Drew Stafford
Drew Stafford | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 30, 1985 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey right winger |
| Years active | 2006–2019 |
| Known for | Playing in the NHL for Buffalo Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils |
Drew Stafford (born October 30, 1985) is a retired American professional ice hockey right winger. Selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Stafford competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) representing the Sabres, Winnipeg Jets, Boston Bruins, and New Jersey Devils.
Early life
Stafford was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised in Faribault, Minnesota. As a teenager, he played AAA hockey with the Milwaukee Jr Admirals. His father, Gordie, who played professionally in the IHL, currently serves as the director of girls hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault—the same institution where Drew played high school hockey. Additionally, his uncle Barrie Stafford held the position of head equipment manager for the Edmonton Oilers for nearly three decades.
Amateur
During the 1999–2000 season, Stafford competed with the St. Albert Bantam AA Flyers in St. Albert, Alberta, ranking third in league scoring by tallying 26 goals and 47 points over 30 games. He also took part in Hockey Alberta's elite development program as a member of the Northwest Sharks at the 2000 Pioneer Chrysler Alberta Cup.
Stafford attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's for two years and represented the United States at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships. Following this, he spent three seasons playing collegiate hockey at the University of North Dakota and participated with the US national team at both the 2004 and 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. After completing his freshman year, he was selected 13th overall by Buffalo and signed a professional contract in 2006, foregoing his senior year in college. He concluded his university career with a total of 118 points, consisting of 48 goals and 70 assists.
Buffalo Sabres
Stafford launched his professional journey with Buffalo's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. After accumulating nine points across eleven games, he was promoted to the Sabres' NHL roster in early November to fill in for injured winger Maxim Afinogenov. Making his NHL debut on November 5 against the New York Rangers, Stafford earned his first NHL point by assisting on an overtime game-winning goal scored by Daniel Brière. He netted his inaugural NHL goal on November 11 against goaltender Antero Niittymäki of the Philadelphia Flyers. In March 2007, Stafford received NHL Rookie of the Month honors and recorded his first game-winning goal on February 27 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Establishing himself as a consistent presence during the 2007–08 season, Stafford achieved his first career hat-trick on January 18, 2008, versus the Atlanta Thrashers. Between January 2009 and February 2011, he added five additional hat-tricks to his record, including multiple performances against the Boston Bruins. On June 3, 2011, he secured a four-year contract extension valued at $16 million with Buffalo.
Winnipeg Jets
In his ninth campaign with Buffalo during the 2014–15 season, Stafford was traded on February 11, 2015. Alongside Tyler Myers, Brendan Lemieux, Joel Armia, and a first-round draft pick (used to select Jack Roslovic), he was sent to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian, and goaltending prospect Jason Kasdorf. Just two games into his tenure with Winnipeg on February 14, Stafford scored during regulation time and sealed a shootout victory against the Detroit Red Wings by netting the decisive goal in a 5–4 win. On February 6, 2016, he was handed a one-game suspension due to a high-sticking infraction during a contest versus the Colorado Avalanche. Prior to entering free agency, Stafford re-signed with Winnipeg on June 30, 2015, agreeing to a two-year deal.
Boston Bruins
On March 1, 2017, Stafford was traded by Winnipeg to the Boston Bruins in exchange for a conditional sixth-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[1][2] He made his Bruins debut on March 4, contributing an assist on Ryan Spooner's decisive goal in a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils at TD Garden.[3] Stafford netted his inaugural goal for Boston on March 8 during a commanding 6-1 triumph against the Detroit Red Wings.[4]
New Jersey Devils
Stafford agreed to a one-year deal worth $800,000 with the New Jersey Devils on August 25, 2017.[5] During that season, he amassed eight goals and totaled fifteen points across fifty-nine contests.
On September 7, 2018, Stafford returned to New Jersey on a professional tryout basis for training camp.[6] Subsequently, on October 5, he secured a one-year contract valued at $810,000.[7]
Stafford marked his milestone of playing in his 800th NHL regular season game by scoring the shootout-winning goal on January 4, 2019.[8]
On September 4, 2019, Stafford participated in the Minnesota Wild's training camp under a professional tryout agreement.[9]
Personal life
Stafford entered the world in Milwaukee during the period when his father, Gord Stafford, was active as a professional hockey player with the Milwaukee Admirals in the International Hockey League and also competed for the Wichita Wind in the Central Hockey League throughout the 1980s. While attending the University of North Dakota, he co-founded a musical group named Red Seal Peach alongside fellow goaltender Jordan Parise. Additionally, Stafford made a cameo in the music video for "Decayin with the Boys" by Every Time I Die, where he is depicted playing jenga at a party dressed entirely in hockey gear.
Regular season and playoffs
... [table continues unchanged] ...| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Shattuck–Saint Mary's | HSMN | 45 | 35 | 53 | 88 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Shattuck–Saint Mary's | HSMN | 64 | 49 | 67 | 116 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 36 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 40 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | University of North Dakota | WCHA | 41 | 24 | 23 | 47 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 34 | 22 | 22 | 44 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 41 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 33 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||
| NHL totals | 841 | 196 | 232 | 428 | 415 | 32 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 18 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | United States | U18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup | Fifth place | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | |
| 2003 | United States | WJC18 IIHF World U18 Championships | Fourth place | 6 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | |
| 2004 | United States | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | Template:Gold1 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2005 | United States | WJC World Junior Ice Hockey Championships | Fourth place | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 14 | |
| 2006 | United States | WC IIHF World Championship | Seventh place | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2008 | United States | WC IIHF World Championship | Sixth place | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |
| 2009 | United States | WC IIHF World Championship | Fourth place | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | |
| Junior totals | 24 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 38 | ||||
| Senior totals | 23 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 12 | ||||
Awards and honors
| Distinction | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegiate Level (NCAA Division I) | ||
| Third Team All-WCHA | 2006 | |
| American Hockey League (AHL) | ||
| Selection to AHL All-Star Classic | 2007 | |
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