# Daren Puppa

Daren James Puppa (born March 23, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender in the NHL. During his career, he played for the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won the 1985 NCAA Championship with the RPI Engineers. He is the cousin of NHL hockey player Ralph Backstrom.

## Career biography

Born in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, Puppa started his professional career in 1985, splitting time between the Buffalo Sabres and the AHL's Rochester Americans. Aged 20 years, 223 days, he made his NHL debut on November 1, 1985, and posted a 2-0 shutout win over the Edmonton Oilers. He was the starting goalie for the Amerks in the 1986-1987 season when the team won the Calder Cup. Following the trade of Buffalo's all-star goaltender Tom Barrasso to the Pittsburgh Penguins early in the 1988–89 season, Puppa battled Jacques Cloutier to establish himself as the Sabres' number one goalie, and the following season Puppa led the league with 31 wins in 56 games. In the 1992–93 season he was traded to the Maple Leafs, but played only eight games for them before being claimed by the Lightning via the Panthers in the 1993 NHL Expansion Draft. In 1995–96. Puppa's stellar goaltending was a major factor in the Lightning earning their first playoff berth in team history. The team took the heavily favoured Philadelphia Flyers to six games before losing in the first round. Puppa's solid goaltending in the 1995-96 season earned him his second Vezina nomination; he was second runner-up behind the ultimate winner, Jim Carey.
However, the next season Puppa developed chronic back trouble, and only played six games for the entire season. He only played 44 more games over the next four years, and he was forced to retire midway through the 1999–2000 season.
In addition to his 1996 nomination, Puppa also was the runner up to Patrick Roy for the 1989–1990 Vezina Trophy, awarded to the best NHL goaltender each year.
Puppa and his wife Meg have three children. The family resides in Tampa, Florida.
In 2019, Puppa returned to the ice in a game for the Buffalo Sabres Alumni Hockey Team while on a visit to Buffalo. Puppa, whose back problems and lingering effects from a 1989 shoulder injury still limit his mobility (he had not played hockey at any level since 2001 because of those injuries), led the Sabres alumni to a win.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | W | L | T | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% | GP | W | L | MIN | GA | SO | GAA | SV% |
| 1981–82 | Kirkland Lake Legion 87s | GNML | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83 | Kirkland Lake Legion 87s | GNML | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1983–84 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 32 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 1816 | 89 | 0 | 2.94 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1984–85 | RPI Engineers | ECAC | 32 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1830 | 78 | 0 | 2.56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 20 | 8 | 11 | 0 | 1092 | 79 | 0 | 4.34 | .873 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 401 | 21 | 1 | 3.14 | .886 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1986–87 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 57 | 37 | 14 | 2 | 3129 | 146 | 1 | 2.80 | .900 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 944 | 48 | 1 | 3.05 | — |
| 1986–87 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 185 | 13 | 0 | 4.22 | .835 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1987–88 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 26 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1415 | 65 | 2 | 2.76 | .906 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 108 | 5 | 0 | 2.78 | — |
| 1987–88 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 17 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 874 | 61 | 0 | 4.19 | .870 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 140 | 11 | 0 | 4.70 | .836 |
| 1988–89 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 37 | 17 | 10 | 6 | 1908 | 107 | 1 | 3.36 | .889 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1989–90 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 56 | 31 | 16 | 6 | 3241 | 156 | 1 | 2.89 | .903 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 370 | 15 | 0 | 2.43 | .921 |
| 1990–91 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 38 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 2092 | 118 | 2 | 3.38 | .885 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 81 | 10 | 0 | 7.42 | .783 |
| 1991–92 | Rochester Americans | AHL | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 119 | 9 | 0 | 4.54 | .830 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1991–92 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 33 | 11 | 14 | 4 | 1757 | 114 | 0 | 3.89 | .878 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Buffalo Sabres | NHL | 24 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 1306 | 78 | 0 | 3.58 | .890 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1992–93 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 479 | 18 | 2 | 2.25 | .922 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 | .857 |
| 1993–94 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 63 | 22 | 33 | 6 | 1472 | 165 | 4 | 2.71 | .899 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1994–95 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 36 | 14 | 19 | 2 | 2013 | 90 | 1 | 2.68 | .905 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1995–96 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 57 | 29 | 16 | 9 | 3189 | 131 | 5 | 2.46 | .918 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 173 | 14 | 0 | 4.85 | .837 |
| 1996–97 | Adirondack Red Wings | AHL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 2.90 | .864 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1996–97 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 325 | 14 | 0 | 2.58 | .907 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 26 | 5 | 14 | 6 | 1456 | 66 | 0 | 2.72 | .900 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1998–99 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 13 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 691 | 33 | 2 | 2.87 | .906 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1999–00 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 249 | 19 | 0 | 4.58 | .853 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 429 | 179 | 161 | 54 | 23,819 | 1,204 | 19 | 3.03 | .897 | 16 | 4 | 9 | 785 | 51 | 0 | 3.90 | .871 |

## Awards and honors

| Award | Year |
| AHCA East second-team All-American | 1983–84 |
| AHCA All Tournament Team | 1984–85 |
| AHL Calder Cup Champion | 1986–87 |
| AHL first All-Star team | 1986–87 |
| NHL All-Star | 1989–90 |
| NHL second All-Star team | 1989–90 |