Gary Robert Shuchuk (born February 17, 1967) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former forward who is currently an assistant coach with Grizzlys Wolfsburg of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1991 and 1996. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1990 to 2004, was spent in the minor leagues and later in Europe. After his playing career Shuchuk turned to coaching and spent several years at the American collegiate level.

Gary Shuchuk
Born (1967-02-17) February 17, 1967 (age 57)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb)
PositionCentre
ShotRight
Played forDetroit Red Wings
Los Angeles Kings
SC Herisau
EC KAC
Düsseldorfer EG
Krefeld Pinguin
NHL draft1988 NHL Supplemental Draft
Detroit Red Wings
Playing career1990–2004

College career

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Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Shuchuk committed to the University of Wisconsin during his second year playing for the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. He played 4 years for the Badgers from 1986-1990. During that time he won a WCHA Championship, an NCAA Championship, and was named a First-Team All-American. During the 1989-1990 Season he accumulated 80 points (41 goals, 39 assists), which currently ranks 6th all time for total points in a season in Wisconsin Hockey history, his 41 goals that season also ranks 4th in the program's history. Other notable historic statistics include: 2nd all time in Wisconsin Hockey program history for number of games played (177 GP), 5th all time in career penalty minutes (314 PIMs), 7th all time in career goals (85 G), and 12th all time in career points (176 pts).

Professional career

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Shuchuk started his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings in 1990. Shuchuk then went to the Los Angeles Kings as part of the Paul Coffey-Jimmy Carson trade,[1] and is probably best known for scoring the game-winning goal for the Kings in double overtime of game 5 of the 1993 Smythe Division finals against the Vancouver Canucks.[2] During the 1993 season, Shuchuk and the Los Angeles Kings made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, before falling to the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games. In addition to his time in the NHL, Shuchuk played in the IHL, and the AHL, with the Adirondack Red Wings, Houston Aeros, Phoenix Roadrunners, and the Orlando Solar Bears. He went on to play in Europe, having played for SC Herisau in the Swiss 1. Liga, for EC KAC in the Austrian Hockey League, as well as Düsseldorfer EG and Krefeld Pinguine of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga. During the 2002-03 DEL season, he captained the Krefeld Pinguine to their first league championship in over 50 years.

International career

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Shuchuk played for Team Canada in the 1990 Goodwill Games winning a Bronze Medal in the process. He also captained Team Canada to a Gold Medal in the 2002 Deutschland Cup. He was once again elected to Team Canada for the 2003 Deutschland Cup.

Coaching career

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Shuchuk was a Player Assistant Coach for the Springfield Falcons for the 2003-04 AHL season. In 2010 he was hired as an Assistant Coach for the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team. He helped the program reach two NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's, as well as winning the 2014 Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament. In 2015 he went on to become an Assistant Coach for the Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team, helping the program win the 2017 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament and securing a spot in the 2017 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.[3] In 2017, he was named the head coach of the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
1984–85St. Albert SaintsAJHL5630316188
1985–86St. Albert SaintsAJHL49424688103
1986–87University of WisconsinWCHA4219113072
1987–88University of WisconsinWCHA447222970
1988–89University of WisconsinWCHA46181937102
1989–90University of WisconsinWCHA4541398070
1990–91Detroit Red WingsNHL6123630000
1990–91Adirondack Red WingsAHL5923244732
1991–92Adirondack Red WingsAHL793248804819491318
1992–93Los Angeles KingsNHL25246161722412
1992–93Adirondack Red WingsAHL4724537766
1993–94Los Angeles KingsNHL5634730
1994–95Los Angeles KingsNHL223696
1994–95Phoenix RoadrunnersIHL13871512
1995–96Los Angeles KingsNHL334101412
1995–96Phoenix RoadrunnersIHL33821297641014
1996–97Houston AerosIHL55182341481352718
1997–98SC HerisauNLA4015334860
1998–99EC KACAUT52203656119
1999–00Orlando Solar BearsIHL7116334994611212
2000–01Düsseldorfer EGDEL5617304762
2001–02Krefeld PinguineDEL601832507030228
2002–03Krefeld PinguineDEL5171320621413434
2003–04Springfield FalconsAHL678212945
NHL totals142132639702022412

Awards and honors

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AwardYear
WCHA Champion1989-90
NCAA Champion1989–90
WCHA Player of the Year1989–90
All-WCHA First Team1989–90
AHCA West First-Team All-American1989–90
Calder Cup Champion1991-1992
Stanley Cup Runner-up1992-1993
DEL Champion2002-2003

References

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Awards and achievements
Preceded by WCHA Most Valuable Player
1989–90
Succeeded by