Jack Capuano facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jack Capuano |
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Capuano coaching the New York Islanders 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. Jack used to be the head coach for the New York Islanders in the National Hockey League (NHL). Today, he is an associate coach for the Minnesota Wild in the NHL.
Capuano played as a defenseman. He played in the NHL for parts of three seasons in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His older brother, Dave Capuano, also played in the NHL.
Jack Capuano's Playing Career
High School and College Hockey
Jack Capuano played high school hockey at the Kent School in Connecticut. In 1984, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked him in the 5th round of the NHL Entry Draft. He was the 88th player chosen overall.
He then played college hockey at the University of Maine. His younger brother, Dave Capuano, was also on the team. Jack played alongside future NHL players like Eric Weinrich and Bob Beers. He also played with Dave Nonis, who later became a General Manager for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Jack had a great college career. In his junior year, he was named a First-Team All-American. He scored 32 goals during his time at Maine. This is still the most goals ever scored by a defenseman for the Black Bears team.
Turning Professional
Capuano became a professional player in 1988 after his junior year of college. He signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His first season was with the Newmarket Saints in the AHL. He scored 21 points in 74 games.
For the 1989–90 season, he made it onto the Maple Leafs' NHL team. However, he only played in 1 game before another player returned, and Jack was sent back to the AHL. He felt he belonged in the NHL and asked for a trade.
Toronto traded Capuano to the New York Islanders during that same season. But the Islanders also sent him to their AHL team. He played only 17 games in the Islanders' system before being traded again. This time, he went to the Vancouver Canucks.
Best Professional Season
Capuano had his best professional season in 1990–91. He played for the Milwaukee Admirals, which was Vancouver's minor-league team. He scored 20 goals and 50 points. He was named a 2nd-team All-Star in the IHL.
He was called up to play three games for the Vancouver Canucks. This gave him the chance to play with his brother, Dave. They were the first brothers in Canucks history to play for the team at the same time.
Retirement from Playing
Capuano signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent for the 1991–92 season. He had another strong 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.
Jack Capuano's Coaching Career
Early Coaching Roles
After he stopped playing, 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 ECHL's Pee Dee Pride. A year later, he also became the General Manager (GM) for the team. He stopped coaching in 1999 but stayed on as GM until 2005, when the team closed down.
New York Islanders and Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Capuano then joined the New York Islanders as an assistant coach for the 2005–06 season. The team played well, but they did not make the playoffs. The next season, 2006–07, Capuano became an assistant coach for the Islanders' AHL team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. On April 30, 2007, he was named the head coach of the Sound Tigers.
Head Coach of the New York Islanders
On November 15, 2010, Capuano became the interim head coach of the Islanders. This happened after the previous coach, Scott Gordon, was fired. The team was on a 10-game losing streak at the time. The Islanders kept Capuano as their full-time coach for the 2011–12 season.
Capuano led the Islanders to the playoffs in 2013. This was their first playoff appearance in six years. On April 27, 2016, during a playoff game, Capuano was hit by a puck. On January 17, 2017, the Islanders decided to let Capuano go from his head coach position.
Later Coaching Roles
In the 2017-18 and 2018–19 seasons, Capuano worked as an associate coach for the Florida Panthers. On June 6, 2019, he was named associate coach of the Ottawa Senators. He stayed in this role through the 2023-24 season. On July 1, 2024, Capuano became an associate coach for the Minnesota Wild.
Awards and Honours
- 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)
- Holds Maine Black Bears record for career goals by a defenseman (32 goals, 1985–88)
- IHL Second All-Star Team (1990–91)
- Coached Team USA/World in ECHL All-Star Game
- Inducted into RI Hockey Hall of Fame (2019)
