David Van der Gulik explained

Played For:Calgary Flames
Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings
Düsseldorfer EG
Position:Right wing
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:5
Height In:11
Weight Lb:185
Birth Date:20 April 1983
Birth Place:Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
Draft:206th overall
Draft Year:2002
Draft Team:Calgary Flames
Career Start:2006
Career End:2016

David Van der Gulik (born April 20, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger. He was a draft pick of the Calgary Flames, selected 206th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, and appeared in six games with the team in 2008–09 before spending four seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and his last North American season with the Los Angeles Kings.

Playing career

Amateur

As a youth, Van der Gulik played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Abbotsford, British Columbia.[1]

Following three seasons of Junior A hockey as an offensive star with the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Hockey League,[2] Van der Gulik was selected in the seventh round, 206th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Calgary Flames. He then committed to play College hockey for Boston University, and in 2002–03, Van der Gulik scored 10 goals and 20 points in 40 games as a freshman to be named to the Hockey East All-Rookie Team in 2003.[3]

With a slightly undersized physical frame as a winger, Van der Gulik relied on his offensive ability and hardworking mentality to increase his goal totals in each of his sophomore and junior years.[4] Despite persisting with an abdominal injury in the latter part of his junior campaign he failed to heal prior to his senior year with the Terriers in 2005–06.[5] After missing the first few months of the season with the still undiagnosable injury, Van der Gulik was initially a candidate to be red-shirted and receive another year of college eligibility. However, with ambitions to turn pro the following year, the vexing injury subsided, and Van der Gulik set up the winning goal in his return on December 30, 2005 against Merrimack College.[5] In 25 games as co-captain he totaled 22 points including scoring 2 hat-tricks in the playoffs to help BU progress to the Hockey East finals.[6] Over his four-year Terrier career he amassed 52 goals for 93 points in 141 games and subsequently earned selection in BU's All Decade Team.[7]

Professional

After finishing his collegiate career, Van der Gulik was signed to a two-year entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames on May 22, 2006. Attending Calgary's 2006–07 training camp he was then assigned to American Hockey League affiliate, the Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights to start the year.[8] In his first professional season he led all Knights with 80 games and posted 16 goals for 43 points to help Omaha qualify for their first and only playoff appearance. As a rookie, he also led the team with four short handed goals while also setting an impressive franchise record in Plus/minus (+27).[9] In the 2007–08 season Van der Gulik followed the Knights relocation to Quad City and established himself among the Flames offensive leaders in with 19 goals and 42 points. On a largely underwhelming Quad City team, Van der Gulik proved defensively responsible, finishing as the only Quad City forward in the positive in Plus/minus (+3). On July 1, 2007, he was re-signed as a restricted free agent to a two-year contract by the Flames.[10] Van der Gulik was again reassigned by the Flames to Quad City for the 2008–09 season. Established as an energetic two-way role player he was recalled by Calgary on February 26, 2009 and made his National Hockey League debut, leading Calgary with 6 shots, the following night against the Minnesota Wild.[11] [12] On March 3 he recorded his first NHL point, an assist to set up Warren Peters first NHL goal, in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators.[13] He finished with six games with the Flames, recording two assists.

Van der Gulik spent the entire 2009–10 season in his hometown with new Flames AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Heat, finishing second in scoring with 40 points. After four years within the Flames organization he left following the season, signing as a free agent to a one-year contract with the Colorado Avalanche on July 2, 2010.[14] Following attending the Avalanche's training camp, he was reassigned during the pre-season to the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, to begin the 2010–11 season.[15]

His first NHL goal was scored on November 4, 2010 against Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks.

On July 1, 2014, Van der Gulik ended his four-year tenure with the Avalanche organization to sign a one-year contract as a free agent with the Los Angeles Kings.[16] After attending the Kings training camp, Van der Gulik was assigned to AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs. A month into the 2014–15 season, he was recalled and appeared in his first and only game with the Kings, in a 3-0 shutout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 30, 2014.[17] Upon his return to the AHL, Van der Gulik added a veteran presence in scoring 25 points in 57 games, to contribute in helping the Monarchs capture the Calder Cup.

As a free agent from the Kings in the off-season, Van der Gulik went unsigned over the summer. On November 2, 2015, with little NHL interest, Van der Gulik turned to Europe and signed for the remainder of the season in Germany with Düsseldorfer EG of the DEL.[18]

Career statistics

Team League GP GP G A Pts PIM
1999–2000Abbotsford PilotsPIJHL4135468184
1999–2000Chilliwack ChiefsBCHL40110
2000–01Chilliwack ChiefsBCHL604238806151564
2001–02Chilliwack ChiefsBCHL563862100901381119
2002–03Boston UniversityHE4010102056
2003–04Boston UniversityHE351372074
2004–05Boston UniversityHE4118133148
2005–06Boston UniversityHE2511112226
2006–07AHL801627436960224
2007–08Quad City FlamesAHL8019234262
2008–09Quad City Flames AHL7317193658
2008–09Calgary FlamesNHL60220
2009–10Abbotsford HeatAHL64162440581342610
2010–11Lake Erie MonstersAHL481521362572248
2010–11Colorado AvalancheNHL61232
2011–12Lake Erie MonstersAHL4012162836
2011–12Colorado AvalancheNHL251562
2012–13Lake Erie MonstersAHL6018173558
2012–13Colorado AvalancheNHL90226
2013–14Lake Erie MonstersAHL331392237
2013–14Colorado AvalancheNHL20000
2014–15Manchester MonarchsAHL5711142539142796
2014–15Los Angeles KingsNHL10000
2015–16Düsseldorfer EGDEL16314651018
AHL totals535137170307453408132128
NHL totals492111310

Awards and honours

AwardYear
College
All-Hockey East Rookie Team2002–03
Hockey East All-Tournament Team2006[19]
AHL
Calder Cup (Manchester Monarchs)2015[20]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA. 2018. Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2019-02-11. 2019-03-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf. dead.
  2. Web site: David Van der Gulik player profile . Hockey Hall of Fame . 2010-06-21.
  3. Web site: Hockey East All-Stars . . 2010-08-02 . 2010-08-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110224174357/http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/hea/allstars.php . 2011-02-24 .
  4. Web site: Prospect David Van der Gulik . Hockeysfuture.com . 2010-08-02 . 2010-08-02.
  5. Web site: Rookie rebounds from mystery aliment . . 2006-09-13 . 2010-08-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121109010831/http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/sports/story.html?id=66883839-6cc0-4c73-b1d7-d48fa2d16964&k=96661&p=1 . 2012-11-09 .
  6. Web site: Roundup: Second hat trick propels BU over UNH. . 2006-03-17 . 2010-08-02 .
  7. Web site: Boston University All-Decade Team . . 2010-03-05 . 2010-08-02 . 2010-10-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101018063137/http://www.hockeyeastonline.com/men/features/alldecade/bu.php . dead .
  8. Web site: Flames assign 19 players to Omaha . . 2006-09-17 . 2010-08-02.
  9. Web site: Second season big for Knights . . 2007-05-01 . 2010-08-02.
  10. Web site: Prust, Van der Gulik re-sign with Flames . . 2007-07-01 . 2010-08-02 .
  11. Web site: Cammalleri leads offense as Flames burn Wild to extend winning streak . https://web.archive.org/web/20190213005609/http://www.espn.com/nhl/recap?gameId=290227003 . dead . February 13, 2019 . ESPN . 2009-02-27 . 2010-06-21.
  12. Web site: Fine Debut . . 2009-02-26. 2010-08-02.
  13. Web site: Moss, Iginla lead Flames to 6-3 win over Senators . . 2009-03-03 . 2010-08-02.
  14. Web site: Avalanche signs Quincey, Winnik and six others . . 2010-07-02 . 2010-07-03.
  15. Web site: Avalanche re-assign Goalie Cann, six others . . 2010-09-23 . 2010-09-23.
  16. Web site: Kings sign Adam Cracknell and David Van der Gulik to one-year contracts . . 2014-07-01 . 2014-07-01.
  17. Web site: Fleury, Penguins blank Kings . . 2014-10-30 . 2014-10-30.
  18. Web site: . 2015-11-02 . 2015-11-02 . German . DEG sign forward David Van der Gulik . https://web.archive.org/web/20151210182956/http://www.deg-eishockey.de/aktuelles/news.html?article=682 . 2015-12-10 . dead .
  19. News: 2013-14 Hockey East Media Guide. Hockey East. 2014-05-19.
  20. Web site: Manchester defeats Utica to win Calder Cup . . 2015-06-19 . 2015-06-19.