Nick Vitucci

Last updated

Nick Vitucci
Born (1967-06-16) June 16, 1967 (age 56)
Welland, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for AHL
Binghamton Rangers
Hershey Bears
Maine Mariners
IHL
Peoria Rivermen
ECHL
Greenville Grrrowl
Toledo Storm
Charlotte Checkers
Hampton Roads Admirals
Greensboro Monarchs
Winston-Salem Thunderbirds
Carolina Thunderbirds
RHI
New Jersey Rockin' Rollers
Buffalo Wings
Empire State Cobras
Buffalo Stampede
NHL Draft Undrafted
Playing career 1988–2001

Nick Vitucci (born June 16, 1967) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender. He was the head coach of the ECHL's Toledo Walleye from 2009 to 2014. In 2008, Vitucci was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame. [1]

Contents

Playing career

During his playing career, Vitucci spent most of his time in the ECHL, but had numerous call ups including stints in the IHL with the Peoria Rivermen and in the AHL with the Maine Mariners, Hershey Bears, and Binghamton Rangers. Vitucci also spent several summers in the RHI, with the Buffalo Stampede, Empire State Cobras, Buffalo Wings, and the New Jersey Rockin' Rollers. During his career in the ECHL, Vitucci won four Riley Cups in 1989, 1990, 1994 and 1996 and was named the Finals Most Valuable Player on two occasions (1989 and 1996), one of only two players in the league's history to do so, and Goaltender of the Year in 1998. Vitucci spent at least some time in all of his 13 years of professional hockey in the ECHL and when he retired in 2001 Vitucci left as the league's career record holder in games played, minutes played, wins, most 20 win seasons, most 30 win seasons, and most losses. [2]

Vitucci is the only goaltender in the history of professional hockey to be credited with a goal against a guarded net. In the 1996 season, while playing for the Charlotte Checkers, Vitucci shot the puck up the ice toward opposing goaltender Alain Morissette of the Louisville RiverFrogs. Morissette stopped the puck outside the goal, but spun and shot it into his own net while attempting a pass. As the most recent Checkers player to touch the puck, Vitucci was awarded a point scored against an opposing goalie—a unique feat in hockey history for any goaltender. [3]

In 2008, Vitucci was inducted into the ECHL Hall of Fame. Vitucci was joined by ECHL founder Henry Brabham, the league's first commissioner Patrick J. Kelly, and defenceman Chris Valicevic as members of the Hall of Fame's inaugural class. [4]

Career statistics

Season TeamLeagueGPWLTMINGA SO GAA SV%
1985–86 Toronto Marlboros OHL 20–––120310805.39–
1986–87 Toronto MarlborosOHL40–––245621305.20–
1988–89 Carolina Thunderbirds ECHL 22119012389614.65.873
1989–90 Winston-Salem Thunderbirds ECHL64203602804.67.856
1989–90 Greensboro Monarchs ECHL281095149611404.57.891
1990–91 Greensboro MonarchsECHL4122162222514213.83.898
1991–92 Greensboro MonarchsECHL422882235813603.46.903
1991–92 Maine Mariners AHL 100165302.77.880
1991–92 Hershey Bears AHL42101911504.71.848
1992–93 Hampton Roads Admirals ECHL29177316698513.06.911
1992–93 Peoria Rivermen IHL 83412792703.38.895
1993–94 Toledo Storm ECHL27156415329303.64.892
1993–94Peoria RivermenIHL113414223504.98.850
1994–95 Toledo StormECHL5635163327317633.23.906
1995–96 Charlotte Checkers ECHL4832133279316403.52.891
1996–97 Charlotte CheckersECHL3620104202811703.46.902
1996–97 Binghamton Rangers AHL2002129904.18.875
1997–98 Toledo StormECHL4927165282613022.76.918
1998–99 Greenville Grrrowl ECHL329174185510303.33.896
1999–00 Greenville GrrrowlECHL34219219167912.47.915
2000–01 Greenville GrrrowlECHL291412217199113.18.895
AHL totals62133852704.21–
IHL totals196827016205.31–
ECHL totals47926515041272881554103.42–
OHL totals60–––365932105.26–

Coaching career

Vitucci began his career as a coach during the 1994–95 season when he took up assistant coaching duties while playing for the Toledo Storm. Vitucci would have a second stint as a player/assistant coach during his final year as a player with the Greenville Grrrowl.

In 2002, Vitucci returned to Greenville to be their assistant coach and would leave to fill the assistant coach vacancy in Toledo after the season. Two months into the 2003–04 season, Toledo Storm head coach Steve Harrison was fired and Vitucci, who was his assistant at the time, was tabbed to be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season. At the end of the season, the Storm signed Vitucci to be their permanent replacement for Harrison and has remained the team's coach through the team suspending operations in 2007 in order to construct the new arena.

In February 2008 it was announced he would be retained as the head coach for the Walleye, which will be his fifth season in Toledo. The Storm saw success under Vitucci's tenure as the team made the playoffs in all three years with Vitucci, including a division title in 2006 and reaching the American Conference Finals in the same year. Vitucci would go on to coach the team through the middle of 2014, where he then stepped down to focus on his role as the Director of Hockey Operations. In February 2016, Vitucci left the Walleye organization and returned to the bench as an assistant coach for the Portland Pirates. Since the start of the 2016/2017 season, Vitucci has been a professional scout for the New Jersey Devils. [5]

Coaching statistics

TeamYearRegular SeasonPost Season
GWLTPtsFinishWLWin %Result
Toledo Storm
2003–04 4914278367th in Northern–––Missed Playoffs
2004–05 7241265874th in North13.200Lost in Division Semifinals
2005–06 7246215971st in North76.539Lost in Conference Finals
2006–07 7239303812nd in North03.000Lost in Division Semifinals
Toledo Walleye 2009–10 7235307773rd in North13.250Lost in Conference Quarterfinals
Total33517513228.564915.375

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References

  1. ↑ "The ECHL - Premier 'AA' Hockey League | ECHL announces 2014 Hall of Fame inductees". Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  2. ↑ ECHL Regular Season – Individual Records Archived October 5, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ↑ "Charlotte Checkers 1995-96 roster and statistics". hockeydb.com.
  4. ↑ Monroe, Mark (January 23, 2008). "Vitucci named to ECHL Hall of Fame". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  5. ↑ Vardon, Joe (February 13, 2008). "Ex-Storm coach Vitucci is first hire of next hockey team". Toledo Blade. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
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