Craig Rivet

Craig A. Rivet (; born September 13, 1974) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. He has previously played for the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League.
==Playing career==
===Junior career===
Craig Rivet was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft from the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League. He was drafted in the third round, 68th overall. Upon being drafted, he recorded junior career highs in 1992–93 with 19 goals, 55 assists and 74 points. He added 12 points in the playoffs as Kingston advanced to the semi-finals but were eliminated by the Peterborough Petes in five games.
===Montreal Canadiens===
After spending his first few professional seasons with Montreal's AHL affiliate, the Fredericton Canadiens, Craig Rivet earned a full-time roster spot with Montreal in 1997–98 and became an alternate captain to Saku Koivu during his time with the team. After a 25-point season with a career-high 8 goals in 2001–02, he re-signed with the Canadiens to a four-year, $12 million contract extension. In 2005–06, Rivet improved to 34 points, his best offensive output with the Canadiens.
===San Jose Sharks===
With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2006–07 season, Craig Rivet was traded on February 25, 2007, to the San Jose Sharks with a fifth round draft pick in 2008 for Josh Gorges and a first round draft pick in 2007. Before becoming an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, he re-signed with the Sharks to a four-year, US$14 million contract, citing San Jose's fan base and competitiveness as major factors in staying with the club. He reportedly chose that offer over San Jose's offer of $12 million over the same timespan but with a no-trade clause. In the first season of his new contract, he recorded a career-high 30 assists and 35 points, topping all team defencemen in scoring (Brian Campbell finished with more points overall during the season, but only scored 19 of his points with San Jose).
===Buffalo Sabres===
On July 4, 2008, Craig Rivet was traded to the Buffalo Sabres with a 2010 seventh round draft pick in exchange for two second round selections in the 2009 and 2010 drafts. Before making his 2008–09 debut with the Sabres, he was named team captain on October 8, replacing Jason Pominville, the last to be named captain as part of the Sabres rotating captaincy the previous season. At the end of the 2009-10 season, it was revealed that Rivet's play in the previous two seasons had been hampered by a double labrum tear, for which he would have off-season surgery. Despite initial estimates of 4–6 months for recovery, which would have impinged on the start of the 2010-11 season, he was expected to return for training camp. Despite this, the veteran defenseman announced that the 2010-11 season might be his last in the NHL. Rivet was waived by Buffalo on February 23, 2011.
===Portland Pirates===
After clearing waivers on 24 February 2011, Rivet was re-assigned to the Sabres' American Hockey League farm team, the Portland Pirates.Wrgz.com Buffalo Sabres Captain Craig Rivet Clears Waivers
===Columbus Blue Jackets===
On February 26, 2011, Rivet was claimed on re-entry waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets.Columbus Blue Jackets Claim Defenseman Craig Rivet Off Waivers from the Buffalo Sabres - Columbus Blue Jackets - News
===Elmira Jackals===
On October 10, 2011, Rivet signed a deal with the Elmira Jackals.
==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
1991–92 	Kingston Frontenacs 	OHL 		66 	5 	21 	26 	97 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Kingston Frontenacs 	OHL 		64 	19 	55 	74 	117 		16 	5 	7 	12 	39
1993–94 	Kingston Frontenacs 	OHL 		61 	12 	52 	64 	100 		6 	0 	3 	3 	6
1993–94 	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL 		4 	0 	2 	2 	2 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1994–95 	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL 		78 	5 	27 	32 	126 		12 	0 	4 	4 	17
1994–95 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		5 	0 	1 	1 	5 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1995–96 	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL 		49 	5 	18 	23 	189 		6 	0 	0 	0 	12
1995–96 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		19 	1 	4 	5 	54 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Fredericton Canadiens	AHL 		23 	3 	12 	15 	99 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1996–97 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		35 	0 	4 	4 	54 		5 	0 	1 	1 	14
1997–98 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		61 	0 	2 	2 	93 		5 	0 	0 	0 	2
1998–99 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		66 	2 	8 	10 	66 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1999–00 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		61 	3 	14 	17 	76 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2000–01 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		26 	1 	2 	3 	36 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		82 	8 	17 	25 	76 		12 	0 	3 	3 	4
2002–03 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		82 	7 	15 	22 	71 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		80 	4 	8 	12 	98 		11 	1 	4 	5 	2
2004–05 	TPS 	SM-l 		18 	3 	1 	4 	28 		6 	0 	0 	0 	39
2005–06 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		82 	7 	27 	34 	109 		6 	0 	2 	2 	2
2006–07 	Montreal Canadiens 	NHL 		54 	6 	10 	16 	57 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		17 	1 	7 	8 	12 		11 	2 	3 	5 	18
2007–08 	San Jose Sharks 	NHL 		74 	5 	30 	35 	104 		13 	0 	6 	6 	16
2008–09 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		64 	2 	22 	24 	125 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		78 	1 	14 	15 	100 		6 	1 	0 	1 	11
2010–11 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 		23 	1 	2 	3 	12 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2010–11 	Columbus Blue Jackets	NHL 		14 	1 	0 	1 	23 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		923 	50 	186 	237 	1171 		69 	4 	19 	23 	69
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==International play==
Craig Rivet has made one international appearance for Team Canada at the 2003 World Championships in Finland. He recorded 1 assist in 9 games as Team Canada captured the gold medal against Sweden 3-2 in the final.
==References==
==External links==
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Category:Born in 1974
Category:Barrie Colts alumni
Category:Buffalo Sabres captains
Category:Buffalo Sabres players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Columbus Blue Jackets players
Category:Fredericton Canadiens players
Category:Kingston Frontenacs alumni
Category:Montreal Canadiens draft picks
Category:Montreal Canadiens players
Category:TPS players