John Druce

In March 2016, his daughter Courtney lost her fifth fight with cancer which she battled for over 12 years, after beating leukemia three times and a rare form of cervical cancer once. She has inspired many with her bravery and her openness regarding all aspects of fighting this disease.

Capitals general manager David Poile said, "John Druce was not on the top of my list—anybody's list—to come through the way he did. He came out of nowhere to be the hero." Poile added, "He was not a top player in junior, not a top player in the minors. This is not only a good story today, but a good story for years to come."

Druce was then inspired to join a cycling team to raise money for pediatric cancer research. In 2010, Druce was made an honorary constable of the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service, for his contributions to the Pedal For Hope in helping them surpass $1M. He currently works for Freedom 55 Financial in Peterborough.

After playing, Druce became a junior hockey analyst on Rogers Sportsnet. In 2004, his daughter, Courtney, was diagnosed with leukemia. She relapsed with the disease twice but had been in remission since 2008.

Druce was unable to recapture that playoff magic by the time he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1992. He would also play for the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers, and he would appear in the 1997 Stanley Cup finals with the Flyers team that took on the Detroit Red Wings. He would play two seasons in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga before retiring from active play.

During the 1989–90 NHL season, his regular season statistics would continue to be unspectacular (8 goals in 45 games), but during the playoffs he exploded for 14 goals (a club record until 2018) and helped guide the Capitals to their first conference finals appearance.

Drafted in 1985 by the Washington Capitals in the second round (40th overall), Druce had a couple of modest seasons before scoring 32 goals for the Binghamton Whalers of the AHL in 1987-88 season. He would not make the Capitals roster until the 1988–89 NHL season, where he was usually a fourth-line defensive specialist.

At the time, Druce's total of nine goals in a playoff series put him in a five-way tie for third on the alltime list for goals scored in a playoff series, behind Jari Kurri (with 12, for the Edmonton Oilers in 1985) and Tim Kerr (with 10, for the Philadelphia Flyers in 1989).

As a youth, he played in the 1979 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Peterborough.

John W. Druce (born February 23, 1966) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers