By Ray Bennett
Tuesday May 24, 2011
Veteran defenseman Brian Rafalski, who has played the past eleven years in the NHL and was intricate part of Team USA's silver medal runs in the 2002 and 2010 Winter Olympics, is expected to retire from hockey. Rafalski, who has played the past few seasons in Detroit after playing seven seasons with the New Jersey Devils, confirmed a report from TSN in Canada that broke on Monday that he will end his playing career. A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday morning in Detroit that will also include Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland.
The decision by Rafalski to retire gives the Red Wings an additional $6 million in cap space for next season. Rafalski would have entered the final year of a five-year, $30 million contract that he signed back in 2007 if he chose to come back.
A native of Dearborn, Michigan, Rafalski had a tough time trying to break into the NHL. After playing college hockey for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rafalski traveled overseas to play in the Swedish Eliet League for Brynas IF in 1995. After spending a season Sweden, he then moved to Finland to play in SM-liiga for three seasons for two different teams. After a season in which he scored 19 goals and 34 assists in 53 games for HIFK, the New Jersey Devils were impressed by his offensive output and signed him as a free agent for the 1999-2000 season.
A rookie at the age of 26, Rafalski recorded 5 goals and 27 assists with a plus/minus of 21, tying all NHL rookies in total points. Rafalski was a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the league's top rookie, losing to teammate Scott Gomez. Paired with future hall-of-famer Scott Stevens, Rafalski contributed to the Devils' 2000 Stanley Cup Championship run. He increased his production the following season, recording 52 points in 78 regular season games. The Devils made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to be beaten by the Colorado Avalanche in a hard fought seven game series.
The 2001-2002 NHL season saw Rafalski selected to his first All-Star Game, only to not participate due to an injury. The following season saw Rafalski and the Devils win another Stanley Cup, this time against the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in seven games. Rafalski played in two All-Star Games as a member of the Eastern Conference, starting in the 2004 game and as a reserve in 2007. After his seven seasons in New Jersey, Rafalski signed to play for his hometown Detroit Red Wings after the 2006-2007 season.
Teamed up with another future hall-of-fame defenseman in Nicklas Lidstrom, Rafalski set a career-high in goals scored in his first season with the Red Wings with 13 goals in 73 regular season games. He helped the Red Wings win their eleventh Stanley Cup in team history and his third in eight NHL seasons. In the series-clinching sixth game, he scored the team's first goal in 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In eleven NHL seasons, Rafalski scored 79 career goals and 436 assists in 833 games.
Rafalski was also an accomplished Olympic athlete, playing in three Winter Olympic Games for Team USA in 2002, 2006, and 2010. He first represented the United States in the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City, winning a silver medal after losing in the Gold Medal game against Canada. After a disappointing performance with the rest of Team USA in the 2006 Games in Torino, Italy, Rafalski returned to represent his country in 2010 Games in Vancouver. As an alternate captain, he led all Olympic defensemen in points and goals scored with four goals and four assists in another silver medal campaign, falling short to Team Canada again. Including a stint on Team USA in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, he scored five career goals and eleven career assists in four separate appearances in international play.
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