Jack Capuano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Capuano |
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Capuano in 2013
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| Born | July 7, 1966 Cranston, Rhode Island, U.S. |
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Toronto Maple Leafs Vancouver Canucks Boston Bruins |
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| Coached for | New York Islanders | ||
| NHL Draft | 88th overall, 1984 Toronto Maple Leafs |
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| Playing career | 1988–1992 | ||
Jack C. Capuano Jr. was born on July 7, 1966. He is an American ice hockey coach and a former player. He used to be the head coach for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League (NHL). Today, he works as an associate coach for the Minnesota Wild, also in the NHL. Capuano played as a defenseman for a few seasons in the NHL during the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is the older brother of another former NHL player, Dave Capuano.
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Playing Hockey
High School and College Years
Jack Capuano started playing hockey in high school at the Kent School in Connecticut. He was chosen by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL Draft. This meant they had the rights to sign him to play for their team later.
He then played college hockey at the University of Maine. There, he played with his younger brother, Dave Capuano. He also played alongside future NHL stars and a future General Manager for the Maple Leafs. Jack had a great college career. He was named a First-Team All-American in his third year. He scored 32 goals as a defenseman, which is still a record for the Black Bears team.
Turning Professional
After college, Jack became a professional player in 1988. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He spent his first season playing for their minor league team, the Newmarket Saints. He scored 21 points in 74 games.
In the 1989–90 season, he played one game for the Maple Leafs in the NHL. But he was soon sent back to the minor leagues. He felt he should be in the NHL and asked for a trade.
NHL Teams and Minor Leagues
Toronto traded Capuano to the New York Islanders during that same season. However, the Islanders also sent him to their minor league team. After playing only 17 games in their system, he was traded again, this time to the Vancouver Canucks.
His best professional season was in 1990–91. He played for the Milwaukee Admirals, which was Vancouver's minor league team. He scored 20 goals and 50 points and was named a 2nd-team All-Star in the IHL. He also got to play three games for the Canucks. During this time, he played with his brother Dave. They were the first brothers to play for the Canucks at the same time.
Capuano later signed with the Boston Bruins for the 1991–92 season. He had another good season in the AHL. He also played two more NHL games with the Bruins. At the end of that season, he decided to retire from playing. He played a total of 6 NHL games in his career.
Coaching Career
Early Coaching Roles
After he stopped playing, Jack Capuano became a coach. He started as an assistant coach for the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks in the ECHL. In 1997, he became the head coach of the Pee Dee Pride, also in the ECHL. A year later, he also became their General Manager. He stopped coaching in 1999 but stayed on as GM until 2005, when the team closed down.
With the New York Islanders
In the 2005–06 season, Capuano became an assistant coach for the New York Islanders. The team played well, but they did not make the playoffs. The next season, 2006–07, he became an assistant coach for the Islanders' minor league team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. On April 30, 2007, he was named the head coach of the Sound Tigers.
On November 15, 2010, Capuano became the interim head coach of the Islanders. This happened after the previous coach was let go because the team had lost 10 games in a row. The Islanders kept Capuano as their full-time coach for the 2011–12 season. In 2013, Capuano led the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time in six years!
During a playoff game in 2016, Jack Capuano was hit by a puck. On January 17, 2017, the Islanders decided to make a change and Capuano was no longer their head coach.
Recent Coaching Roles
After leaving the Islanders, Capuano worked as an associate coach for the Florida Panthers in 2017-18 and 2018–19.
On June 6, 2019, he became an associate coach for the Ottawa Senators. He stayed with them until the 2023-24 season.
Most recently, on July 1, 2024, Jack Capuano was named an associate coach for the Minnesota Wild.
Awards and Honours
Jack Capuano received several awards and honors during his hockey career:
- All-Hockey East Second Team (1986–87)
- All-Hockey East First Team (1987–88)
- AHCA East First-Team All-American (1987–88)
- Hockey East All-Tournament Team (1988)
- He holds the record for the most career goals by a defenseman for the Maine Black Bears (32 goals, from 1985–88).
- He was named to the IHL Second All-Star Team (1990–91).
- He coached Team USA/World in the ECHL All-Star Game.
- He was inducted into the Rhode Island Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019.
