Bruce Driver
Encyclopedia
Bruce Douglas Driver is a former professional ice hockey
defenceman
who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League
from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Driver possessed a strong point shot, heady offensive instincts, smart positional defensive play, and a good stick with which he was adept at poke checking. A natural leader, Driver served as Devils' captain
and also became a power play quarterback as his career blossomed, registering many of his goals and points with the man advantage. He won the 1995 Stanley Cup as a member of the Devils
, before moving on to the New York Rangers
the following season.
Driver was drafted in the 6th round (108th overall) by the then Colorado Rockies
in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
.
Driver has been a resident of Montville, New Jersey. He plays hockey as a goalie in an adult recreational league in New Jersey and coaches a girls high school hockey team at Morristown-Beard School
that won states in the 2006–07 season. He was also the girls high school hockey coach of the year in New Jersey in 2006–07.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
who played 15 seasons 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...
from 1983–84 until 1997–98. Driver possessed a strong point shot, heady offensive instincts, smart positional defensive play, and a good stick with which he was adept at poke checking. A natural leader, Driver served as Devils' captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
and also became a power play quarterback as his career blossomed, registering many of his goals and points with the man advantage. He won the 1995 Stanley Cup as a member of the 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...
, before moving on to 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...
the following season.
Driver was drafted in the 6th round (108th overall) by the then Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
.
Driver has been a resident of Montville, New Jersey. He plays hockey as a goalie in an adult recreational league in New Jersey and coaches a girls high school hockey team at Morristown-Beard School
Morristown-Beard School
Morristown-Beard School is a coeducational college-preparatory day school, serving students in sixth through twelfth grade, located in Morristown, in Morris County, New Jersey. Morristown-Beard School is the product of the 1971 merger of two institutions, Miss Beard's School for girls, founded in...
that won states in the 2006–07 season. He was also the girls high school hockey coach of the year in New Jersey in 2006–07.
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 | ||
| 1979–80 | Royal York Royals Royal York Royals The Royal York Royals are a defunct Junior "A" ice hockey team from Downsview, Ontario, Canada. They were a part of the Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League.The Downsview Bees started operations in 1971, as part of the Metro Junior B league... |
OPJHL | 43 | 13 | 57 | 70 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | University of Wisconsin | NCAA | 42 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 42 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | University of Wisconsin | NCAA | 46 | 7 | 37 | 44 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | University of Wisconsin | NCAA | 39 | 16 | 34 | 50 | 50 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 1983–84 AHL season The 1983–84 AHL season was the 48th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league initiates two new awards. The Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award is first awarded to the league's "best goaltender." The Jack A... |
Maine Mariners Maine Mariners The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-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... |
12 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 0 | 10 | 10 | 8 | ||
| 1983–84 | 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... |
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... |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Canadian National Team | Intl | 68 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 67 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 40 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 32 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 1985–86 AHL season The 1985–86 AHL season was the 50th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears finished first overall in the regular season... |
Maine Mariners | AHL | 15 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1986–87 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 6 | 28 | 34 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 74 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 68 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 14 | ||
| 1988–89 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 27 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 75 | 7 | 46 | 53 | 63 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 6 | ||
| 1990–91 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 73 | 9 | 36 | 45 | 62 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 1991–92 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 78 | 7 | 35 | 42 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1992–93 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 83 | 14 | 40 | 54 | 66 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1993–94 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 66 | 8 | 24 | 32 | 63 | 20 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | ||
| 1994–95 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 41 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | 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... |
NHL | 66 | 3 | 34 | 37 | 42 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | New York Rangers | NHL | 79 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 48 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | New York Rangers | NHL | 75 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 922 | 96 | 390 | 486 | 670 | 108 | 10 | 40 | 50 | 64 | ||||