Drew Stafford

Drew Stafford
Stafford with the Sabres in 2012
Born	October 30, 1985 Milwaukee, WI, USA
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Right
NHL team Former teams	Winnipeg Jets Buffalo Sabres
National team	United States
NHL Draft	13th overall, 2004 Buffalo Sabres
Playing career	2006–present

Drew Stafford (born October 30, 1985) is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He started his professional career with the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Rochester Americans before being called up to the NHL on November 5, 2006, with the Buffalo Sabres, the team that drafted him in the first round, 13th overall, at 2004 NHL Entry Draft. He played nine seasons with Buffalo before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in on February 11, 2015.

Early life

Stafford was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but grew up in Faribault, Minnesota. His father, Gordie, played professional hockey in the International Hockey League (IHL) and is the head coach of the girl's hockey team at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, where Drew also played high school hockey.^[1] Stafford's uncle, Barrie Stafford, was the head equipment manager for the Edmonton Oilers for 28 years before retiring in 2012.^[2]

Playing career

Amateur

Stafford played for the St. Albert Bantam AA Flyers in St. Albert, Alberta, in 1999–2000. During the season, he finished third in League scoring with 26 goals and 47 points in 30 games while leading his team to a provincial berth. At the conclusion of the season, Stafford was selected to participate in Hockey Alberta's elite development program as a member of the Northwest Sharks in the 2000 Pioneer Chrysler Alberta Cup.

Stafford played at Shattuck-Saint Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, for two years and played on the US national team at the 2003 IIHF World U18 Championships. He then played for three seasons at the University of North Dakota and on the US national team at the 2004 and 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Following his freshman season, Stafford was drafted 13th overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. After two more seasons, he signed a professional contract with the Sabres in 2006, foregoing his senior season at the University of North Dakota. Stafford finished his three-year collegiate career with 118 points (48 goals and 70 assists).

Professional

Stafford skating with teammate Jordan Leopold in 2011

Stafford began his professional career with Buffalo's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. With nine points in the first 11 games of the season, he caught the attention of Sabres management, and was called up to Buffalo in early November to replace injured winger Maxim Afinogenov. In his NHL debut on November 5 against the New York Rangers, Stafford assisted on a game-winning overtime goal by Daniel Brière, earning his first NHL point. On November 11, he scored his first goal in the NHL on the Philadelphia Flyers' Antero Niittymäki. He won NHL Rookie of the Month honors for March 2007 despite the fact that Paul Stastny of the Colorado Avalanche had his record-breaking rookie scoring streak in the same month. Stafford scored his first game-winning goal on February 27 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Stafford became a regular in the Sabres' lineup during the 2007–08 season, scoring his first career hat-trick against the Atlanta Thrashers on January 18, 2008. More than a year later, he went on to score his second hat-trick in a 10–2 rout of the Edmonton Oilers on January 27, 2009. A little less than a year after that, he celebrated his third hat-trick on December 15, 2010, against the Boston Bruins. He added his fourth, also against Boston, on January 1, 2011, his fifth on February 8, 2011 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and his sixth on February 13, 2011, against the New York Islanders. On June 3, 2011, Stafford signed a four-year, $16 million contract extension with the Sabres.^[3]

In his ninth season with the Sabres in 2014–15, on February 11, 2015, Stafford was traded alongside Tyler Myers, Brendan Lemieux, Joel Armia and a 2015 first-round draft pick(Jack Roslovic) to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for Evander Kane, Zach Bogosian and the rights to goaltending prospect Jason Kasdorf.^[4] On February 14, 2015, in just his second game on the Jets, Stafford scored a goal in regulation, as well as the shootout winner, in a 5–4 shootout victory over the Detroit Red Wings. On the eve of free-agency Stafford re-signed to a two-year contract to remain in Winnipeg on June 30, 2015.^[5]

Personal Life

Stafford's father, Gord Stafford, played professional hockey with the Milwaukee Admirals and Wichita Wind during the 1980s.^[6] Stafford formed a band called Red Seal Peach while at the University of North Dakota with goaltender Jordan Parise.^[7] Stafford appears in the Every Time I Die video for "Decayin with the Boys," playing jenga at a party in full hockey uniform.^[8]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
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
2007–08	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		64	16	22	38	51		—	—	—	—	—
2008–09	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		79	20	25	45	29		—	—	—	—	—
2009–10	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		71	14	20	34	35		3	0	0	0	0
2010–11	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		62	31	21	52	34		7	1	2	3	2
2011–12	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		80	20	30	50	46		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		46	6	12	18	21		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		70	16	18	34	39		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Buffalo Sabres	NHL		50	9	15	24	39		—	—	—	—	—
2014–15	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		26	9	10	19	8		4	1	1	2	0
2015–16	Winnipeg Jets	NHL		78	21	17	38	28		—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				667	175	204	379	363		24	4	5	9	6

International

Medal record
ice hockey
Representing the  United States
World Junior Championships
	2004 Helsinki

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2003	United States	WJC18	4th		6	3	2	5	8
2004	United States	WJC			6	0	2	2	2
2005	United States	WJC	4th		7	5	4	9	14
2006	United States	WC	7th		7	0	1	1	0
2008	United States	WC	6th		7	1	3	4	6
2009	United States	WC	4th		9	2	1	3	6
Junior totals					19	8	8	16	24
Senior totals					23	3	5	8	12

Awards and honors

Award	Year
All-WCHA Third Team	2005–06
AHL All-Star Classic	2006–07

References

1. "Shattuck St. Mary's Hockey Staff". Retrieved February 10, 2013.
2. "Oilers Long-Time Equipment Manager Barrie Stafford Honoured by Hockey Legends". Retrieved February 10, 2013.
3. James O'Brien. "Buffalo Sabres sign Drew Stafford to four-year, $16M contract extension". NBC Sports. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
4. "Kane, Bogosian dealt to Sabres in eight-player blockbuster deal". TSN. February 11, 2015. Retrieved February 11, 2015.
5. "Jets agree to terms with Drew Stafford". Winnipeg Jets. 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-06-30.
6. "Gord Stafford". Elite Prospects. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
7. Stephen Sickles. "Multi-talented: Getting to know the real Drew Stafford". Let's Go Sabres. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
8. "Decavin with the Boys". YouTube. 2013-05-06. Retrieved 2014-06-17.

External links

• Drew Stafford's career statistics at The Internet Hockey Database
• Drew Stafford at Hockey-Reference.com