Mike Stapleton
| Mike Stapleton | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
May 5, 1966 Sarnia, ON, CAN | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 183 lb (83 kg; 13 st 1 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shot | Right | ||
| Played for |
Chicago Blackhawks Pittsburgh Penguins Edmonton Oilers Winnipeg Jets Phoenix Coyotes Atlanta Thrashers New York Islanders Vancouver Canucks | ||
| National team |
 Canada | ||
| NHL Draft |
132nd overall, 1984 Chicago Blackhawks | ||
| Playing career | 1986–2004 | ||
Michael P. Stapleton (born May 5, 1966 in Sarnia, Ontario and raised in Strathroy, Ontario) is a Canadian retired National Hockey League hockey player who played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks. He is the son of former NHL defenceman and 1972 Summit Series Team Canada member Pat Stapleton. He is married to wife Laura and has two sons, Luke and Nick.
Junior career
Stapleton played Junior B hockey for the Strathroy Blades and Junior A hockey in the Ontario Hockey League for the Cornwall Royals where he scored 104 goals and 258 points over three seasons and 182 games. He was rated OHL Leyden Division's hardest worker, best faceoff man and best penalty killer in a 1985–86 poll of league coaches.
NHL career
He was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks #132 overall in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He played 697 NHL games for seven different teams netting 71 goals and 182 points along with 342 penalty minutes.
Europe
In 2001, Stapleton moved to Finland's SM-liiga and played for the Espoo Blues, scoring 18 goals and 37 points in 41 games. He then had a brief spell in the Swedish Elitserien for Leksands IF before returning to Espoo. He spent one more season in Finland for Tappara before retiring in 2004.
International career
Stapleton also played for Team Canada at the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he won a silver medal.
Coaching career
Stapleton served as an assistant to head coach/GM Scott Gardiner with the NAHL's Traverse City North Stars during the club's inaugural 2005–06 season before accepting a position as associate coach of the OHL's Erie Otters. He accepted a position to become the new assistant coach for the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL, the 2010-11 American Hockey League season.[1] He served as the Head Coach of the Ontario Hockey League's Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds for the 2011-12 season and part of the 2012-2013 season, but was fired on December 3, 2012, and replaced by Sheldon Keefe.