Byron Dafoe
Encyclopedia
Byron Dafoe is a British
-Canadian
former National Hockey League
goaltender
. He was born in Worthing
, Sussex, England
and moved to Duncan, British Columbia
with his mother at the age of two months old. Between 1992 and 2004, he played for the Boston Bruins
, Washington Capitals
, Los Angeles Kings
and Atlanta Thrashers
. "Lord Byron" was his obligatory goalie nickname.
by the Washington Capitals
and made his NHL debut in the 1992-93 season. Dafoe also played for the Capitals in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. In 1995, Dafoe joined the Los Angeles Kings
, with whom he stayed for two seasons before being traded to the Boston Bruins
in 1997.
In the following two season, Dafoe helped the Bruins back to the playoffs, winning a postseason series in 1999. He finished third in voting for the Vezina Trophy
and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, edging out Curtis Joseph
in the voting. Due to a contract dispute with Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden
, he was a holdout for part of the 1999–2000 season and suffered injuries during it, so he never regained his previous form.
In 2002, he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers. Byron Dafoe retired from professional hockey following the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
Outside of the NHL, Dafoe has played for WHL
sides Portland Winter Hawks
(1986–1990) and Prince Albert Raiders
(1990–1991), ECHL
side Hampton Roads Admirals
, AHL
sides Baltimore Skipjacks
(1991–1992 and 1992–1993), New Haven Nighthawks
(1992) and Portland Pirates
(1993–1994 and 1994–1995), and IHL side Phoenix Roadrunners
. He was voted a First Team AHL All-Star in 1993-94 and won a Calder Cup
championship that season with the Portland Pirates.
During Dafoe's time with the Winter Hawks, he had an on-ice fistfight with Tri-City Americans
goaltender Olaf Kölzig
, someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL—so friendly that they served as each other's best man when they got married. He and Kolzig also had a "friendly" fight later in their NHL careers on November 28, 1998 when the Boston Bruins took on the Washington Capitals. During the game, a fight broke out that was so violent and all encompassing, the goalies (Dafoe and Kolzig) also got caught up in it. The fight between the goalies was primarily comedic, with both Dafoe and Kolzig laughing as they landed punches.
Along with fellow NHLers Kölzig and Scott Mellanby
, Dafoe is a founder of Athletes Against Autism
, as his son is autistic.
Dafoe and his family currently reside in Kelowna, BC.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
former 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...
goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
. He was born in Worthing
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, Sussex, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and moved to Duncan, British Columbia
Duncan, British Columbia
Duncan is a city on southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada.-History:The community is named after William Chalmers Duncan . He arrived in Victoria in May 1862, then in August of that year he was one of the party of a hundred settlers which Governor Douglas took to Cowichan Bay...
with his mother at the age of two months old. Between 1992 and 2004, he played for 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...
, 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...
, Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
. "Lord Byron" was his obligatory goalie nickname.
Playing career
Dafoe was drafted 35th overall in the 2nd round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft1989 NHL Entry Draft
The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 17 at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota. Some believe that the Detroit Red Wings' 1989 draft was the most successful ever, with 5,721 total NHL games played by the players selected.-Selections by round:...
by 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...
and made his NHL debut in the 1992-93 season. Dafoe also played for the Capitals in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. In 1995, Dafoe joined the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, with whom he stayed for two seasons before being traded to 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...
in 1997.
In the following two season, Dafoe helped the Bruins back to the playoffs, winning a postseason series in 1999. He finished third in voting for the Vezina Trophy
Vezina Trophy
The Vezina Trophy is awarded annually to the National Hockey League's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position". At the end of each season, the 30 General Managers of the teams in the National Hockey League vote to determine the goaltender who was the most valuable to his team...
and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, edging out Curtis Joseph
Curtis Joseph
Curtis Shayne Joseph is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. He last played for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League....
in the voting. Due to a contract dispute with Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden
Harry Sinden
Harry James Sinden was the long-time general manager, coach, and president for the Boston Bruins NHL hockey team, and was the coach of Team Canada during the 1972 Summit Series...
, he was a holdout for part of the 1999–2000 season and suffered injuries during it, so he never regained his previous form.
In 2002, he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers. Byron Dafoe retired from professional hockey following the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
Outside of the NHL, Dafoe has played for WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
sides Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
(1986–1990) and Prince Albert Raiders
Prince Albert Raiders
The Prince Albert Raiders are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The Raiders play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. They are based in the Saskatchewan city of Prince Albert...
(1990–1991), ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
side Hampton Roads Admirals
Hampton Roads Admirals
The Hampton Roads Admirals were an American professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena....
, AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
sides Baltimore Skipjacks
Baltimore Skipjacks
The Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena.-History:...
(1991–1992 and 1992–1993), New Haven Nighthawks
New Haven Nighthawks
The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings...
(1992) and Portland Pirates
Portland Pirates
The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the...
(1993–1994 and 1994–1995), and IHL side Phoenix Roadrunners
Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL)
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name...
. He was voted a First Team AHL All-Star in 1993-94 and won a Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
championship that season with the Portland Pirates.
During Dafoe's time with the Winter Hawks, he had an on-ice fistfight with Tri-City Americans
Tri-City Americans
The Tri-City Americans are a major junior ice hockey team of the Western Hockey League, based in Kennewick, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Toyota Center...
goaltender Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig
Olaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
, someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL—so friendly that they served as each other's best man when they got married. He and Kolzig also had a "friendly" fight later in their NHL careers on November 28, 1998 when the Boston Bruins took on the Washington Capitals. During the game, a fight broke out that was so violent and all encompassing, the goalies (Dafoe and Kolzig) also got caught up in it. The fight between the goalies was primarily comedic, with both Dafoe and Kolzig laughing as they landed punches.
Along with fellow NHLers Kölzig and Scott Mellanby
Scott Mellanby
Scott Edgar Mellanby is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player. He primarily played right wing throughout his career, on occasion shifting over to the left side. He is the son of former Hockey Night in Canada producer Ralph Mellanby. He is currently the assistant coach of the St...
, Dafoe is a founder of Athletes Against Autism
Athletes Against Autism
Athletes Against Autism is a nonprofit organization founded by NHL players Olaf Kolzig, Byron Dafoe, and Scott Mellanby. It is led by athletes personally touched by autism who are raising awareness and funds for research, treatment, and education...
, as his son is autistic.
Dafoe and his family currently reside in Kelowna, BC.
Awards
- Hap Holmes Memorial AwardHap Holmes Memorial AwardThe Hap Holmes Memorial Award is an ice hockey trophy awarded annually to the goaltenders of the American Hockey League team with the lowest goals against average, and who have appeared in at least 25 regular season games....
(shared with Olaf KolzigOlaf KölzigOlaf Kölzig is a retired German professional ice hockey goaltender and associate goalie coach for the Washington Capitals. With the exception of 8 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, he played his entire 14 year career with the Capitals...
) - 1993–94 - NHL Second All-Star Team - 1998–99
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 | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA Goals against average Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender.... |
||
| 1988–89 | Portland Winter Hawks Portland Winter Hawks The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
59 | 29 | 24 | 3 | 3279 | 291 | 1 | 5.32 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1091 | 81 | 1 | 4.45 | ||
| 1989–90 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 40 | 14 | 21 | 3 | 2265 | 193 | 0 | 5.11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 8 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 414 | 41 | 0 | 5.94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | Prince Albert Raiders Prince Albert Raiders The Prince Albert Raiders are a major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The Raiders play in the East Division of the Eastern Conference. They are based in the Saskatchewan city of Prince Albert... |
WHL | 32 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 1839 | 124 | 0 | 4.04 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 1991–92 ECHL season The 1991-92 ECHL season was the fourth season of the ECHL. In 1991, the league welcomed four new franchises: the Columbus Chill, Dayton Bombers, Raleigh Icecaps, and Toledo Storm. The 15 teams played 64 games in the schedule. The Toledo Storm finished first overall in the regular season... |
Hampton Roads Admirals Hampton Roads Admirals The Hampton Roads Admirals were an American professional ice hockey team in the ECHL. They played in Norfolk, Virginia at the Norfolk Scope Arena.... |
ECHL ECHL The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States... |
10 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 562 | 26 | 0 | 2.78 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 1091 | 81 | 1 | 4.45 | ||
| 1991–92 1991–92 AHL season The 1991–92 AHL season was the 56th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns from divisions into three divisions, creating the new Atlantic division. Fifteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Fredericton Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season... |
Baltimore Skipjacks Baltimore Skipjacks The Baltimore Skipjacks were a minor professional ice hockey team in the Atlantic Coast Hockey League and the American Hockey League. They played in Baltimore, Maryland, at the Baltimore Arena.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
33 | 12 | 16 | 4 | 1847 | 119 | 0 | 3.86 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1991–92 | New Haven Nighthawks New Haven Nighthawks The New Haven Nighthawks are a former ice hockey team that played in the American Hockey League from 1972 to 1992. They had affiliations with the Minnesota North Stars , New York Islanders , New York Rangers , and Los Angeles Kings... |
AHL | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 364 | 22 | 0 | 3.63 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 | 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 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... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1992–93 1992–93 AHL season The 1992–93 AHL season was the 57th season of the American Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Binghamton Rangers finished first overall in the regular season with 124 points, a which holds to this day... |
Baltimore Skipjacks | AHL | 48 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 2617 | 191 | 1 | 4.38 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 241 | 22 | 0 | 5.47 | ||
| 1993–94 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 230 | 13 | 0 | 3.39 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 118 | 5 | 0 | 2.54 | ||
| 1993–94 1993–94 AHL season The 1993–94 AHL season was the 58th season of the American Hockey League. Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The St. John's Maple Leafs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Portland Pirates Portland Pirates The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the... |
AHL | 47 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 2661 | 148 | 1 | 3.34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7.50 | ||
| 1994–95 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 187 | 11 | 0 | 3.53 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | ||
| 1994–95 1994–95 AHL season The 1994–95 AHL season was the 59th season of the American Hockey League. The All-Star Game is revived, with All-Stars grouped into "Team Canada" and "Team USA." Sixteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule... |
Portland Pirates Portland Pirates The Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the... |
AHL | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 330 | 16 | 0 | 2.91 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 417 | 29 | 0 | 4.17 | ||
| 1994–95 | Phoenix Roadrunners Phoenix Roadrunners (IHL) The Phoenix Roadrunners were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. The team was housed at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team played in the IHL from 1989 to 1997. The IHL Roadrunners were named for a World Hockey Association team of the same name... |
IHL | 49 | 25 | 16 | - | 2744 | 169 | 2 | 3.70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 47 | 14 | 24 | 8 | 2666 | 172 | 1 | 3.87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 40 | 13 | 17 | 5 | 2162 | 112 | 0 | 3.11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1997–98 | 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 | 65 | 30 | 25 | 9 | 3693 | 138 | 6 | 2.24 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 422 | 14 | 1 | 1.99 | ||
| 1998–99 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 68 | 32 | 23 | 11 | 4001 | 133 | 10 | 1.99 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 768 | 26 | 2 | 2.03 | ||
| 1999–2000 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 41 | 13 | 16 | 10 | 2307 | 114 | 3 | 2.96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 45 | 22 | 14 | 7 | 2536 | 101 | 2 | 2.39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 35 | 26 | 3 | 3827 | 141 | 4 | 2.21 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 358 | 19 | 0 | 3.18 | ||
| 2002–03 | Atlanta Thrashers Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season... |
NHL | 17 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 895 | 65 | 0 | 4.36 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 18 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 973 | 51 | 0 | 3.14 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 415 | 171 | 170 | 56 | 23478 | 1051 | 26 | 2.68 | 27 | 10 | 16 | 1686 | 65 | 3 | 2.31 | ||||