Stan Drulia

Stanley W. Drulia (born January 5, 1968) is an American former professional right winger and currently the Head Professional Scout for the Nashville Predators of the NHL. One of the most prolific minor league scorers of his day, Drulia scored 823 points in the minors in only ten full seasons.

Playing career

Drulia was born in Elmira, New York, but grew up in Fort Erie, Ontario. He was drafted in the eleventh round, 214th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1986 NHL entry draft. He played 126 games in the National Hockey League, all with the Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring 15 goals and 27 assists.

Drulia played junior ice hockey in the Ontario Hockey League with the Belleville Bulls, Hamilton Steelhawks, and the Niagara Falls Thunder. Drulia holds the OHL record for most career points with 479. Drulia won the Jim Mahon Memorial Trophy as the top scoring right winger, and the Leo Lalonde Memorial Trophy as overage Player of the Year in the 1988–89 OHL season.

While playing in the International Hockey League, Drulia won the Turner Cup playing for the Atlanta Knights and was playoff MVP winning the Norman R. "Bud" Poile Trophy in 1993–94. Drulia won another Turner Cup in 1996–97 with the Detroit Vipers. Drulia won the Poile Trophy again in 1997–98 with the Detroit Vipers, even though the Vipers lost in 7 games to the Chicago Wolves.

Personal life

After his playing career, Drulia has served as head coach of the Orlando Seals of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League, the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL, and the Port Huron Icehawks of the International Hockey League. On July 1, 2010, Drulia was named head coach of the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, but was fired only seventeen games into the next season, despite a second place finish and a berth in the league semi-finals. He was then hired by the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL as an assistant coach, and served for seven seasons.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1984–85 Belleville Bulls OHL 63 24 31 55 33 14 5 4 9 17 1985–86 Belleville Bulls OHL 66 43 37 80 73 24 4 11 15 15 1986–87 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 55 27 51 78 26 9 4 4 8 2 1987–88 Hamilton Steelhawks OHL 65 52 69 121 44 14 8 16 24 12 1988–89 Maine Mariners AHL 3 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1988–89 Niagara Falls Thunder OHL 47 52 93 145 59 17 11 26 37 18 1989–90 Cape Breton Oilers AHL 31 5 7 12 2 — — — — — 1989–90 Phoenix Roadrunners IHL 16 6 3 9 2 — — — — — 1990–91 Knoxville Cherokees ECHL 64 63 77 140 39 3 3 2 5 4 1991–92 New Haven Nighthawks AHL 77 49 53 102 46 5 2 4 6 4 1992–93 Atlanta Knights IHL 47 28 26 54 38 3 2 3 5 4 1992–93 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 24 2 1 3 10 — — — — — 1993–94 Atlanta Knights IHL 79 54 60 114 70 14 13 12 25 8 1994–95 Atlanta Knights IHL 66 41 49 90 60 5 1 5 6 2 1995–96 Atlanta Knights IHL 75 38 56 94 80 3 0 2 2 18 1996–97 Detroit Vipers IHL 73 33 38 71 42 21 5 21 26 14 1997–98 Detroit Vipers IHL 58 25 35 60 50 15 2 4 6 16 1998–99 Detroit Vipers IHL 82 23 52 75 64 11 5 4 9 10 1999–00 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 68 11 22 33 24 — — — — — 2000–01 Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 34 2 4 6 18 — — — — — NHL totals 126 15 27 42 52 — — — — —