Jeff Taffe

Jeffrey Charles Taffe (born February 19, 1981 in Hastings, Minnesota) is a center for the Minnesota Wild organization. He was acquired by Chicago on July 22, 2010 in exchange for center Marty Reasoner. Taffe was drafted in the first round, 30th overall, by the St. Louis Blues in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
==Playing career==
After playing three seasons with the University of Minnesota, during which the Blues traded his rights to the Phoenix Coyotes in a deal involving Keith Tkachuk, Taffe made his professional debut with Coyotes' American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, in the 2002–03 season. He also appeared in 20 NHL games with the Coyotes that same season, scoring three goals.
Taffe spent the 2004-2005 season as a member of the American Hockey League's Utah Grizzlies. On November 28, 2004, Taffe was involved in an on-ice incident where he elbowed Houston Aeros goalie Josh Harding in the back of Harding's neck, resulting in a grade two concussion to Harding. Taffe was suspended for four games by the league.
Taffe appeared in 82 games over parts of three seasons with the Coyotes before being traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Jamie Lundmark during the 2005–06 season. He appeared in two games with the Rangers, before being traded back to Phoenix later in the season in exchange for Martin Sonnenberg.
On July 13, 2007, Taffe signed a one-year contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins. After beginning the 2007–08 with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Taffe was recalled to Pittsburgh and found a checking role on the fourth line. He remained on the team as a healthy scratch in the playoffs that year as Adam Hall was favored to fill Taffe's fourth line position. 
After re-signing with the Penguins, Taffe played a handful of games with Pittsburgh during the 2008–09 season mainly playing in Wilkes-Barre. After Wilkes-Barre was eliminated from the AHL playoffs, Taffe was recalled for the Pittsburgh Penguins playoff run and eventual 2009 Stanley Cup Championship. He was on the practice squad but did not play in any games and was not included on the Stanley Cup due to this fact. However, Taffe and a number of other Wilkes-Barre players and healthy scratches took part in the on-ice celebration and team photo.
Taffe then signed a two year, two-way deal with the Florida Panthers on July 3, 2009.
The Florida Panthers traded Jeff Taffe to the Chicago Blackhawks for Marty Reasoner on July 22, 2010. Taffe was assigned to Chicago's AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs shortly before the 2010 NHL regular season began.
On July 3, 2011, Taffe signed a two-way contract with the Minnesota Wild.
==Awards==
*1998–99 Minnesota Mr. Hockey (most outstanding senior high school player in Minnesota)
*2001–02 WCHA Third All-Star Team
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1998–99 	Rochester Mustangs 	USHL 		17 	12 	9 	21 	26 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	University of Minnesota 	WCHA 		39 	10 	10 	20 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	University of Minnesota 	WCHA 		38 	12 	23 	35 	56 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	University of Minnesota 	WCHA 		43 	34 	24 	58 	86 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2002–03 	Springfield Falcons 	AHL 		57 	23 	26 	49 	44 		5 	0 	3 	3 	8
2002–03 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		20 	3 	1 	4 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Springfield Falcons 	AHL 		15 	10 	6 	16 	19 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		59 	8 	10 	18 	20 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Utah Grizzlies 	AHL 		27 	9 	10 	19 	35 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	New York Rangers 	NHL 		2 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Hartford Wolf Pack 	AHL 		36 	6 	16 	22 	34 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		33 	5 	6 	11 	29 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	San Antonio Rampage 	AHL 		59 	20 	20 	40 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Phoenix Coyotes 	NHL 		17 	4 	2 	6 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		27 	11 	10 	21 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2007–08 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		45 	5 	7 	12 	8 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2008–09 	Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins	AHL 		74 	25 	50 	75 	65 		12 	5 	6 	11 	22
2008–09 	Pittsburgh Penguins 	NHL 		8 	0 	2 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Rochester Americans 	AHL 		61 	28 	28 	56 	47 		7 	1 	6 	7 	9
2009–10 	Florida Panthers 	NHL 		21 	1 	1 	2 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Rockford IceHogs 	AHL 		74 	30 	37 	67 	22 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Chicago Blackhawks 	NHL 		1 	0 	0 	0 	0 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL Totals	NHL Totals 	NHL Totals		175 	21 	23 	44 	40 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1981
Category:American ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Blackhawks players
Category:Florida Panthers players
Category:Hartford Wolf Pack players
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers players
Category:National Hockey League first round draft picks
Category:New York Rangers players
Category:Phoenix Coyotes players
Category:Pittsburgh Penguins players
Category:Rochester Americans players
Category:Rochester Mustangs players
Category:Rockford IceHogs players
Category:St. Louis Blues draft picks
Category:San Antonio Rampage players
Category:Springfield Falcons players
Category:Utah Grizzlies players
Category:Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins players