Brogan Rafferty

Brogan Rafferty
Born	(1995-05-28) May 28, 1995 West Dundee, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation	Professional ice hockey defenseman
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Playing for Vancouver Canucks, Grand Rapids Griffins, and other AHL teams

Brogan Rafferty (born May 28, 1995) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently an unrestricted free agent. His latest tenure was with the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League (AHL), while contracted to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Initially playing as a forward during his youth, Rafferty transitioned to defense in high school, which garnered interest from North American Hockey League (NAHL) teams, leading to his joining the Coulee Region Chill for the 2013–14 season. Following his debut campaign, he committed to NCAA Division I hockey at Quinnipiac University, competing in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Between 2016 and 2019 at Quinnipiac, Rafferty pursued a finance degree and distinguished himself by becoming only the fifth freshman in the program’s history—and the first since 2011—to lead the team in assists during his first year. After completing his junior year, he signed a one-year entry-level contract with the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL.

Early life

Hailing from West Dundee, Illinois, Rafferty was born to Brian and Deirdre Rafferty. He encountered considerable physical obstacles early in life, having been diagnosed with amblyopia and scoliosis. Initially advised that competitive hockey might be unattainable, Rafferty overcame impaired vision—corrected first with glasses and later contact lenses—and declined surgical treatment for scoliosis by focusing on muscle strengthening to support his spine, all while pursuing hockey at a competitive level from a young age.

Amateur

Raised in Illinois, Rafferty began his hockey journey as a forward before switching to defense after his father introduced him to undrafted NHL free agents. This positional change coincided with a significant growth spurt—from 5'8" to 6'2"—which facilitated tryouts with AAA Team Illinois and attracted attention from NAHL franchises. He appeared in one game for the Topeka RoadRunners of the NAHL, scoring a goal in his debut, but primarily played for Team Illinois 18U. In the 2013–14 season, Rafferty joined the Coulee Region Chill and amassed 22 points across 53 games in his rookie year.

Following attempts to join United States Hockey League (USHL) teams and a brief return to NAHL play, Rafferty completed the 2014–15 season with the Chill, contributing two goals and 21 assists over 47 games and earning an invitation to the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Although he committed to Quinnipiac University for NCAA Division I hockey, he postponed enrollment to further develop in the USHL. During the 2015–16 season with the Bloomington Thunder, he recorded two goals and 26 assists in 60 games. His offensive capabilities from the blue line were instrumental in guiding the Thunder through two comeback victories against Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL playoffs.

Collegiate

From 2016 through 2019, Rafferty represented the Quinnipiac Bobcats men's ice hockey squad at Quinnipiac University while majoring in finance. Paired defensively with Connor Clifton and featuring on the primary power-play unit, he registered points in ten of his initial seventeen games as a freshman. Within two months into his first collegiate season, Rafferty ranked ninth in overall ECAC Hockey scoring and third in assists. By February, he led Quinnipiac with 20 assists and 22 points, becoming just the fifth freshman in Division I program history to top the team’s assist chart. His offensive contributions helped propel the Bobcats to a 23–15–2 overall record (13-8-1 conference), earning them a national ranking of twentieth for that season. In the 2017 ECAC Hockey tournament, Rafferty assisted on their victory over Brown University but saw the team eliminated by Harvard University in semifinal play. He also received recognition on the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team that year.

Following his freshman campaign, Rafferty attended the Chicago Blackhawks NHL Development Camp as an invited free agent but was released and returned to Quinnipiac for his sophomore year. The Bobcats began that season ranked fourteenth nationally. Rafferty contributed offensively during their qualification for the 2018 ECAC Hockey tournament, tallying a goal and an assist in their first-round series win against Yale University. The team was subsequently ousted by Cornell University in the quarterfinal round.

Prior to his junior season, Rafferty participated as a free-agent invitee at the New York Rangers NHL Development Camp. In 2018–19, he posted his second consecutive twenty-point season with four goals and twenty assists over thirty-eight games. Despite an early-season charging penalty incident that drew attention, Rafferty maintained consistent performance including a three-game point streak and leading Quinnipiac’s assist totals with nine during November. His strong finish—amassing twelve points across fourteen late-season contests—helped secure Quinnipiac’s fourth Cleary Cup title and top seed entering the 2019 ECAC tournament. Nevertheless, despite high expectations, they were swept by Brown University in the quarterfinals.

Professional

Rafferty wrapped up his college hockey tenure by agreeing to a one-year entry-level deal with the Vancouver Canucks on April 1, 2019. Owing to NHL contract regulations and the timing late in the season, his cap hit was set at $5.1 million despite an overall salary of $925,000. He made his NHL debut on April 4, 2019, facing the Nashville Predators, logging 12:03 minutes on ice and registering one shot on goal. At the conclusion of the season, the Canucks extended a qualifying offer to maintain his rights.

Entering the 2019–20 season, Rafferty participated in the Canucks’ training camp but was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. Early on, he played a key role in preserving an undefeated streak and led the league in plus/minus while netting his first professional goal. By December, he topped all rookies with 16 points across 22 games and ended 2019 ranked third league-wide with 25 assists and leading defensemen in scoring with 30 points. His performance earned him AHL Rookie of the Month honors for December and a selection to the AHL All-Star Game alongside teammate Reid Boucher. In February 2020, Rafferty set a new single-season points record for a Comets defenseman with 41 points. When play was halted due to COVID-19, Utica stood third in their division. Rafferty concluded the campaign with seven goals and 38 assists (48 points) over 57 games, securing spots on both the AHL All-Rookie Team and the 2019–20 Second All-Star Team. Following the season’s cancellation, he joined Vancouver for the Stanley Cup qualifying rounds.

After the Canucks’ playoff elimination, Rafferty remained part of their roster during the pandemic-delayed 2020 season as a consistent member of the taxi squad. He made his season debut on January 21, recording his first NHL point via an assist. On July 28, 2021, Rafferty inked a one-year contract worth $750,000 with division rivals, the Anaheim Ducks. He attended their training camp but was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, where he led in power-play points early despite a sluggish start. In January 2022, he was recalled to Anaheim due to teammate Cam Fowler entering COVID-19 protocol but did not appear in any games before returning to San Diego. Rafferty contributed during a short winning streak in February but also endured a seven-game losing stretch before scoring to end it in April. The Gulls secured a berth in the 2022 Calder Cup playoffs but were eliminated in the opening round.

Following one year within Anaheim's organization, Rafferty agreed to a one-year two-way contract with the Seattle Kraken on July 13, 2022. For the 2022–23 season, he was assigned to their AHL team, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

On July 1, 2023, Rafferty signed as an unrestricted free agent a two-year two-way deal with the Detroit Red Wings.

Personal life

Rafferty shares his name with Brogan Rafferty, known as the Craigslist Killer, which caused an Ohio news outlet to mistakenly display a photo of him during coverage of that case. He is a devoted Christian.

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012–13	Topeka Roadrunners	NAHL		1	1	1	2	0		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Coulee Region Chill	NAHL		53	3	19	22	55		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Coulee Region Chill	NAHL		56	4	28	32	50		5	1	0	1	6
2015–16	Bloomington Thunder	USHL		60	2	26	28	30		10	3	6	9	4
2016–17	Quinnipiac University	ECAC		40	2	22	24	18		—	—	—	—	—
2017–18	Quinnipiac University	ECAC		38	4	13	17	22		—	—	—
Quinnipiac University	ECAC	38		4	20	24	60	—		—	—	—
2018–19	Vancouver Canucks	National Hockey League (NHL)		2	0	0	0	0		—	—	—	—
Utica Comets	American Hockey League (AHL)	57		7	38	45	12	—		—	—	—
2020–21	Vancouver Canucks	NHL		1	0	1	1	0		—	—	—	—
San Diego Gulls	AHL	65		4	20	24	36	2		0	0	0
2022–23	Coachella Valley Firebirds	AHL		72	9	42	51	42		26	2	9		11
Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL	62		13	16		29			8		9		0		4		4
"2024–25"	"Grand Rapids Griffins"	"AHL"		"52"	"6"	"13"	"19"	"17"		"1"	"0"	"0"	"0"

|- bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" |NHL career totals ! 3 ! 0 ! 1 ! 1 ! 0 ! — ! — ! — ! — ! — |}

Awards and honors

Award Title	Year Received
American Hockey League (AHL)
'Rookie of the Month'	'December 2019'
'All-Star Game Selection'	'2020'
'All-Rookie Team'	'2020'
'Second All-Star Team'	'2020'