Rafalski leaves lasting imprint on the NHL

DETROIT Because of Brian Rafalski, there will be more players like him in the NHL someday. The Detroit Red Wings defenseman officially retired on Wednesday. Although he might not realize it yet, Rafalski helped pave the way for players who don't fit the typical mold. Let's face it, defensemen who are 5-foot-10 and 194 pounds aren't exactly the most coveted players in professional hockey. The game is all about being bigger, stronger, faster. Yet somehow a small guy from Dearborn, Mich., made it to the show. It wasn't easy. Rafalski, 37, was not drafted and had to go play four years in Europe before the New Jersey Devils picked him up. "It was definitely something with the expansion of the NHL that gave me an opportunity to go over there, prove myself," Rafalski said at his retirement press conference Wednesday. "So to get as good as you can, it was good for me to go over there. "There's no three-year contract, so you'd better get better if you want to get more money, if you want to make it. It gave me an opportunity to work on my skill game and play with some great players." Rafalski's accomplishments speak for themselves: three Stanley Cup championships (New Jersey in 2000 and 2003, Detroit in 2008) and two Olympic silver medals as a member of Team USA, including the 2010 Vancouver games. He was named the tournament's most outstanding defenseman in Vancouver. "I'd say the Olympics were great experiences," Rafalski said. "The success I had was terrific with two different types of teams. The first was an older, experienced team, and the second time was with a new group of young players, young stars coming up. "The future looks so bright." The fewest points Rafalski ever had in the NHL was 32 (five goals, 27 assists) in his first NHL season, 1999-2000. But among first-year defensemen, he ranked second in scoring and was named to the All-Rookie Team. Since then, he usually reached at least the upper 40s in points each season. That included his injury-plagued last season, in which he had four goals and 44 assists in only 63 games. Rafalski was an All-Star three times (2002, 2004, 2007). Another accomplished American defenseman, Chris Chelios, now in the Wings' front office, spoke about Rafalski's legacy. "It's a whole different game," Chelios said. "He's been able to change with the evolution of the speed. "Real smart, headsy player, Rafi. You're not going to get too many smarter guys like that. His skill level, being able to be a penalty killer, power play, just showed a real intelligent, (University of) Wisconsin-bred defenseman. He developed, and then he went to Europe to make his game even better and was ready to come to the NHL. "He's a quality guy, quality teammate. If I could have talked him out of it (retirement), I would." Red Wings right wing Kris Draper echoed Chelios' sentiment that it was Rafalski's intelligence that helped make him the player he was. "Just one of those guys where you play against him, you want to hit him, you want to take him out every time he goes back to get the puck, but he's very smart," Draper said. "Sometimes, you don't even see him because there's a bigger body over him. The next thing you know Rafi comes out with the puck." Goaltender Jimmy Howard said the veteran would be missed. "He's such a great role model for young guys, guys that are developing into being defensemen," Howard said. "He's just so good at making that first pass out of the zone and as a goalie, you're going to miss that." Draper said smaller kids who have seen Rafalski play and excel at the NHL level have hope because of him. "It's a great success story for young kids, young hockey players, young athletes," Draper said. "If you believe in yourself and this is your dream, you know what? Go get it. That's exactly what Rafi did."