John W. Druce is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey

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...

 right winger

Winger (ice hockey)

Winger, in the game of hockey, is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. They typically work by flanking the centre forward. Originally the name was given to forward players who went up and down the sides of the rink...

 who played 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...

 (NHL) for the Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

Playing career

In Druce's first year of Junior eligibility, he played for the Peterborough Petes

Peterborough Petes

The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...

 B squad. He made the Petes the next season and scored 12 goals in 54 games. Druce was on a checking line with future Capital teammate Rob Murray

Rob Murray

Rob Murray is a former ice hockey player and former head coach of the Providence Bruins from 2008-2011. He is currently the head coach of the Alaska Aces. He played most of his career as captain of the American Hockey League's Springfield Falcons...

.

Drafted in 1985 by the Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...

 in the second round (40th overall), Druce had a couple of modest seasons before scoring 32 goals for the Binghamton Whalers

Binghamton Whalers

The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...

 of the 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...

 in 1987-88 season. He would not make the Capitals roster until the 1988–89 NHL season, where he was usually a fourth-line defensive specialist.

During the 1989–90 NHL season, his regular season statistics would continue to be unspectacular (8 goals in 45 games), but during the playoffs he exploded for 14 goals and helped guide the Capitals to their first semifinals appearance.

In the division semifinals versus the New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, Druce scored three goals in the six game series won by Washington, including two game winners. In the division finals versus the New York Rangers

New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...

, Druce provided a shocking amount of offensive output. In game two of the series, Druce scored a hat trick, his first since midget hockey. Game three saw Druce tally two more goals and two assists. The Capitals needed this offensive production since their top scorer Dino Ciccarelli

Dino Ciccarelli

.Dino Ciccarelli is a Canadian former professional hockey player who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, primarily with the Minnesota North Stars. He scored 1,200 points in his NHL career. His 608 career NHL goals are also the most goals scored by a draft-eligible player who was not...

 was injured.

Druce scored two goals in game four to lead the Capitals to a three games to one lead. In overtime of game five, Druce fended off a check by Ron Greschner

Ron Greschner

Ronald John Greschner is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the NHL for 16 seasons between 1974 and 1990....

 and deflected Geoff Courtnall

Geoff Courtnall

Geoffrey Lawton Courtnall is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League from 1983 to 2000. He was the head coach of the Victoria Grizzlies of the BCHL as well as the University of Victoria Vikes of the BCIHL.Courtnall was born in Victoria, British Columbia,...

's shot over goalie John Vanbiesbrouck

John Vanbiesbrouck

John "Beezer" Vanbiesbrouck is a retired professional ice hockey goaltender, who was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. He played in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and New Jersey Devils...

 for a 2-1 series winning victory.

Capitals general manager David Poile

David Poile

David Poile is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager of the NHL's Nashville Predators....

 said, "John Druce was not on the top of my list—anybody's list—to come through the way he did. He came out of nowhere to be the hero." Poile added, "He was not a top player in junior, not a top player in the minors. This is not only a good story today, but a good story for years to come."

At the time, Druce's total of nine goals in a playoff series put him in a five-way tie for third on the alltime list for goals scored in a playoff series, behind Jari Kurri

Jari Kurri

Jari Pekka Kurri is a retired Finnish professional ice hockey right winger and a five-time Stanley Cup champion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. He is currently the general manager of Team Finland....

 (with 12, for 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 ....

 in 1985) and Tim Kerr

Tim Kerr

Timothy E. Kerr is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and Hartford Whalers.-Playing career:...

 (with 10, for the Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

 in 1989).

Druce was unable to recapture that playoff magic by the time he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1992. He would also play for the Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...

 and Philadelphia Flyers

Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, and he would appear in the 1997 Stanley Cup finals with the Flyers team that took on 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...

. He would play two seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga before retiring from active play.

In 531 NHL games, Druce scored 113 goals and 126 assists.

Post-retirement

After playing, Druce became a junior hockey analyst on Rogers Sportsnet

Rogers Sportsnet

Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...

. In 2004, his daughter was diagnosed with leukemia

Leukemia

Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...

. Druce was then inspired to join a cycling

Cycling

Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...

 team to raise money for pediatric cancer research. He currently works for Freedom 55 Financial in Peterborough

Peterborough, Ontario

Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in southern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 as of the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area has a population of 121,428 as of a 2009 estimate. It presently ranks...

.

Each year when the playoffs begin, Druce receives media inquiries due to his performance with the Capitals. He says:

Originally I was very proud of what happened there, but I played 14 years of professional hockey, so I thought, 'Jeez, I did more than that.' I've come to realize that's kind of my calling card. I'm very proud of it, and this time of year comes around and it's nice.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an...	Team	League		GP	G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...	A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal...	Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one...	PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1983–84	Peterborough Petes Peterborough Petes The Peterborough Petes are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team has played in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, since 1956, and is the oldest continuously operating team in the league.-History:...	OHL 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....		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85 1984–85 OHL season The 1984–85 OHL season was the 5th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 66 games. The Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Peterborough Petes. The Greyhounds also set an OHL record that still stands, going 33–0 at home in the regular...	Peterborough Petes	OHL		54	12	14	26	90		17	6	2	8	21
1985–86 1985–86 OHL season The 1985–86 OHL season was the 6th season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Platers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Belleville Bulls.-Final standings:-Scoring leaders:-Division Quarterfinals:...	Peterborough Petes	OHL		49	22	24	46	84		16	0	5	5	34
1986–87 1986–87 AHL season The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss...	Binghamton Whalers Binghamton Whalers The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...	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...		77	13	9	22	131		12	0	3	3	28
1987–88 1987–88 AHL season The 1987–88 AHL season was the 52nd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned shootout, but continues to award points for an overtime loss...	Binghamton Whalers	AHL		68	32	29	61	82		1	0	0	0	0
1988–89 1988–89 AHL season The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...	Baltimore Skipjacks Baltimore Skipjacks The Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena.-History:...	AHL		16	2	11	13	10		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Washington Capitals Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...	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...		48	8	7	15	62		1	0	0	0	0
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...	Baltimore Skipjacks	AHL		26	15	16	31	38		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Washington Capitals	NHL		45	8	3	11	52		15	14	3	17	23
1990–91	Washington Capitals	NHL		80	22	36	58	46		11	1	1	2	7
1991–92	Washington Capitals	NHL		67	19	18	37	39		7	1	0	1	2
1992–93	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		50	6	14	20	37		2	0	0	0	0
1993–94	Phoenix Roadrunners Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name...	IHL		8	5	6	11	9		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...	NHL		55	14	17	31	50		—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		43	15	5	20	20		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Los Angeles Kings	NHL		64	9	12	21	14		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...	NHL		13	4	4	8	13		2	0	2	2	2
1996–97	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		43	7	8	15	12		13	1	0	1	2
1997–98 1997–98 AHL season The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western...	Philadelphia Phantoms Philadelphia Phantoms The Philadelphia Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1996 to 2009. The club was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and played most of its home games at the Spectrum. During schedule conflicts or some Calder Cup playoff games, games were...	AHL		39	21	28	49	45		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		23	1	2	3	2		2	0	0	0	2
1998–99	Hannover Scorpions Hannover Scorpions The Hannover Scorpions are a professional ice hockey team founded in 1975 as ESC Wedemark. The team was renamed Wedemark Scorpions in 1996 after the rock band Scorpions, who also call Hanover, Lower Saxony their home. Their games are played at TUI Arena of the Expo Plaza...	DEL		36	15	7	22	34		—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Augsburger Panther Augsburger Panther The Augsburger Panther are a professional ice hockey team in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The team is based in Augsburg, Bavaria, Germany. They play their home games at the Curt Frenzel Stadion....	DEL		12	2	0	2	47		3	0	0	0	4
NHL totals				531	113	126	239	347		53	17	6	23	38

External links