Nate’s Notes Profiles: Brian Rafalski’s Hockey Journey

By Nathan Moser

There have been some talented NHL players who went undrafted before joining the league. One of the most famous examples of this is winger Martin St. Louis, who went undrafted, played shortly for the Calgary Flames, and then took off with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Other examples include Florida Panthers goalie and 2024 Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky, Ed Belfour, Dino Ciccarelli, Mark Giordano, and Adam Oates among others. Then, there is the story of NHL defenseman Brian Rafalski. After spending time in a junior league and college, the NHL still had not called his name. However, Rafalski did what he could to get better, and he created his opportunities by not giving up and pushing forward.

Undrafted and Heading Overseas

The beginning of Rafalski’s journey into the NHL began how many upcoming draft picks’ journeys would. He played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Madison Capitols during the 1990-91 hockey season. In 47 games played, he tallied 12 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. Like those drafted by NHL teams, Rafalski then went to play college hockey at the University of Wisconsin. He suited up for the Badgers for four campaigns. During his time there, he posted the following numbers:

• 1991-92: three goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 38 games
• 1992-93: 13 assists in 32 games
• 1993-94: six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 37 games
• 1994-95: 11 goals and 34 assists for 45 points in 43 games

Despite his time in the USHL and at Wisconsin, Rafalski did not get drafted or signed by an NHL club. Some players might give up on their dreams to be a pro hockey player and move on to something else, but he was determined to keep playing the game he loved. As a result, from 1995-96 to 1998-99, Rafalski suited up in both Elitserien (now known as the Swedish Hockey League) and the SM-Liiga (which is the Finnish Elite League).

Rafalski had an exceptional skillset while growing his game overseas in Sweden and Finland. He went from a player who did not go to the NHL after college to one of the best defensemen not playing in that league. During his days with Brynas IF in Elitserien and his two clubs in the SM-Liiga (HPK and HIFK), he posted the following stats:

• 1995-96 (Brynas IF): one goal and eight assists for nine points in 22 games
• 1996-97 (HPK): 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 49 games
• 1997-98 (HIFK): 13 goals and 10 assists for 23 points in 40 games
• 1998-99 (HIFK): 19 goals and 34 assists for 53 points in 53 games

One of the NHL teams who took notice to how well Rafalski was playing overseas were the New Jersey Devils. General manager Lou Lamoriello had already built a stacked lineup, and won a Stanley Cup back in 1995 with superb players like Scott Niedermayer, Stephane Richer, Scott Stevens, Bill Guerin, and Martin Brodeur among others. The Devils signed Rafalski, and he made his NHL debut during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Thriving in the NHL

Rafalski joined a Devils defensive core who already had Niedermayer, Stevens, and Ken Daneyko. He finished his first season in the NHL with 32 points in 75 games (five goals and 27 assists). The whole roster had a lot of depth, and this led to a Stanley Cup Final appearance in the 2000 playoffs, with Rafalski making it that far in his first season in the league. In 23 postseason games on that run, he accrued two goals and six assists for eight points. The Devils beat the Dallas Stars in six games to claim their second Cup championship as a franchise.

Throughout his time in New Jersey, Rafalski amassed the following numbers:

• 1999-2000: five goals and 27 assists for 32 points in 75 games
• 2000-01: nine goals and 43 assists for 52 points in 78 games
• 2001-02: seven goals and 40 assists for 47 points in 76 games
• 2002-03: three goals and 37 assists for 40 points in 79 games
• 2003-04: six goals and 30 assists for 36 points in 69 games
• 2005-06: six goals and 43 assists for 49 points in 82 games
• 2006-07: eight goals and 47 assists for 55 points in 82 games

Rafalski and the Devils were able to make the Stanley Cup Final two more times in 2001 and 2003. New Jersey lost to Ray Bourque and the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 Cup Final, while they were able to win the Cup in 2003 versus the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Rafalski during each of those runs accumulated the stats below:

• 2001 playoffs: seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 25 games
• 2003 playoffs: two goals and nine assists for 11 points in 23 games

After becoming a free agent following the 2006-07 campaign, Rafalski signed with the Detroit Red Wings. Like when he joined the Devils, Rafalski was entering a stacked lineup in Detroit. He joined a blue line that already had Hockey Hall of Famers Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios on it; as well as Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda, Andreas Lilja, and Brad Stuart. Rafalski finished the 2007-08 regular season with the fourth-most points on the team. Only Pavel Datsyuk (97 points), Henrik Zetterberg (92 points), and Lidstrom (70 points), had more.

The Red Wings made the 2008 postseason and advanced all the way to the Cup Final to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Detroit beat Pittsburgh in six games to win the Cup. It was Rafalski’s third championship in the NHL. He finished the 2008 postseason with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 22 games.

Rafalski played the rest of his career with the Red Wings. He posted the following regular-season numbers with them during his tenure in Detroit:

• 2007-08: 13 goals and 42 assists for 55 points in 73 games
• 2008-09: 10 goals and 49 assists for 59 points in 78 games
• 2009-10: eight goals and 34 assists for 42 points in 78 games
• 2010-11: four goals and 44 assists for 48 points in 63 games

After the 2010-11 campaign, Rafalski retired from playing. He finished his 11 seasons in the NHL with 79 goals and 436 assists for 515 points in 833 games. He is one of the best blueliners to ever suit up for New Jersey, and he has three championship rings on his finger because of the hard work he put in. Rafalski could have ended playing the sport once he left Wisconsin, but he was determined to keep developing his game and play overseas to get better. He became an NHL-caliber talent and made a massive impact on both the Devils and Red Wings during his stints with both clubs.

What Rafalski worked to accomplish is one of many examples about not giving up on dreams. If anyone has something they want to do, it might not be easy, but hard work does pay off and that is exactly what happened for Rafalski entering the NHL with New Jersey.