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NHL Draft Profile: Waterloo's Drury Offers Two-Way Skills, Leadership Traits to NHL Teams

By Joshua Boyd, 06/20/18, 12:00AM EDT

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DALLAS, TX -- There are footsteps to be followed, but Jack Drury is not so much walking in his father’s, but setting a similar path, keeping those footsteps in view. 

Ted Drury was once drafted to the NHL, just as Jack is expected to be this weekend in Dallas. Ted Drury was once captain of Harvard University, and Jack is just about to enroll there and play for the Crimson this fall. Jack has also worn the captain’s C for his teams, most recently the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.


Jack Drury - Courtesy Waterloo Black Hawks

 “I think in terms of my dad being in the NHL, and having seen my dad wearing his hockey jerseys, that’s something special, but I’m trying to create my own path,” said Drury. “For me, the combination of athletics and academics at Harvard is probably second to none, and I’m looking forward to meeting the players.” 

He might also get to meet some future teammates this weekend. Only time (and effort and skill) will tell, but there will be eventual NHL players selected in Dallas. 

As he is ranked 27th among North American Skaters, and The Hockey News has him ranked 48th among all draft prospects, a potential mid-second round selection. 

“To be honest, I try not to focus on [draft rankings] at all, I just try to focus on my process of getting better day by day,” said Drury. 

Just throwing it out there, but his father was taken 42nd overall in 1989 by recent Stanley Cup champion Calgary. As of now, Washington’s picking 46th this year. 

In Waterloo, Drury posted 65 points in the regular season this year, and five points in eight games. Drury believes there’s a lot of tools in his toolbox that a NHL team can use in the future. 

“I think I’m a two-way playmaker who can play both ends, create offense and play in all situations,” Drury added. “I think my hockey IQ is probably my greatest strength. I use it to make plays, I’m pretty strong in the corners and strong on my body. I have to get a little quicker and more explosive.” 

He could also be potential captain material down the road. 

“I think first and foremost it’s work ethic” that led him to his captaincy role in Waterloo. 

“I got to watch my Dad be a captain, and I learned you always work the hardest you can and then some,” Drury said. “It’s also about being a good teammate and caring about the guys on the team, and that’s also made possible by Coach P.K. O’Handley and Coach [Shane] Fukushima.”

Drury was also among the leaders at the NHL Combine. He finished fourth overall in the V02 Max text. 

“It was good to kind of get to match up against all these other great playmakers,” said Drury, of the Combine. 

Drury was moved with his family to Chicago shortly after his birth, as his father began playing that year for the Chicago Wolves of the former International Hockey League. He played several of his formative years playing with the Chicago Mission Bantam and Midget teams. He was selected by Waterloo in the USHL Futures Draft after his 16U season, split between the High Performance Hockey League and the North American Prospects Hockey League. 

“I think I needed some time to get stronger and faster,” said Drury, of his two years in Waterloo. “The last two years, I’ve developed phenomenal practice habits. I learned how to play the game the right way and I wouldn’t trade that in.” 

He is trading his Waterloo jersey for Crimson next year, and is excited to continue his career playing for his father’s former Harvard teammate, current Crimson head coach Ted Donato. 

“I want to continue to be that steady two-way playmaker,” he said. “If I can take on more of an offensive role, the better I get, I can create as much offense as possible.” 


Jack Drury is ranked as the 27th North American Skater for this weekend's NHL Entry Draft, to be held in Dallas. Photo by Stephanie Lyn Photography / Waterloo Black Hawks