Craig Wolanin

Craig Wolanin
Born	(1967-07-27) July 27, 1967 Grosse Pointe, Michigan, U.S.
Occupation	Professional ice hockey defenseman (retired)
Years active	1985–1999
Known for	NHL defenseman for New Jersey Devils, Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs; Stanley Cup champion (1996)

Craig William Wolanin (born July 27, 1967) is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who competed in the National Hockey League for 13 seasons, spanning from 1985 through 1998.

Early career

Originating from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, Wolanin participated in the 1980 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament as a member of the Detroit Paddock minor hockey team.

He played one season within the Compuware program, tallying eight goals, 42 assists, and accumulating 86 penalty minutes, contributing to the team's victory in the Michigan AAA state championship. To face stiffer competition and enhance his draft status, Wolanin transitioned to the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League, where he recorded five goals, 16 assists, and 95 penalty minutes. His defensive capabilities established him as a prominent candidate for the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.

New Jersey Devils

Wolanin was chosen third overall by the New Jersey Devils during the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut on October 10, 1985, against the Philadelphia Flyers, setting a franchise record as the youngest player at 18 years and two months old. Throughout his rookie campaign, he appeared in 44 games, notching two goals, 16 assists, and amassing 74 penalty minutes.

In his sophomore season, Wolanin cemented his position within the Devils’ defensive unit, contributing four goals, six assists, and accumulating 109 penalty minutes. He frequently partnered with Ken Daneyko in the following year. A highlight of his tenure was scoring the franchise’s inaugural playoff goal during Game 1 of the 1988 Wales Conference Quarterfinals.

His final full season with New Jersey was marred by injuries and uneven performance. After spending time on injured reserve and limited appearances early in the 1989–90 season, he was assigned to the Devils’ affiliate team, the Utica Devils. Seeking increased ice time, Wolanin requested a trade and was subsequently traded on March 6, 1990—alongside future considerations (Randy Velischek)—to the Quebec Nordiques in exchange for Peter Stastny.

Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche

Wolanin secured a consistent role on the Nordiques’ blue line and became recognized for his defensive prowess and ability to clear opposing players from in front of the net. He reached a career-high by playing in 80 games during the 1990–91 NHL season and represented the United States men's national ice hockey team at the 1991 IIHF World Championship. His participation diminished in later seasons due to injuries.

Prior to the 1995–96 season, the Nordiques relocated to Denver and were renamed the Colorado Avalanche. During his sole season with Colorado, Wolanin achieved his best statistical output with seven goals and 20 assists over 75 games. The Avalanche captured the Stanley Cup that year; however, Wolanin appeared in only seven playoff matches. A critical turnover during Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals resulted in him being benched for the remainder of postseason play. Despite limited playoff involvement, his regular-season contributions qualified him to have his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

Later career

On June 21, 1996, Wolanin was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a second-round pick in the 1998 draft (Ramzi Abid). His tenure with Tampa Bay included just 15 games plagued by injury issues and inconsistent form. The Lightning then dealt him to the Toronto Maple Leafs on February 1, 1997, receiving a third-round pick in return for 1998 (Alex Henry). Over two seasons with Toronto, Wolanin participated in 33 games but missed much of the 1997–98 season due to a knee injury. After failing to secure an NHL contract for 1998–99, he played briefly with the IHL's Detroit Vipers, appearing in 16 games and recording five assists before retiring from professional hockey.

Personal life

During his tenure with the Nordiques, Wolanin met his future wife. Together, they have three children, including their son, Christian Wolanin, who is a player for the Vancouver Canucks. The family currently lives in Rochester, Michigan. On June 26, 2025, Wolanin was honored by being inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame located in Troy, Michigan, as part of the Class of 2025.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1983–84	Detroit Compuware Ambassadors	MNHL		69	8	42	50	86		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Kitchener Rangers	OHL		60	5	16	21	95		4	1	1	2	2
1985–86	New Jersey Devils	NHL		44	2	16	18	74		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	New Jersey Devils	NHL		68	4	6	10	109		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	New Jersey Devils	NHL		78	6	25	31	170		18	2	5	7	51
1988–89	New Jersey Devils	NHL		56	3	8	11	69		—	—	—	—	—
1989–90	Utica Devils	American Hockey League		6	2	4	6	2
1989–90 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL |37 |1 |7 |8 |47 |— |— |— |— |— |-	Quebec Nordiques |NHL |13 |0 |3 |3 |10 |— |— |— |— |— |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"	1990–91 NHL season |Quebec Nordiques |NHL |80 |5 |13 |18 |89 |— |— |— |— |— |-		1991–92 NHL season |Quebec Nordiques |NHL |69 |2 |11 |13 |80 |— |— |— |— |— |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0"	1992–93 NHL season |Quebec Nordiques |NHL |24 |1 |4 |5 |49 |4 |0 |0 |0 |4 |- 1993–94 NHL season Quebec Nordiques NHL 63 6 10 16 80 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1994–95 NHL season Quebec Nordiques NHL 40 3 6 9 40 6 1 1 2 4 |- 1995–96 NHL season Colorado Avalanche NHL 75 7 20 27 50 7 1 0 1 8 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1996–97 NHL season Tampa Bay Lightning NHL 15 0 0 0 8 — — — — — |- 1996–97 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 23 0 4 4 13 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1997–98 NHL season Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 10 0 0 0 6 — — — — — |- 1998–99 IHL season Detroit Vipers IHL 16 0 5 5 21 11 0 0 0 12 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"	NHL totals !695 !40 !133 !173 !894 !35 !4 !6 !10 !67

International

1987 || United States men's national junior ice hockey team || World Junior Ice Hockey Championships || 4th place || ||9 ||0 ||0 ||0 ||32 1991 || United States men's national ice hockey team || Canada Cup || Runner-up || ||8 ||0 ||2 ||2 ||2 1991 || United States || World Ice Hockey Championships || Fourth place ||||10 ||2 ||2 ||4 ||22 1994 || United States || WC || Fourth place||||8||2||1||3||4

Year	Team	Competition	Placement		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
Junior career totals !9 !0 !0 !0 !32
Senior career totals !26 !4 !5 !9 !28