Al Iafrate
Encyclopedia
Albert Anthony Iafrate is a retired American professional ice hockey
defenseman who played in the National Hockey League
between 1984 and 1998. He is perhaps most famous for his rocket slap shot that set the NHL Skills Competition record, which stood for 16 years, at 105.2 miles per hour (169.3 km/h). The record was broken in 2009 by Zdeno Chára
of the Boston Bruins
with a slap shot at 105.4 mph in Montreal. This record was again most recently broken by Chara at the 2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a shot of 105.9 mph.
Iafrate was given the nickname "the Planet" by Boston Globe sportswriter Kevin Paul Dupont for his peculiar personality.
in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
after a standout career with the Detroit Compuware Spitfires and a short but distinguished stay with the Belleville Bulls
of the Ontario Hockey League
(OHL). During his time with the Bulls, Iafrate was a teammate of fellow Detroit-area natives and future NHL players Kevin Hatcher
and Shawn Chambers
. Iafrate played for Team USA in the 1984 Winter Olympics
at Sarajevo
, Yugoslavia
. Hatcher and Iafrate would later team to quarterback the Washington Capitals
power play
in the early 1990s.
He played 799 career NHL games over twelve NHL seasons, scoring 152 goals and 311 assists for 463 points. He also compiled 1301 penalty minutes. His best season statistically was the 1992–93 season, when he scored 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points with the Washington Capitals
. That year the Capitals set a record for most goals by defensemen on a team in one season.
Iafrate dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament
in his knee, sciatic nerve
damage in his back, and a ruptured appendix. Because of injuries, Iafrate missed all of the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, and played less than 70 NHL games after his 28th birthday, retiring after the 1997-98 season at age 32. Iafrate attempted comebacks during the 1998–99 and 2001–02 seasons, although these comebacks ended during training camp.
Iafrate currently is involved in the research and development department with Warrior Hockey.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman who played in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
between 1984 and 1998. He is perhaps most famous for his rocket slap shot that set the NHL Skills Competition record, which stood for 16 years, at 105.2 miles per hour (169.3 km/h). The record was broken in 2009 by Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...
of the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
with a slap shot at 105.4 mph in Montreal. This record was again most recently broken by Chara at the 2011 All-Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a shot of 105.9 mph.
Iafrate was given the nickname "the Planet" by Boston Globe sportswriter Kevin Paul Dupont for his peculiar personality.
Playing career
Iafrate was selected 4th overall by the Toronto Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft
1984 NHL Entry Draft
The 1984 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 9, 1984, at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec.The 1984 Entry Draft was noted for the unusually high number of future Hall of Famers picked, particularly in lower rounds. In addition to Mario Lemieux being taken first overall, Patrick Roy was chosen...
after a standout career with the Detroit Compuware Spitfires and a short but distinguished stay with the Belleville Bulls
Belleville Bulls
The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:...
of the Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
(OHL). During his time with the Bulls, Iafrate was a teammate of fellow Detroit-area natives and future NHL players Kevin Hatcher
Kevin Hatcher
Kevin John Hatcher is a retired American professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the NHL for 17 seasons between 1984 and 2001 for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes...
and Shawn Chambers
Shawn Chambers
Shawn Randall Chambers is a retired American ice hockey player.A defenceman, Chambers played college hockey at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 1985-1987...
. Iafrate played for Team USA in the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
at Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Hatcher and Iafrate would later team to quarterback the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
power play
Power play (sport)
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
in the early 1990s.
He played 799 career NHL games over twelve NHL seasons, scoring 152 goals and 311 assists for 463 points. He also compiled 1301 penalty minutes. His best season statistically was the 1992–93 season, when he scored 25 goals and 41 assists for 66 points with the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
. That year the Capitals set a record for most goals by defensemen on a team in one season.
Iafrate dealt with numerous injuries throughout his career, including a torn anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
in his knee, sciatic nerve
Sciatic nerve
The sciatic nerve is a large nerve fiber in humans and other animals. It begins in the lower back and runs through the buttock and down the lower limb...
damage in his back, and a ruptured appendix. Because of injuries, Iafrate missed all of the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, and played less than 70 NHL games after his 28th birthday, retiring after the 1997-98 season at age 32. Iafrate attempted comebacks during the 1998–99 and 2001–02 seasons, although these comebacks ended during training camp.
Iafrate currently is involved in the research and development department with Warrior Hockey.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1983–84 | Belleville Bulls Belleville Bulls The Belleville Bulls are a junior ice hockey team, founded in 1981 based in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. The team plays in the Eastern Division of the Eastern Conference of the Ontario Hockey League.-History:... |
OHL Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada.... |
10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | ||
| 1984–85 | Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
68 | 5 | 16 | 21 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 65 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 40 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 1986–87 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 80 | 9 | 21 | 30 | 55 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | ||
| 1987–88 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 77 | 22 | 30 | 52 | 80 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | ||
| 1988–89 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 65 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 75 | 21 | 42 | 63 | 135 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 42 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 113 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Washington Capitals Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup... |
NHL | 30 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 124 | 10 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 22 | ||
| 1991–92 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 78 | 17 | 34 | 51 | 180 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 1992–93 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 81 | 25 | 41 | 66 | 169 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 1993–94 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 67 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 143 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 12 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 1996–97 | San Jose Sharks San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 38 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | 21 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| NHL totals | 799 | 152 | 311 | 463 | 1301 | 71 | 19 | 16 | 35 | 77 | ||||