Frank Caprice

Last updated
Frank Caprice
Born (1962-04-02) April 2, 1962 (age 61)
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 150 lb (68 kg; 10 st 10 lb)
Position Goaltender
Caught Left
Played for Vancouver Canucks
NHL Draft 178th overall, 1981
Vancouver Canucks
Playing career 1982–1999

Francis J. Caprice (born April 2, 1962) [1] is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who spents parts of six seasons with the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League in the 1980s. After his time with the Canucks Caprice played mainly in Italy and the United Kingdom, retiring in 1999.

Contents

Playing career

Caprice was Vancouver's ninth round selection (178th overall) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. In the year following his selection, he improved his stock greatly, winning 24 games for the London Knights and representing Canada at the 1982 World Junior Championships. He won all three of his starts at the World Juniors, helping Canada to the gold medal. Following the season, he signed with the Canucks and turned pro.

Caprice spent most of his first pro season in the AHL, although he did make his NHL debut, playing the 3rd period in a blowout to the Los Angeles Kings. Caprice's big opportunity came in the 1983–84, when the Canucks' starting goalie Richard Brodeur was injured. In his starting debut against the Edmonton Oilers on Hockey Night in Canada , Caprice earned first-star honours in a 3-2 Canucks victory. He posted a solid 8-8-1 mark with a 3.34 GAA, the best performance of any of the three Canuck goalies that year.

Based on his fine performance in 1983–84, Caprice was given a chance to usurp Brodeur as the Canucks' starter in 1984–85, although he struggled and then tore his hamstring, causing him to miss three months of action. He finished the season with an 8-14-3 mark and 4.81 GAA in 28 appearances, and never seriously challenged for the #1 spot again.

In 1985–86, Caprice again struggled, posting an 0-3-2 record and terrible 5.45 GAA in 7 appearances, and was demoted to the AHL in favour of Wendell Young. However, he reclaimed the backup job in 1986–87, and posted a 3.84 GAA in 25 appearances, his best since his rookie year. In 1987–88, he appeared in 22 games backing up 21-year-old Kirk McLean as the aging Brodeur was relegated to 11 appearances.

In 1988–89, Caprice was relegated to the IHL as the Canucks decided to go with a goaltending tandem of McLean and Steve Weeks. For the 1989–90 season, Caprice was dealt to the Boston Bruins for a ninth round pick. However, he spent the entire season in the minors and was released at the end of the year.

Following his release from the Bruins, Caprice spent most of the 1990s playing in Italy and later in Britain with the Cardiff Devils, before retiring in 1999 and returning to his hometown of Hamilton. He came out of retirement in 2001 to represent the Dundas, Ontario team at the 2001 Allan Cup.

In 1993, Caprice played for the Vancouver VooDoo of Roller Hockey International.

Caprice appeared in 102 NHL games over 6 NHL seasons, posting a 31-46-11 record with a 4.19 GAA and one shutout.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGPWLTMINGA SO GAA SV% GPWLMINGASOGAASV%
1979–80 London Knights OMJHL 183739197414.84—311941004.50—
1980–81 London Knights OHL 4211260217119005.25—————————
1981–82 London KnightsOHL4524172261419604.50—4132401804.50—
1981–82 Dallas Black Hawks CHL 30301781906.40—————————
1982–83 Vancouver Canucks NHL 100019309.52.625————————
1982–83 Fredericton Express AHL 145818195003.67—————————
1983–84 Vancouver CanucksNHL1988210946213.40.882————————
1983–84 Fredericton ExpressAHL18115210894922.70—————————
1984–85 Vancouver CanucksNHL288143151312204.84.850————————
1985–86 Vancouver CanucksNHL70323082805.46.819————————
1985–86 Fredericton ExpressAHL2612112152610904.29—6243332203.96—
1986–87 Vancouver CanucksNHL25811213868803.81.863————————
1986–87 Fredericton ExpressAHL125506864704.11—————————
1987–88 Vancouver CanucksNHL22710212468704.19.861————————
1988–89 Milwaukee Admirals IHL 3924120220414323.89—20191503.30—
1989–90 Maine Mariners AHL102615504605.02—————————
1989–90 Milwaukee AdmiralsIHL2086310987804.26—3021421004.23—
1992–93 HC Gardena ITA 19———114093—4.89—————————
1993–94 HC GardenaITA22———1204100—4.98—————————
1994–95 HC GardenaITA10————————————————
1995–96 HC GardenaITA36———1678100—3.58—————————
1996–97 Cardiff Devils BISL 77004301411.95—1——60303.00—
1997–98 Cardiff DevilsBISL8———4801612.00—2——1204—2.00—
1994–95 HC GardenaITA10————————————————
1998–99 Corpus Christi IceRays WPHL 159518474803.40.883————————
1998–99 Ayr Scottish Eagles BISL72503912403.49—4032101103.14—
NHL totals102314611556739014.20.859————————

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto Luongo</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1979)

Roberto Luongo is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New York Islanders, Florida Panthers, and the Vancouver Canucks. In 2022, Luongo was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Luongo is a two-time NHL All-Star and a winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy for backstopping his team to the lowest goals against average in the league. He was a finalist for several awards, including the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender, the Lester B. Pearson Award as the top player voted by his peers, and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player (2007). Luongo is second all time in games played as an NHL goaltender (1,044) and fourth all time in wins (489). He employed the butterfly style of goaltending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orland Kurtenbach</span> Canadian ice hockey player and coach

Orland John Kurtenbach is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. A centre notable for his defensive skill and as one of the toughest fighters in the game, he played for several National Hockey League (NHL) teams during his twenty professional seasons, principally the Vancouver Canucks, with whom he became the NHL franchise's inaugural captain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Raycroft</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Andrew Joseph Ernest Raycroft is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Originally drafted by the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) 135th overall in 1998, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy with the club in 2004 as rookie of the year. Raycroft has also played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars, Hockey Milano Rossoblu and IF Björklöven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk McLean</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Kirk Alan McLean is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers. He played in the style of a stand-up goaltender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Cloutier</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1976)

Daniel Cloutier is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. In his 10-year National Hockey League (NHL) career, Cloutier played with the New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings, spending the majority of his career in Vancouver. He employed a combination of both butterfly and stand-up goaltending and was known for wearing the uncommon birdcage style helmet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Thomas (ice hockey, born 1974)</span> American ice hockey player

Timothy Thomas Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who mainly played in the National Hockey League (NHL), most notably with the Boston Bruins.

Robert Earle Essensa is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former goaltender who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Since 2003, he has served as the goaltending coach for the Boston Bruins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Schaefer (ice hockey)</span> Canadian ice hockey player

Peter Schaefer is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks. During his playing career, he was best known as a two-way forward. After his playing career, Schaefer most recently served as head coach, general manager and president of the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cory Schneider</span> American ice hockey goaltender

Cory Franklin Schneider is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. He played for the Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Robert Thomas Mason is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender. During his career he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks, while also playing for several teams in the minor American Hockey League and International Hockey League, in a career that lasted from 1984 to 1995. With the Capitals he played in the Easter Epic, a 1987 NHL playoff game. Internationally Mason played for the American national team at the 1984 Winter Olympics. Mason is the former goaltending coach of the Minnesota Wild.

Stephen K. Weeks is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Weeks played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers, Hartford Whalers, Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, and Ottawa Senators. Weeks was drafted by the Rangers in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft and made his NHL debut with the Rangers in 1981. Internationally, he played for the Canadian national team at the 1985 World Championships, winning a silver medal.

Michael Fountain is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Ottawa Senators. He also played several seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL), as well as in the Russian Superleague. Since retiring as a player, he became an Assistant Coach for the Team Canada Para Hockey Team.

Duncan Shepherd Wilson was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who spent ten seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1969 and 1979, with the Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. Wilson made his NHL debut with Philadelphia in 1970, and then spent three seasons with the expansion Canucks. Traded to Toronto in 1973, he played part of two seasons there before going to New York in 1975, and then to Pittsburgh for two seasons before finishing his NHL career with the Canucks in 1979.

Douglas Frederick Keans is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who played nine seasons in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings and Boston Bruins between 1980 and 1988.

Mike Stevens is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 23 games in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Stevens spent the bulk of his career in the minor American Hockey League, and also spent time in the International Hockey League and Deutsche Eishockey Liga. He is the younger brother of Scott Stevens, who was also played in the NHL and inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Jean-Marc Lanthier is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who spent parts of four seasons in the National Hockey League for the Vancouver Canucks during the mid-1980s. He also played several years in the minor American Hockey League, and retired in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Bachman (ice hockey)</span> American ice hockey player (born 1987)

Richard Harrison Bachman is an American former professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently the goaltending coach for the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL). He played two seasons of college ice hockey at Colorado College before enjoying a career in the National Hockey League with the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. Bachman was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but grew up in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

The 1983–84 Vancouver Canucks season was the team's 14th in the National Hockey League (NHL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Braden Holtby</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1989)

Braden Holtby is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected in the fourth round, 93rd overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Capitals, with whom he spent the first ten seasons of his career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Läck</span> Swedish ice hockey player and coach

Eddie Läck is a Swedish former professional ice hockey goaltender. He serves as an assistant head coach of the Arizona State Sun Devils, and is also currently a real estate agent in the Scottsdale, Arizona region. Läck, a goaltender, played in Sweden for Leksands IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan and Brynäs IF of the Elitserien before moving to the National Hockey League (NHL) where he played for the Vancouver Canucks, Carolina Hurricanes, Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils. After going undrafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, he signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks in 2010. He was assigned to the Manitoba Moose in his first season with the Canucks organization and was named to the American Hockey League's 2010–11 All-Rookie Team. He is nicknamed "The Stork", in reference to his tall stature and long legs.

References

  1. ↑ Cole, Stephen (2006). The Canadian Hockey Atlas . Doubleday Canada. ISBN   978-0-385-66093-8.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.