Drew Stafford

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Position Right Wing
Shoots Right
Height
Weight		 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
202 lb (92 kg/14 st 6 lb)
NHL Team Buffalo Sabres
Nationality Flag of the United States United States
Born October 30, 1985 (1985-10-30) (age 22),
Milwaukee, WI, USA
NHL Draft 13th overall, 2004
Buffalo Sabres
Pro career 2006 – present

Drew Stafford (born October 30, 1985 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American ice hockey forward. He played for the AHL's Rochester Americans before being called up to the National Hockey League to play for the Buffalo Sabres on November 5, 2006.

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[edit] Playing career

Stafford spent one year in St. Albert, Alberta, playing for the St. Albert Bantam AA Flyers. During this season (1999–2000) he finished 3rd in league scoring with 26 goals and 47 points in 30 league games, and led 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.

Prior to playing at North Dakota, Stafford played minor hockey at Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota. Following his stint at Shattuck he took another step forward in hockey career, playing three seasons with the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. Following his freshman season, Stafford was drafted in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres. After two more seasons, he signed a contract with the Sabres in 2006 for his impressive play at both the WCHA and international level, foregoing his senior season at the University of North Dakota.

As reported in an interview at LetsGoSabres.com, Stafford formed a band called "Red Seal Peach" while at UND with current Lowell Devils goaltender Jordan Parise.

He started his professional career with Buffalo's AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans. With nine points in the first eleven games of the season, he caught the attention of the 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 Briere. 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 became a regular to the Sabres lineup in the 2007–2008 season, scoring his first career hat trick against the Atlanta Thrashers on January 18, 2008

He is currently dating Canisius College student Grace Kellerman of Buffalo, NY.


[edit] Awards

[edit] Career statistics

    Regular Season   Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 North Dakota Fighting Sioux WCHA 36 11 21 32 30 -- -- -- -- --
2004–05 North Dakota Fighting Sioux WCHA 40 13 22 35 34 -- -- -- -- --
2005–06 North Dakota Fighting Sioux WCHA 41 24 23 47 63 -- -- -- -- --
2006–07 Buffalo Sabres NHL 41 13 14 27 33 10 2 2 4 4
2006–07 Rochester Americans AHL 34 22 22 44 30 -- -- -- -- --
2007–08 Buffalo Sabres NHL 64 16 18 34 51 -- -- -- -- --
NHL Totals 105 29 32 61 84 10 2 2 4 4

[edit] International play

Played for the United States in:

[edit] International statistics

Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
2004 United States WJC 6 0 2 2 2
2005 United States WJC 7 5 3 8 12
2006 United States WCh 7 0 1 1 0

[edit] References

v • d • e
Buffalo Sabres first-round draft picks
Perreault • Martin • Schoenfeld • Titanic • Fogolin • Sauve • Seiling • Playfair • Ramsey • Patrick • Dudacek • Housley • Cyr • Andreychuk • Barrasso • Lacombe • Creighton • Andersson • Johansson • Anderson • Turgeon • Savage • Haller • May • Boucher • Cooper • Primeau • McKee • Biron • Rasmussen • Noronen • Kalinin • Heisten • Kryukov • Novotny • Ballard • Paille • Vanek • Stafford • Zagrapan • Persson