Mike Stapleton

Michael Patrick Stapleton (born May 5, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League from 1986 until 2001. Throughout his career Stapleton played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks. After leaving the NHL he spent several years playing in Europe, retiring in 2004. The son of former NHL player Pat Stapleton, he also played internationally for Canada at the 1986 World Junior Championships, winning a silver medal. After his playing career ended Stapleton served as a coach and since 2014 has been a scout with the Anaheim Ducks.

Playing career Junior 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 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 was named to the Canadian national junior team for the 1986 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Scoring 6 points in 7 games, Stapleton helped the team win the 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 in the 2010-11 American Hockey League season. 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. He was fired on December 3, 2012 and replaced by Sheldon Keefe.

Personal life Stapleton is the son of former NHL defenceman and 1972 Summit Series Team Canada member Pat Stapleton. Stapleton and his wife Laura and have two sons, Luke and Nick.

Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1981–82 Strathroy Blades WOHL 42 25 18 43 38 — — — — — 1982–83 Strathroy Blades WOHL 40 39 38 77 99 3 1 2 3 4 1983–84 Cornwall Royals OHL 70 24 45 69 94 3 1 2 3 4 1984–85 Cornwall Royals OHL 56 41 44 85 68 9 2 4 6 23 1985–86 Cornwall Royals OHL 56 39 65 104 74 6 2 3 5 2 1986–87 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 39 3 6 9 6 4 0 0 0 2 1986–87 Canadian National Team Intl 21 2 4 6 4 — — — — — 1987–88 Saginaw Hawks IHL 31 11 19 30 52 10 5 6 11 10 1987–88 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 43 2 9 11 59 — — — — — 1988–89 Saginaw Hawks IHL 69 21 47 68 162 6 1 3 4 4 1988–89 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 7 0 1 1 7 — — — — — 1989–90 Arvika SWE-2 32 15 19 34 49 — — — — — 1989–90 Indianapolis Ice IHL 16 5 10 15 6 13 9 10 19 38 1990–91 Indianapolis Ice IHL 75 29 52 81 76 7 1 4 5 0 1990–91 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 7 0 1 1 2 — — — — — 1991–92 Indianapolis Ice IHL 59 18 40 58 65 — — — — — 1991–92 Chicago Blackhawks NHL 19 4 4 8 8 — — — — — 1992–93 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 78 4 9 13 10 4 0 0 0 0 1993–94 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 58 7 4 11 18 — — — — — 1993–94 Edmonton Oilers NHL 23 5 9 14 28 — — — — — 1994–95 Edmonton Oilers NHL 46 6 11 17 21 — — — — — 1995–96 Winnipeg Jets NHL 58 10 14 24 37 6 0 0 0 21 1996–97 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 55 4 11 15 36 7 0 0 0 14 1997–98 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 64 5 5 10 36 6 0 0 0 2 1998–99 Phoenix Coyotes NHL 76 9 9 18 34 7 1 0 1 0 1999–00 Atlanta Thrashers NHL 62 10 12 22 30 — — — — — 2000–01 New York Islanders NHL 34 1 4 5 2 — — — — — 2000–01 Vancouver Canucks NHL 18 1 2 3 8 — — — — — 2001–02 Blues FIN 41 18 19 37 42 3 0 0 0 4 2002–03 Leksand SWE 19 5 5 10 10 — — — — — 2002–03 Blues FIN 33 8 20 28 55 7 1 2 3 10 2003–04 Tappara FIN 18 6 12 18 26 3 1 1 2 2 NHL totals 687 71 111 182 342 34 1 0 1 39

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1986 Canada WJC 7 3 3 6 6 Junior totals 7 3 3 6 7