-takes-the-reins-in-glasgow/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |language=en-GB}}</ref>
On the 27th of January 2026, it was announced that Neilson and the Clan had mutually parted ways.<ref>https://clanihc.com/791220-2/</ref>
==Awards and honours== {| class="wikitable" ! Award ! Year ! |- | EIHL First All-Star team | 2011–12 | <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eliteleague.co.uk/award-winners-2012-p177013 |title=ELITE Ice Hockey League ◊ Official Website AWARD WINNERS 2012 | ELITE Ice Hockey League |accessdate=2014-02-25 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140225001554/http://www.eliteleague.co.uk/award-winners-2012-p177013 |archivedate=2014-02-25 }}</ref> |- |}
==Career statistics==
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:75%" |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |- | 1999–00 | Louisiana IceGators | ECHL | 56 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 127 | 19 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 36 |- | 1999–00 | Team Canada | | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2000–01 | Louisiana IceGators | ECHL | 64 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 128 | 14 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 24 |- | 2001–02 | Louisiana IceGators | ECHL | 71 | 12 | 40 | 52 | 138 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 |- | 2002–03 | Elmira Jackals | UHL | 72 | 10 | 44 | 54 | 136 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 26 |- | 2002–03 | Syracuse Crunch | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2003–04 | Pensacola Ice Pilots | ECHL | 72 | 19 | 59 | 78 | 130 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 |- | 2004–05 | Pensacola Ice Pilots | ECHL | 71 | 18 | 44 | 62 | 79 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |- | 2005–06 | Pensacola Ice Pilots | ECHL | 32 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 77 | — | — | — | — | — |- | 2005–06 | Florida Everblades | ECHL | 40 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 54 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 |- | 2006–07 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 54 | 11 | 31 | 42 | 111 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 |- | 2007–08 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 54 | 13 | 36 | 49 | 144 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |- | 2008–09 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 54 | 15 | 47 | 62 | 123 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |- | 2009–10 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 54 | 13 | 44 | 57 | 106 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 |- | 2010–11 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 54 | 9 | 47 | 56 | 90 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 |- | 2011–12 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 53 | 8 | 42 | 50 | 94 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |- | 2012–13 | Nottingham Panthers | EIHL | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |- |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | EIHL totals ! 330 ! 69 ! 252 ! 321 ! 680 ! 21 ! 3 ! 12 ! 15 ! 40 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" | ECHL totals ! 406 ! 87 ! 219 ! 306 ! 773 ! 52 ! 5 ! 31 ! 36 ! 94 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{icehockeystats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Neilson, Corey}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Barrie Colts players Category:British ice hockey defencemen Category:Canadian emigrants to England Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:Detroit Whalers players Category:Edmonton Oilers draft picks Category:Elmira Jackals (UHL) players Category:Florida Everblades players Category:Great Britain men's national ice hockey team coaches Category:Ice hockey people from New Brunswick Category:Ice hockey player-coaches Category:Louisiana IceGators (ECHL) players Category:Nottingham Panthers players Category:North Bay Centennials players Category:Pensacola Ice Pilots players Category:Portland Pirates players Category:Quad City Mallards (UHL) players Category:Syracuse Crunch players Category:Canadian expatriate ice hockey players in England Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom Category:Naturalised ice hockey players Category:Canadian ice hockey coaches Category:British ice hockey coaches Category:People from Oromocto Category:Nottingham Panthers coaches