Editing Roger Neilson (section)

===Retirement from hockey===
On February 20, 2000, Neilson went on medical leave for cancer treatment, and [[Coach (sport)|assistant coach]] [[Craig Ramsay]] took over in his absence.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Alex |first=Rachel |date=2000-02-20 |title=Suffering From Cancer, Neilson Leaves Flyers |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2000/02/20/suffering-from-cancer-neilson-leaves-flyers/cd532ee7-6bbc-45ce-ac94-9c703344b9d0/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref name="other">{{Cite web |title=One thing after the other |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/169701417/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref> On April 10, Neilson told [[General Manager]] [[Bobby Clarke]] that he was ready to return to the team, but Clarke insisted on additional medical clearance before he returned.<ref name= other/> In an interview, Neilson said he had been "treated like a king" and referred to Clarke as a friend.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Panaccio |first=Tim |title=Neilson 'devastated' over furore after joke |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/476386418/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=[[Newspapers.com]] |publisher=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]] |language=en}}</ref> All the while, Ramsay repeatedly said that he would return to assistant coach as soon as Flyers' management approved Neilson to return as coach.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelley |first=Jim |title=Hasek and Zhitnik are the big unknowns in Sabres' equations |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/877882676/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Neilson to return to Flyers as assistant - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/04/24/Neilson-to-return-to-Flyers-as-assistant/9127956548800/ |access-date=2023-09-11 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Flyers' Neilson is back but as an assistant only |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/04/25/flyers-neilson-is-back-but-as-an-assistant-only/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref> Neilson was ultimately informed that he had been permanently replaced by Ramsay.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ramsay to coach the Flyers |url=https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/06/09/ramsay-to-coach-the-flyers/ |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}</ref> 

Neilson's dismissal by Clarke was widely lamented by fans and media as lacking class and respect. Neilson's doctors advised the Flyers that he lacked the strength to perform his duties as head coach. Neilson insisted on trying to return at the end of the first round of the playoffs, but Clarke refused. He even tried to defend his decision in the press, stating, "Roger got cancer – that wasn't our fault. We didn't tell him to go get cancer. It's too bad that he did. We feel sorry for him, but then he went goofy on us."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25822-tales-from-behind-the-bench-the-bizarre-genius-of-roger-neilson |title=Tales From Behind The Bench: The Bizarre Genius of Roger Neilson |work=Bleacher Report |last=Lewis |first=Josh |date=May 28, 2008 |access-date=March 12, 2023}}</ref>

Neilson was then hired as an assistant coach for the Senators. For the last two games of the [[2001–02 NHL season|2001–02 season]], which were inconsequential to the standings, head coach [[Jacques Martin (ice hockey)|Jacques Martin]] stepped away from the bench, allowing Neilson to take the reins and become the ninth man to coach 1,000 games along with the distinction of having served as a head coach for eight different teams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ESPN.com: NHL - Neilson to coach Ottawa's final two regular-season games |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/news/2002/0408/1364804.html |access-date=2023-09-10 |website=www.espn.com}}</ref> The following season, the Senators won the Presidents' Trophy as the regular season and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was public knowledge that Neilson's cancer was [[terminal illness|terminal]] when the Senators were ousted in a seven-game series.

Neilson's overall regular-season record was 460 wins, 378 losses, 159 ties, and 3 overtime losses.