Brian Rafalski
Brian Christopher Rafalski (born September 28, 1973) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings, in the SM-liiga for HPK and HIFK, in the Elitserien for Brynäs IF, and in the ECHL for the Florida Everblades.
| Brian Rafalski | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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Rafalski with the New Jersey Devils during the 2005–06 season | |||
| Born |
September 28, 1973 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 |
Brynäs IF HPK HIFK New Jersey Devils Detroit Red Wings Florida Everblades | ||
| National team | United States | ||
| NHL Draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 1995–2014 | ||
After going undrafted, Rafalski spent four seasons in Europe - winning the Pekka Rautakallio trophy as best Liiga Defenseman in 1997, and 1999, the Finnish SM-liiga championship with HIFK in 1998, and the Kultainen kypärä ("the Golden Helmet") in 1999. After Entering the NHL in 1999 with the New Jersey Devils, Rafalski was part of 3 Stanley Cup Championship teams with the New Jersey Devils in 2000 and 2003; and with the Detroit Redwings in 2008. In total he played in five Stanley Cup finals in his NHL career (2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2009). Rafalski also played for the United States national team in three Olympic ice hockey tournaments (2002, 2006, and 2010).