Al Iafrate

Lore & Background

Iafrate was born in Dearborn, Michigan, and grew up in Livonia, Michigan. He was selected fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL entry draft. He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, and Carolina Hurricanes. He set a record for slapshot velocity during the 1993 NHL Skills Competition at 105.2 mph, a record that stood for 16 years. He represented the United States at the 1984 Winter Olympics and the 1998 IIHF World Championship.

In Their Own Story

The Scotiabank Place—still young, still smelling faintly of construction dust in the upper bowl—was packed for a Tuesday-night game in the winter of 1993. The lights hummed overhead, casting long blue-white shadows across the ice. Iafrate stood at the centre faceoff, stick planted, eyes already tracking the play before the puck even dropped. The opposing winger lunged, but Iafrate had already read the lane. A soft backhand, just a whisper of tape on rubber, and the puck was already in the hands of a winger cutting the corner. The crowd exhaled as one. It was not a slap shot. It was not a highlight-reel moment. It was, in the language of that era, simply the right play. And in Ottawa, in those early, uncertain years, the right play was worth more than any goal.

Reader's Guide

Iafrate was a defenseman known for one of the hardest slapshots in hockey history. He played 799 career NHL games, scoring 152 goals and 311 assists for 463 points, with 1301 penalty minutes. His best statistical season was 1992–93 with the Washington Capitals, when he scored 25 goals and 41 assists. He was selected to four NHL All-Star Games (1988, 1990, 1993, 1994) and named to the NHL second All-Star team in 1992–93.

Did You Know?

• Iafrate set a slapshot velocity record of 105.2 mph at the 1993 NHL All-Star Skills Competition.
• He missed the entire 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons due to back and knee injuries.
• Iafrate attempted a comeback in 2001 but did not return to professional hockey.