Al Iafrate

Albert Anthony Iafrate ( ; born March 21, 1966) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League in 1984 and 1998. He is most famous for his very hard slapshot. He set a record for speed during the NHL Skills Competition of 1993, which was a record for 16 years. The speed of the slapshot was . The record was broken in 2009 by Zdeno Chára of the Boston Bruins with a slapshot at 105.4 mph in Montreal. Iafrate was born in Dearborn, Michigan, and grew up in Livonia, Michigan.

Iafrate was given the nickname "the Planet" by The Boston Globe writer Kevin Paul Dupont for his not regular personality.

Throughout the world, Iafrate has been on the United States team at the 1984 Winter Olympics and 1998 IIHF World Championship.

 Early career 
As a child, Iafrate played in the 1979 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Detroit.

Iafrate was chosen fourth overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft after a big career with the Windsor Compuware Spitfires and a short stay with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). Iafrate played for Team USA in the 1984 Winter Olympics at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. During the summer of 1984 Iafrate was driving a car with teammate Mike Vellucci when it crashed and flipped several times. Vellucci broke his back in the accident and could not play in the 1984–85 season, while Iafrate broke some ribs.

 Toronto Maple Leafs 
Iafrate started his NHL career with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1984 and played 68 games as a new blue liner, scoring 21 points for the team. One of his best moments came during his fourth season in the league when his heavy slapshot helped him score 22 goals and 52 points. Injuries made him only play 65 games and 33 points in the year after. After, he was allowed back in the  1989–90 season, scoring 21 goals and 63 points and making a return to the All-Star Game playing on the Maple Leafs. After 41 games in Toronto, Iafrate was added to the Washington Capitals in a trade for Peter Zezel and Bob Rouse. Toronto General Manager Floyd Smith was aware of what he had traded in the deal: "This year he hasn't played like an All-Star, and he'd be the first to admit that, but he certainly has the ability."

 References 

Category:1966 births
Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players
Category:People from Livonia, Michigan
Category:Living people
Category:People from Dearborn, Michigan
Category:Sportspeople from Michigan
Category:Washington Capitals players
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:San Jose Sharks players