Jason Jaffray

Background

Jaffray played five seasons of major junior in the Western Hockey League, winning the WHL Championship with the Kootenay Ice in 1999–2000 and appearing in the 2000 Memorial Cup. Undrafted, he turned professional in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express, where he was named Rookie of the Month twice and earned the 2003 CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year Award. He later played for the Wheeling Nailers and signed a tryout contract with the Cleveland Barons, but his tenure was cut short when the Barons inadvertently forgot to renew his working visa, making him ineligible to play in the United States. On his way back to his hometown of Olds, Alberta, he received a phone call from Manitoba Moose general manager Craig Heisinger and changed direction to play in Hamilton, Ontario, that night, scoring the lone goal for Manitoba in a 3–1 loss.

Jaffray recorded an AHL career-high 81 points in 77 games in 2006–07, leading the Moose in team scoring. He tied a Moose franchise record for most goals in one game with four against the Chicago Wolves on October 24, 2006, and set franchise records for game-winning goals and powerplay goals. His successful year culminated in an AHL Second Team All-Star selection and his first NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He made his NHL debut on December 12, 2007, against the Anaheim Ducks, picking up his first NHL point on an assist on Mason Raymond's first NHL goal and scoring his own first goal, the eventual game winner, against J. S. Giguere.