Brian Rafalski
history| birth_place = Dearborn, MI, U.S. | career_start = 1995 | draft=Undrafted | image=Rafalski.jpg | image_size=250px }}
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973, in Dearborn, Michigan) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and an alternate captain of the US Olympic Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Prior to joining the Red Wings, Rafalski played seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils. After struggling to enter the NHL, Rafalski has won the Stanley Cup three times and become an effective defenseman in the league. In his nine seasons in the league, he has played in five Stanley Cup finals (2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2009).
Playing career
College and European play
Rafalski played for four years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and was a proficient player, scoring 45 points in 43 games in his senior year. He won several awards that season; he was named to the WCHA First All-Star Team, the NCAA West All-Star Team, and the WCHA Defenseman of the Year. With no immediate NHL prospects, Rafalski travelled overseas. He spent the 1995-1996 season with Brynäs IF of the Swedish elite league. After scoring only 9 points in 22 games in Sweden, he then moved to Finland. He played a season for HPK of the SM-liiga, and scored 35 points. He travelled to HIFK in 1997, where he spent two successful years. In his final year in Finland, he scored 19 goals and 53 points in 53 games, and won the Kultainen kypärä, which is the SM-liiga trophy for best player as voted by his fellow players. Notably, he also became the first non-Finnish player to win the award.
NHL career
]]
Brian Rafalski was named by the Sporting News in 1999 as the best hockey player in the world not playing in the NHL. On May 7, 1999, Rafalski was signed by the New Jersey Devils as a free agent. He was 26 years of age at the start of the 1999–2000 NHL season, much older than most rookies, but he had played in some of the finest leagues in Europe. He finished the season with 32 points. He led all rookie defensemen in plus-minus with a 21 rating, second among Devils defensemen and tied for first for all rookies. Rafalski helped the Devils win the Stanley Cup that year. Along with Calder Trophy winning teammate Scott Gomez, he was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team.
Rafalski improved his production in his sophomore season, as he scored 52 points, which led the team. His 18 points during the playoffs set a team record for defensemen, although the Devils lost to the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals.
In the 2001–02 NHL season, Rafalski continued his scoring ways, notching 47 points. He was selected to participate in the NHL All-Star Game, but was forced to sit out due to injury. The next season, he once again led all Devils defensemen in scoring with 40 points. He was a vital part of the Devils defense that helped the team win its third Stanley Cup in eight seasons, with a seven-game win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in June 2003.
On July 1, 2007, the Detroit Red Wings signed Rafalski, a Michigan native, to a $30 million, five-year contract.
On January 1, 2010, Brian Rafalski was again announced to the United States Men's Winter Olympic hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
Rafalski set a career high in goals (11) after scoring against the St. Louis Blues on March 5, 2008. He would go on to score 13 goals for the season, amassing that amount in 73 games. On June 4, 2008, Rafalski won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Detroit Red Wings, the team he grew up rooting for. He helped out the cause by scoring the first Red Wings' goal on the powerplay in the first period to help them defeat the Penguins, 3-2, in game 6.
On January 1, 2009, Rafalski scored the game winning goal for the Red Wings in the 2009 Winter Classic, the first NHL game played outdoors in Red Wings history. The Red Wings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 6-4.
On May 5, 2009, Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock announced 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.»http://www.freep.com/article/20090504/BLOG09/90504075?imw=Y 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.
,}}
He represented Team USA at the 2002 Winter Olympics, winning a silver medal as the US lost to Canada in the finals.
He has continued to represent America in international play, playing in both the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Rafalski played in the 2010 Winter Olympics while filling in as the United States' alternate captain. He finished third in the tournament in scoring (first as a defensemen scoring) with four goals and four assists. He was named as the best defenceman of the tournament as well as being named to the tournament all-star team.
He is a fan of the Indiana Jones movies.Wings roster insider. »http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080523/SPORTS05/805230419/1053/SPORTS05.
He once stated in a pre-game interview that he is a politics buff, listening to conservative talk radio and talking to his teammates about current events.
- in the SM-liiga
Personal life
Brian and his wife Felicity have three sons, Danny, Evan and Matthew.
Career statistics
{| BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" width="95%"
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="6" | Regular season
! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |
! colspan="6" | Playoffs
|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season
! Team
! League
! GP
! G
! A
! Pts
!
- 2002 – Won silver medal with Team USA at 2002 Winter Olympics
- 2004 – Member of Team USA at 2004 World Cup of Hockey
- 2006 – Member of Team USA at 2006 Winter Olympics
- 2010 – Won silver medal with Team USA at 2010 Winter Olympics