Chris Drury, one of Little League’s most distinguished alums, and current Little League® International Board member, has been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
In 1989, at the 43rd Little League Baseball® World Series, Mr. Drury’s Trumbull National Little League (Conn.) defeated Chinese Taipei, 5-2 to win the world championship. Mr. Drury was the winning pitcher, allowing just two runs on five hits. His plate performance was just an impressive, collecting two hits in three at-bats, driving in two runs, and stealing a base.
Following his Little League career, Mr. Drury, a talented multi-sport athlete, focused on hockey. In high-school (Connecticut’s Fairfield Prep), Mr. Drury received all-state honors, and won a state title. Considered a top national amateur player, Mr. Drury accepted a collegiate scholarship to play hockey at Boston University (BU). While at BU, Mr. Drury won a national championship (1995), was a two-time Hockey East Player of the Year, was honored with the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, and was a two-time recipient of USA Hockey’s College Player of the Year Award (1997, 1998). At BU, Mr. Drury amassed 214 points in 155 games and is still today the school’s all-time leading goal scorer with 113.
After his four-year career at Boston University, Mr. Drury entered the professional ranks. He started his career with Colorado in 1998-99 and earned the Calder Memorial Trophy that season as the league’s top rookie. The forward spent three more campaigns with the Avalanche and helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 2001 by contributing 11 postseason goals, the second most in that year’s playoffs. Over his 12 year career in the NHL, Mr. Drury played with the Avalanche, Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers.
With all of his accomplishments collegiately and professionally, Mr. Drury credits his Little League experience with setting the stage for a successful career.
“Playing Little League molded me,” said Mr. Drury. “I had so many good coaches in Little League. They taught me about sportsmanship, and Little League is where I really learned to compete.”
In 2009, Mr. Drury was enshrined into Little League’s Hall of Excellence, an annual recognition of a Little League graduate who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in their chosen profession and exemplifies the values learned as children in Little League Baseball or Softball. In 2011, Mr. Drury was elected to Little League International’s Board of Directors.
“On behalf of everyone in the Little League family, I’d like to congratulate Chris Drury for being elected into U.S. Hockey’s Hall of Fame,” said Stephen D. Keener, President and Chief Executive Officer of Little League Baseball and Softball. “His success on and off the ice as well as the ballfield is the result of hard work, and commitment to team. When Chris was in Williamsport as a player in 1989, he showed a passion for the game, and a good-hearted nature other players gravitated to. He continues to give back to our program as a member of our Board, and I was so proud when it was announced that he was entering U.S. Hockey’s Hall.”
Joining Mr. Drury as members of the 2015 Hall of Fame include Ron DeGregorio (Salem, N.H.), Angela Ruggiero (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Mathieu Schneider (New York, N.Y.).