Kris Draper

Kristopher "Kris" Draper (born May 24, 1971) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player that played for the Winnipeg Jets (1972-1996) and Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Draper was a four-time winner of the Stanley Cup, a Frank J. Selke Trophy winner and has scored over 100 goals in a Red Wings uniform. Draper was a member of the famous Grind Line in Detroit, consisting of himself, Kirk Maltby and either Joe Kocur or Darren McCarty. The line was reunited with the return of McCarty to the Wings in the 2007–08 season.

Playing career
Drafted 62nd overall in the 1989 Draft by the Winnipeg Jets, Draper did not see much NHL action in his early years. He is a rarity in that he played in the American Hockey League (AHL) and NHL before playing junior in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). After playing just 20 games in the 4 seasons since he was drafted, he was traded to Detroit in 1993 for a dollar. Draper would quickly become a valuable fixture in Detroit's rotation, and he began his reputation as the "One Dollar Man."

On May 29, 1996, during game six of the Western Conference Finals of the 1996 playoffs, Draper was checked from behind into the boards at the end of the players bench by Colorado Avalanche player Claude Lemieux. The hit forced Draper face first into the dasher (the top edge of the boards), causing him to suffer a broken jaw, broken nose, broken cheekbone, and a concussion. When the Wings and Avalanche met again on March 26, 1997, play was very physical between the two teams, and the anger over the injuries to Draper set off a massive brawl between the two teams.

Draper did not have a breakout season offensively until 2003–04, when he scored 24 goals and 40 points, helping Detroit win the Presidents' Trophy. Draper won the Selke Trophy at the season's end as best defensive forward. He was named an alternate captain during the 2006–07 season. Draper was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2006 Olympics. On October 25, 2007 Draper signed a three-year, $4.75-million contract extension with the team. He will earn $1.85 million in 2008–09, $1.65 million in 2009–10, and $1.25 million in the 2010-11 campaign—for a salary cap hit value up $1.58-million.

On March 17, 2009, Draper became the fifth person to play 1,000 games in a Red Wing uniform—a feat accomplished only by Gordie Howe, Alex Delvecchio, Steve Yzerman, and Nicklas Lidström.

Awards

 * Stanley Cup (Detroit Red Wings) – 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008
 * Frank J. Selke Trophy – 2004

International play


Played for Canada in:
 * National team program 1988–89 and 1989–90
 * 1989 World Junior Championships
 * 1990 World Junior Championships
 * 2000 World Championships
 * 2001 World Championships
 * 2003 World Championships (gold medal)
 * 2004 World Cup of Hockey (gold medal)
 * 2005 World Championships (silver medal)