Willie Coetzee

Who is Willie Coetzee?

Willie Coetzee is a South Africa-born Canadian ice hockey player. He is currently playing for the Toledo Walleye of the ECHL.

Coetzee, the son of a ultra marathon runner and a semi-pro tennis player, and grandson of a field hockey player, lived in Johannesburg until he was 4. Afterwards he moved to Vancouver, developing an interest in ice hockey watching Pavel Bure's Vancouver Canucks. While also interested in soccer and golf, Coetzee eventually chose to focus on hockey at the age of 17, signing with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League. On September 18, 2009, the Detroit Red Wings signed Coetzee as a free agent to a three-year, entry-level contract, and after finishing the WHL season, the Red Wings sent him to the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League. In 2011 he was reassigned to the ECHL, becoming a points leader and fan favorite. A knee injury sidelined Coetzee for the entire 2013-14 season.