Greg Stefan
Encyclopedia
Gregory Steven Stefan was a professional ice hockey
goaltender
in the National Hockey League
.
Drafted in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
by the Detroit Red Wings
, Greg Stefan became known for using his stick to clear skaters in front of the net, many times receiving penalties, and sometimes suspensions. He played in 299 games, winning 115 of them, before suffering an eventual career-ending knee injury in a game against the Edmonton Oilers
.
Stefan began his coaching career in 1993 with the Detroit Jr. Red Wings
of the Ontario Hockey League
in 1993, and contributed to the team's first OHL championship in 1995. He remained with the club, which had relocated from Detroit to Plymouth, Michigan, and became the Plymouth Whalers
, until 1998, before taking a job with the Carolina Hurricanes
of the National Hockey League
. After moving around the Hurricanes system as a scout, and even as an assistant coach, Stefan returned to Plymouth in December 2007 to become the head coach of the club, taking over for Mike Vellucci
, who would solely focus on his general manager duties.
The Whalers posted a record of 16–20–3 under Stefan, after starting the season with a 18–8–3 record under Vellucci, however, the team would make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the post-season, the Whalers were quickly eliminated by the Kitchener Rangers
in four games. Stefan came back to Plymouth for a second season in 2008–09, however, after a start of 6–11–2, he resigned from the position to return to the Carolina Hurricanes organization as a scout. In 2006, Stefan won the Stanley Cup as Goalie Coach/Scout with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
.
Drafted in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Greg Stefan became known for using his stick to clear skaters in front of the net, many times receiving penalties, and sometimes suspensions. He played in 299 games, winning 115 of them, before suffering an eventual career-ending knee injury in a game against the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
.
Stefan began his coaching career in 1993 with the Detroit Jr. Red Wings
Detroit Jr. Red Wings
This article is about the Junior Red Wings team in the Ontario Hockey League. For the team in the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League from the 1970s, see Detroit Jr. Red Wings .----...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
in 1993, and contributed to the team's first OHL championship in 1995. He remained with the club, which had relocated from Detroit to Plymouth, Michigan, and became the Plymouth Whalers
Plymouth Whalers
The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:...
, until 1998, before taking a job with the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. After moving around the Hurricanes system as a scout, and even as an assistant coach, Stefan returned to Plymouth in December 2007 to become the head coach of the club, taking over for Mike Vellucci
Mike Vellucci
Mike Vellucci is a retired professional ice hockey player and the current head coach and general manager of the Plymouth Whalers in the Ontario Hockey League....
, who would solely focus on his general manager duties.
The Whalers posted a record of 16–20–3 under Stefan, after starting the season with a 18–8–3 record under Vellucci, however, the team would make the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference. In the first round of the post-season, the Whalers were quickly eliminated by the Kitchener Rangers
Kitchener Rangers
The Kitchener Rangers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that have called Kitchener, Ontario, Canada their home since 1963. The Rangers are a publicly owned hockey team, governed by a 40-person Board of Directors made up of season ticket subscribers. The Rangers hosted...
in four games. Stefan came back to Plymouth for a second season in 2008–09, however, after a start of 6–11–2, he resigned from the position to return to the Carolina Hurricanes organization as a scout. In 2006, Stefan won the Stanley Cup as Goalie Coach/Scout with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Regular season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978–79 | Oshawa Generals Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. The Generals are one of the most successful franchises in Canadian Hockey League... |
OMJHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
33 | 1635 | 133 | 0 | 4.88 | ||||
| 1979–80 | Oshawa Generals | OMJHL | 17 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 897 | 58 | 0 | 3.88 | |
| 1980–81 | Oshawa Generals | OHL | 46 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 2407 | 174 | 0 | 4.34 | |
| 1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 10 | 0 | 5.00 | |
| 1981–82 1981–82 AHL season The 1981–82 AHL season was the 46th season of the American Hockey League. Eleven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The New Brunswick Hawks finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Adirondack Red Wings Adirondack Red Wings The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
29 | 11 | 13 | 3 | 1571 | 99 | 2 | 3.78 | |
| 1982–83 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 35 | 6 | 16 | 9 | 1847 | 139 | 0 | 4.52 | .853 |
| 1983–84 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 50 | 19 | 22 | 2 | 2600 | 152 | 2 | 3.51 | .876 |
| 1984–85 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 46 | 21 | 19 | 3 | 2635 | 190 | 0 | 4.33 | .860 |
| 1985–86 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 37 | 10 | 20 | 5 | 2068 | 155 | 1 | 4.50 | .856 |
| 1986–87 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 43 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 2351 | 135 | 1 | 3.45 | .875 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 33 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 1854 | 96 | 1 | 3.11 | .896 |
| 1988–89 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 46 | 21 | 17 | 3 | 2499 | 167 | 0 | 4.01 | .871 |
| 1989–90 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 359 | 24 | 0 | 4.01 | .837 |
| 1989–90 1989–90 AHL season The 1989–90 AHL season was the 54th season of the American Hockey League.Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Sherbrooke Canadiens repeated finishing first overall in the regular season... |
Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 128 | 7 | 0 | 3.28 | .887 |
| 1990–91 1990–91 AHL season The 1990–91 AHL season was the 55th season of the American Hockey League. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season... |
Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 6.36 | .759 |
| NHL Totals | 299 | 115 | 127 | 30 | 16333 | 1068 | 5 | 3.92 | |||
Post season
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980–81 | Oshawa Generals | OMJHL | 6 | 2 | 3 | 298 | 20 | 0 | 4.02 | |
| 1981–82 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| 1983–84 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 3 | 1 | 2 | 210 | 8 | 0 | 2.29 | .907 |
| 1984–85 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 138 | 17 | 0 | 7.39 | .754 |
| 1986–87 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 9 | 4 | 5 | 508 | 24 | 0 | 2.83 | .905 |
| 1987–88 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 10 | 5 | 4 | 531 | 32 | 1 | 3.62 | .864 |
| 1988–89 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 5 | 2 | 3 | 294 | 18 | 0 | 3.67 | .881 |
| NHL Totals | 30 | 12 | 17 | 1681 | 99 | 1 | 3.53 | .875 | ||
Coaching record
| Team | |Regular season | PLY Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:... |
2007–08 2007–08 OHL season The 2007–08 OHL season was the 28th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Twenty teams played 68 games each during the schedule, that started on September 19, 2007, and concluded on March 16, 2008.... |
39 | 16 | 20 | – | 3 | 74 | 5th in West | Lost in First Round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLY Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They play out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA.-History:... |
2008–09 2008–09 OHL season The 2008–09 OHL season was the 29th season of the Ontario Hockey League . Twenty teams played 68 games each during the regular season schedule, which started on September 17, 2008 and concluded on March 15, 2009.... |
19 | 6 | 11 | – | 2 | 14 | 5th in West | Resigned |