Stefan Della Rovere

Playing career

Stefan Della Rovere, a Canadian who played professional hockey, was born on February 25, 1990. His most recent team was the Heilbronner Falken in Germany’s DEL2. The Washington Capitals picked him in the seventh round, 204th overall, during the 2008 NHL draft. On the international stage, he played for Canada at the World Junior Championships in 2009 and 2010, taking home a gold medal and then a silver.

Growing up in Maple, Ontario, just northwest of Toronto, Della Rovere went to St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School. He played minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League for the Vaughan Rangers, Toronto Marlboros, and Toronto Jr. Canadiens. After his minor midget season with the Jr. Canadiens in 2005–06, the Barrie Colts selected him 16th overall in the first round of the 2006 OHL Priority Selection. As a 17-year-old rookie, he scored seven goals in 48 games and won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2007 Canada Winter Games.

The next season, he boosted his numbers to 13 goals and 32 points, catching the Capitals’ attention in the 2008 draft. His standout 2008–09 campaign with the Colts made him a key prospect for Washington and earned him a spot on Canada’s gold-winning World Junior team. He signed with the Capitals late that season and debuted professionally with their ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, notching one assist in two games.

Della Rovere returned to Barrie for 2009–10 as team captain. Coaches and teammates praised his work ethic, but he faced criticism for on-ice discipline issues, which he vowed to fix after making Canada’s 2010 World Junior roster. After that season, the Capitals traded his NHL rights to the St. Louis Blues for D. J. King. The Blues called him up on December 1, 2010, and he made his NHL debut that night against Washington, the team that originally drafted him.

In September 2014, the Toronto Marlies of the AHL signed Della Rovere to a contract. After training camp, he was sent to their ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears, for the 2014–15 season. He served as captain there, scoring 26 points in 59 games. On August 30, 2015, a roster ceremony revealed he had signed a one-year deal with HC Valpellice in Italy’s Serie A. He later played for HC Fassa in the Alps Hockey League before joining the Braehead Clan of the British EIHL in February 2017. In July 2017, he signed with the Kassel Huskies in Germany’s DEL2. A year later, he moved back to the UK to play for the Sheffield Steelers. During the 2018–19 season, he put up 16 points in 36 games for the Steelers before leaving to rejoin the DEL2 with the Dresdner Eislöwen on January 18, 2019. His cousin, Kristin, is also a professional hockey player.