| Played For: | Minnesota North Stars Washington Capitals Toronto Maple Leafs Detroit Red Wings San Jose Sharks |
| Position: | Defence |
| Shoots: | Right |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 2 |
| Weight Lb: | 220 |
| Birth Date: | June 18, 1964 |
| Birth Place: | Surrey, British Columbia, Canada |
| Draft: | 80th overall |
| Draft Year: | 1982 |
| Draft Team: | Minnesota North Stars |
| Career Start: | 1983 |
| Career End: | 2000 |
Robert John Rouse (born June 18, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning in back to back years with the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998.
A prototypical stay-at-home defenceman, Rouse was drafted in 1982 by the Minnesota North Stars. After playing parts of six seasons with the North Stars, Rouse was traded to the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline of the 1988–89 NHL season in the deal that also sent Dino Ciccarelli to the Capitals. His steady and tough style of defensive play helped guide the Capitals to their first semifinals appearance, in 1990.
During the middle of the 1990–91 season he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, along with Peter Zezel, in exchange for Al Iafrate.[1] Rouse joined the Detroit Red Wings in 1994 as a free agent,.[2] He had arthroscopic surgery in February 1994 but returned and helped them in two of their Stanley Cup wins (1997 and 1998), one of which involved topping one of his former clubs, the Capitals.[3] [4] Rouse moved on to play with the San Jose Sharks in 1998–99 and retired during the 1999–2000 season after the Sharks released him.[5]
In 1,061 NHL games, Rouse had 37 goals, 181 assists, and 1,559 penalty minutes. He served as a full-time alternate captain with the Maple Leafs, and as part-time alternate captain with the Capitals and Red Wings.
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | Billings Bighorns | WHL | 70 | 0 | 13 | 13 | 116 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1981–82 | Billings Bighorns | WHL | 71 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 209 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | ||
| 1982–83 | Nanaimo Islanders | WHL | 29 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Lethbridge Broncos | WHL | 42 | 8 | 30 | 38 | 82 | 20 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 55 | ||
| 1982–83 | Lethbridge Broncos | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1983–84 | Lethbridge Broncos | WHL | 71 | 18 | 42 | 60 | 101 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 28 | ||
| 1983–84 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 63 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984–85 | Springfield Indians | AHL | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 75 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 151 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1986–87 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 72 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 179 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 74 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 168 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Minnesota North Stars | NHL | 66 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 124 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 13 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1989–90 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 70 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 123 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 47 | ||
| 1990–91 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 47 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 65 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 79 | 3 | 19 | 22 | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 82 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 130 | 21 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 29 | ||
| 1993–94 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 63 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 101 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 29 | ||
| 1994–95 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 36 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 1995–96 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 58 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 48 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1996–97 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 70 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 58 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | ||
| 1997–98 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 71 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 57 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 16 | ||
| 1998–99 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 70 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 1999–2000 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,061 | 37 | 181 | 218 | 1,559 | 136 | 7 | 21 | 28 | 198 | ||||