Stu Kulak

Stuart Alan Kulak (born March 10, 1963) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right wing who spent parts of four seasons in the National Hockey League between 1982 and 1989. Selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1981 NHL entry draft, he played for the Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Quebec Nordiques, and Winnipeg Jets, as well as several teams in the minor leagues.

Playing career Kulak was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He was selected in the third round, 115th overall, by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1981 NHL entry draft from the Victoria Cougars of the WHL. He would make his debut for the team at the age of just 19 in the 1982–83 season, appearing in 4 games and registering a goal and an assist. Considered one of the team's top prospects at this point, his career would go awry the following year when he suffered a serious abdominal injury, which required surgery and forced him to miss almost two seasons.

In 1986–87, Kulak would crack the Canucks' roster out of training camp, appearing in 21 games before being waived and claimed by the Edmonton Oilers. He would be dealt again before the end of the season, this time to the New York Rangers. In what would prove to be his only full NHL season, Kulak registered 4 goals and 2 assists in 54 games between Vancouver, Edmonton, and New York.

Kulak would have stints with the Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets over the next two seasons, but failed to stick full-time. Released by the Jets in 1990, he would spend most of the 1990s in low-end minor pro before finally retiring in 2000.

Kulak appeared in 90 NHL games, registering 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points, along with 130 penalty minutes.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1979–80 Sherwood Park Crusaders AJHL 53 30 23 53 111 — — — — — 1979–80 Victoria Cougars WHL 3 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 1980–81 Victoria Cougars WHL 72 23 24 47 43 15 3 5 8 19 1981–82 Victoria Cougars WHL 71 38 50 88 92 4 1 2 3 43 1982–83 Victoria Cougars WHL 50 29 33 62 130 10 10 9 19 29 1982–83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 4 1 1 2 0 — — — — — 1983–84 Fredericton Express AHL 52 12 16 28 55 5 0 0 0 59 1985–86 Kalamazoo Wings IHL 30 14 8 22 38 2 2 0 2 0 1985–86 Fredericton Express AHL 3 1 0 1 0 6 2 1 3 0 1986–87 Vancouver Canucks NHL 28 1 1 2 37 — — — — — 1986–87 Edmonton Oilers NHL 23 3 1 4 41 — — — — — 1986–87 New York Rangers NHL 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 2 1987–88 Quebec Nordiques NHL 14 1 1 2 28 — — — — — 1987–88 Moncton Hawks AHL 37 9 12 21 58 — — — — — 1988–89 Winnipeg Jets NHL 18 2 0 2 24 — — — — — 1988–89 Moncton Hawks AHL 51 30 29 59 98 10 5 6 11 16 1989–90 Moncton Hawks AHL 56 14 23 37 72 — — — — — 1990–91 Kansas City Blades IHL 47 13 28 41 20 — — — — — 1992–93 Erie Panthers ECHL 21 13 8 21 23 — — — — — 1992–93 Tilburg Trappers NED 16 11 16 27 44 — — — — — 1993–94 Tulsa Oilers CHL 59 17 29 46 101 8 0 0 0 28 1994–95 San Antonio Iguanas CHL 65 30 38 68 97 13 3 3 6 36 1995–96 Reno Renegades WCHL 43 16 25 41 60 3 1 1 2 0 1996–97 Reno Renegades WCHL 36 12 18 30 60 — — — — — 1996–97 New Mexico Scorpions WPHL 5 0 0 0 0 6 1 1 2 8 1997–98 Reno Rage WCHL 63 16 25 41 54 3 3 2 5 4 1998–99 Tucson Gila Monsters WCHL 21 8 15 23 16 — — — — — 1998–99 Phoenix Mustangs WCHL 20 3 15 18 18 — — — — — 1998–99 Fresno Falcons WCHL 9 5 6 11 8 7 2 2 4 6 1999–00 Austin Ice Bats WPHL 42 4 10 14 16 — — — — —NHL totals 70 8 4 12 130 3 0 0 0 2