Brian Rafalski

Brian Rafalski
Rafalski with the New Jersey Devils during the 2005–06 season
Born	(1973-09-28) September 28, 1973 (age 50) Dearborn, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Weight	191 lb (87 kg; 13 st 9 lb)
Position	Defense
Shot	Right
Played for	HIFK New Jersey Devils Detroit Red Wings Florida Everblades
National team	United States
NHL draft	Undrafted
Playing career	1995–2014

Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an

As a youth, Rafalski played in the 1987 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Detroit.^[1]

Rafalski played for the Madison Capitols of the United States Hockey League (USHL). In 47 games during the 1990–91 season he scored 23 points with 12 goals and 11 assists.^[2]

College and European play

Rafalski played for four years at the

Rafalski improved his production in his sophomore season, scoring 52 points. His 18 points during the 2001 playoffs set a team record for defensemen, although the Devils lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Finals.

In the

On July 1, 2007, the Detroit Red Wings signed Rafalski to a $30 million, five-year contract as an unrestricted free agent. Rafalski had grown up in nearby Dearborn, Michigan, and had been a Red Wings fan growing up. He was teamed with another legendary defenseman, Nicklas Lidström.

Rafalski set a career high in goals (11) after scoring against the St. Louis Blues on March 5, 2008. He went on to score 13 goals for the season, amassing that amount in 73 games. On June 4, 2008, Rafalski helped lead the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Rafalski's third Cup victory. He helped the cause by scoring the first Red Wings goal on the power play in the first period of Game 6 to help Detroit edge Pittsburgh 3–2.

On January 1, 2009, Rafalski scored the game-winning goal for the Red Wings in the 2009

On May 5, 2009, Red Wings Head Coach Mike Babcock announced that Rafalski would miss Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. It was the first time Rafalski missed the first three games of a series.^[3] Rafalski finished the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs with three goals and nine assists as the Red Wings came within a game of repeating as Stanley Cup champions, falling to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

On May 25, 2011, Rafalski announced his retirement from the NHL, walking away from the final year of his contract, citing knee and back injuries.^[4] Because Rafalski retired on an under-35 contract without being bought out, the move removed his cap hit for the 2011–12 season.

In the 11 NHL seasons that Rafalski played, his team qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs every year. Consequently, Rafalski led all NHL players in playoff games played during the 2000s decade, with 142.^[5]

On January 3, 2014, the Florida Everblades of the ECHL signed Rafalski to a contract, his first return to professional hockey since his initial retirement. He expressed a desire to return to the NHL, but was released 18 days after he signed, once again citing back issues.^[6]

International play

Medal record
Representing  United States
Ice hockey
Winter Olympics
	2002 Salt Lake City
	2010 Vancouver
World Junior Championships
	1992 Germany

Rafalski represented Team USA at the 2002 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal as the U.S. lost to Canada in the finals.

Rafalski continued to represent the U.S. in international play, playing in both the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Rafalski also played in the 2010 Winter Olympics, serving as alternate captain. He scored two goals and assisted on another in Team USA's 5–3 win over Canada in group-stage play, which ensured the United States would win their group and earn a bye to the quarter-finals.^[7] He finished third in the tournament in scoring (first among defensemen) with four goals and four assists.^[8] He was also named as the best defenseman of the tournament, as well as being named to the tournament all-star team.^[9] Unfortunately, his defensive mistake led to Canada's tournament-winning goal in overtime of the gold medal game.^[10]

Awards and honors

• Best Defenseman of the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament^[9]
• All-star selection of the 2010 Olympic hockey tournament^[9]
• Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (2014)^[11]

Personal life

Rafalski and his wife Felicity have three sons — Danny, born in June 1997; Evan, born in October 2000; and Matthew, born in June 2004.^[12][13]

Rafalski has a degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Economics. He has stated that he frequently listens to Glenn Beck.^{[citation needed]}

Speaking about his retirement, Rafalski said, "This was probably the most challenging season of my career, both physically, mentally and spiritually, but it was also the most rewarding and most blessed...The decision was made between myself and my wife approximately two months ago. We went through a long process of weighing different factors in our lives. At the end of the day it came down to priorities, with the top three priorities being serving God, serving my family and serving others."^[14]

Rafalski currently resides in Waupaca, Wisconsin with his family.^[15]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

References