Playing career

Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, 8th round, 173rd overall, VandenBussche spent his first seasons playing for various OHL and AHL teams.

On August 22, 1995, he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the New York Rangers. After two seasons in the AHL with the Rangers' farm team, the Binghamton Rangers, VandenBussche finally made his NHL debut for the 1996-97 season playing 11 games.

The very next season, 1997-98, VandenBussche was split between four different teams in three different leagues. He played three games for the Indianapolis Ice of the IHL, fifteen games for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL, sixteen games for the New York Rangers of the NHL, and since the Rangers traded him for Ryan Risidore on March 29, 1998, four games for the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL.

VandenBussche remained a Blackhawk until the Pittsburgh Penguins signed him as an unrestricted free agent on July 12, 2004. On September 25, 2006, Jokerit of SM-liiga signed the forward for a try-out, which was terminated on November 5. After his tryout, VandenBussche signed with the New Mexico Scorpions as a player/coach, but retired in January for medical reasons.

VandenBussche was not known as a goal scorer or play maker; in 310 NHL games, he scored 10 goals and 10 assists. VandenBussche's role was as an enforcer. He has the distinction of being pound for pound one of the toughest enforcer's at the NHL level and the man who ended the career of Nick Kypreos in a pre-season game in 1997.

Post career

VandenBussche now sells real estate with his wife Lisa, and under the direction of his father Ron, in Norfolk County.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1990-91	Cornwall Royals	OHL		49	3	8	11	139		—	—	—	—	—
1991-92	Cornwall Royals	OHL		61	13	15	28	230		6	0	2	2	9
1992-93	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL		1	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—	—
1992-93	Newmarket Royals	OHL		30	15	12	27	161		—	—	—	—	—
1992-93	Guelph Storm	OHL		29	3	14	17	99		5	1	3	4	13
1993-94	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL		44	4	10	14	124		—	—	—	—	—
1993-94	Springfield Indians	AHL		9	1	2	3	29		5	0	0	0	16
1994-95	St. John's Maple Leafs	AHL		53	2	13	15	239		3	0	0	0	17
1995-96	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		68	3	17	20	240		4	0	0	0	9
1996-97	Binghamton Rangers	AHL		38	8	11	19	133		—	—	—	—	—
1996-97	New York Rangers	NHL		11	1	0	1	30		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	Indianapolis Ice	IHL		3	1	1	2	4		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	Hartford Wolf Pack	AHL		15	2	0	2	45		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	New York Rangers	NHL		16	1	0	1	38		—	—	—	—	—
1997-98	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		4	0	1	1	5		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Portland Pirates	AHL		37	4	1	5	119		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		6	0	0	0	17		—	—	—	—	—
1998-99	Indianapolis Ice	IHL		34	3	10	13	130		—	—	—	—	—
1999-00	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		52	0	1	1	143		—	—	—	—	—
2000-01	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		64	2	5	7	146		—	—	—	—	—
2001-02	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		50	1	2	3	103		1	0	0	0	0
2002-03	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		22	0	0	0	58		—	—	—	—	—
2002-03	Norfolk Admirals	AHL		4	0	1	1	5		—	—	—	—	—
2003-04	Chicago Blackhawks	NHL		65	4	1	5	120		—	—	—	—	—
2004-05	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL		23	4	7	11	77		11	2	2	4	11
2005-06	Pittsburgh Penguins	NHL		20	1	0	1	42		—	—	—	—	—
2006-07	Jokerit	FNL		15	0	0	0	39		—	—	—	—	—
2006-07	New Mexico Scorpions	CHL		9	0	3	3	29		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				310	10	10	20	702		1	0	0	0	0

[ Source: Wikipedia ]