Andrew Ference

Last updated

Andrew Ference
Andrew Ference - Edmonton Oilers.jpg
Ference with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014
Born (1979-03-17) March 17, 1979 (age 44)
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 184 lb (83 kg; 13 st 2 lb)
Position Defence
Shot Left
Played for Pittsburgh Penguins
Calgary Flames
HC České Budějovice
Boston Bruins
Edmonton Oilers
NHL Draft 208th overall, 1997
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 1999–2015
Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1999 Canada

Andrew James Stewart Ference (born March 17, 1979) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenseman. Ference played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers. In 2011, Ference helped the Bruins to their 2011 sixth Stanley Cup championship. Ference was born in Edmonton, but grew up in nearby Sherwood Park, Alberta.

Contents

Playing career

WHL and Pittsburgh Penguins

Ference began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Portland Winterhawks. After two full seasons with the team, he was selected 208th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. Ference was not ranked by Central Scouting for the draft. In response, Ference sent a letter to every NHL general manager indicating his belief he would play in the NHL and also enclosed testing results conducted by the University of Alberta. [1] Ference played two more seasons with Portland and had a brief stint in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Kansas City Blades before joining Pittsburgh in 1999.

After making his NHL debut on October 1, 1999, in a game against the Dallas Stars, Ference scored his first NHL goal a month later against the Nashville Predators on November 13, 1999. He split his rookie season between Pittsburgh and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, finishing with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 30 NHL games and 28 points (8 goals, 20 assists) in 44 AHL games.

The next season, Ference continued to share time between both Penguins teams. Ference played in his first NHL playoffs with Pittsburgh in 2001, playing 18 games and scoring 3 goals and 10 points before the Penguins were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils. In his third NHL season, Ference established himself as a full-time NHLer, scoring 11 points in 75 games.

Calgary Flames and NHL Lockout

On February 9, 2003, in the middle of the 2002–03 season, Ference was traded to the Calgary Flames for future considerations. He posted 4 assists in 16 games during the remainder of the season with Calgary. The next season, he registered 16 points with 4 goals and 12 assists in 72 games for Calgary and also played 26 playoff games posting 3 assists. Calgary reached the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

With the 2004–05 NHL season suspended due to a lock-out, Ference played in the Czech Republic for HC České Budějovice. Ference returned to the Flames when the NHL restarted the next season. He played all 82 games of the season for the first time in his career, scoring 4 goals, and 27 assists for a career high 31 points.

Boston Bruins

Ference in 2012. Andrew Ference - Boston Bruins 2012.jpg
Ference in 2012.

The following season, on February 10, 2007, he was traded, along with teammate Chuck Kobasew, to the Boston Bruins for defenceman Brad Stuart and centre Wayne Primeau. Ference scored 1 goal, along with 15 assists, during the 2008–09 NHL season. On March 23, 2010, he agreed on a three-year contract extension with the Bruins worth an annual average salary of $2.25 million.

On April 22, 2011, Ference was fined $2,500 for an obscene gesture to the crowd at the Bell Centre in Game 4 of the playoffs first round series against the Montreal Canadiens. Ference's initial comments after the incident indicated it was an "equipment malfunction," [2] though he later confessed [3] it had been an intentional gesture following an emotional playoff goal. Some teammates credited this incident as a turning point in their eventual Stanley Cup Victory. In the Bruins 4–3 game 7 victory over the Montreal of the same series, Ference drew much ire for a questionable collision to the head of Canadiens' Jeff Halpern, but upon a disciplinary hearing it was ruled that the hit did not warrant any sort of disciplinary action. [4] [5]

On June 15, 2011, Ference and the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4–0 in Game 7 of the Final to win the Stanley Cup. [6]

The next season Ference scored 6 goals, a career high, and was named alternate captain during home games for the first half of the season, and during away games for the second half of the season. [7]

Edmonton Oilers

On July 5, 2013, he signed a four-year deal as a free agent with his hometown team, the Edmonton Oilers. [8] On September 29, Ference was named the 14th captain in Oilers NHL franchise history, succeeding Shawn Horcoff, who had been traded to the Dallas Stars. [9] On October 7, 2015, after serving as the Oilers captain for the past two seasons, it was announced that Ference had relinquished his role as captain and was named as an alternate captain, along with Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. [10] After playing in just six games of the 2015–16 NHL season, Ference was placed on IR to undergo season-ending hip surgery.

On September 16, 2016, Ference announced his retirement after 16 seasons. [11] He however remained on the Oilers long-term injured list for the duration of the 2016–17 season, before formally ending his career at the conclusion of his contract on July 13, 2017. [12]

Post playing career

In 2018 Ference joined the NHL as its first Director of Social Impact, Growth and Fan Development. His focus will be on grass-roots growth, community development efforts, engaging minority fans and players, and better facilitating relations between players and the league. [13]

Personal life

Family

Ference and Krista Bradford, a former professional snowboarder, married in 2002. They have two daughters together. [14] [15] [16]

Ference during the North End Stanley Cup parade in 2011. Andrew Ference lifts Stanley Cup during parade.jpg
Ference during the North End Stanley Cup parade in 2011.

Environmentalism

Ference's association with environmentalist David Suzuki while in Calgary led him to create a carbon-neutral program for the NHL, which now includes over 500 players who purchase carbon offset credits to counteract the negative environmental impact of professional sports. [17]

In February 2012, National Geographic began a ten-episode Web series called "Beyond the Puck" highlighting Andrew's life as an NHL Player and "eco-warrior." [18]

Stanley Cup Parade

On September 5, 2011, following the Bruins Stanley Cup championship, Ference organized and led a parade and flash mob in Boston's North End, which is the area where he resided during the NHL season. [19] After bringing the Stanley Cup to and from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on a bike trailer, Ference brought the Cup to an area of the North End outside the TD Garden. There, the Cup was hoisted up on a platform carried by friends and family, and paraded through the North End, with many stops at local shops along the way. Ference and the other Cup-carriers were accompanied by a marching band, members of The Boston Bruins Ice Girls, and the Boston Bruins mascot Blades. Hundreds of fans also joined them for the parade, which was concluded with a dancing flash mob. [20]

Other

Ference is a fan of English Premier League football club Arsenal F.C. [21]

Ference is also a member of the popular November Project workout tribe in Boston and Edmonton. [22]

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

Regular season Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1994–95 Portland Winter Hawks WHL 20000—————
1995–96 Portland Winter HawksWHL7293140159713412
1996–97 Portland Winter HawksWHL72123244163612312
1997–98 Portland Winter HawksWHL72115768142162182028
1998–99 Portland Winter HawksWHL40112132104414510
1998–99 Kansas City Blades IHL 5123430000
1999–00 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 448202858—————
1999–00 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 3024620—————
2000–01 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL436182495310112
2000–01 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL36411152818371016
2001–02 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL75471173—————
2002–03 Pittsburgh PenguinsNHL2213436—————
2002–03 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton PenguinsAHL10000—————
2002–03 Calgary Flames NHL160446—————
2003–04 Calgary FlamesNHL7241216532603325
2004–05 HC České Budějovice CZE 19561145—————
2005–06 Calgary FlamesNHL824273185704412
2006–07 Calgary FlamesNHL542101266—————
2006–07 Boston Bruins NHL2612331—————
2007–08 Boston BruinsNHL59114155070446
2008–09 Boston BruinsNHL47115164030004
2009–10 Boston BruinsNHL51088161301118
2010–11 Boston BruinsNHL70312156025461037
2011–12 Boston BruinsNHL72618244671340
2012–13 HC MountfieldCZE2125724—————
2012–13 Boston BruinsNHL48491335140224
2013–14 Edmonton Oilers NHL713151863—————
2014–15 Edmonton OilersNHL703111439—————
2015–16 Edmonton OilersNHL60006—————
NHL totals9074318222575312083038122

International

YearTeamEventResultGPGAPtsPIM
1999 Canada WJC Silver medal icon.svg71236
Junior totals71236

Awards and honors

AwardYear
WHL
Memorial Cup Champion (Portland Winter Hawks) 1998
First All-Star Team (West) 1997–98 [23]
Plus-Minus Award 1997–98 [23]
Second All-Star Team (West) 1998–99 [23]
Humanitarian of the Year (Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy)1998–99 [23]
Inducted into Portland Winter Hawks Hall of Fame2018 [24]
AHL
AHL All-Star Game 2001 [25]
NHL
Stanley Cup (Boston Bruins) 2011 [26]
King Clancy Memorial Trophy 2014 [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edmonton Oilers</span> National Hockey League team in Alberta, Canada

The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which opened in 2016. Kris Knoblauch is the head coach as of November 12, 2023, and Ken Holland was named general manager on May 7, 2019. The Oilers are one of two NHL franchises based in Alberta, the other being the Calgary Flames. Their close proximity has led to a fierce rivalry known as "The Battle of Alberta".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Coffey</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1961)

Paul Douglas Coffey is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played for nine teams over 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Known for his speed and scoring prowess, Coffey ranks second all-time among NHL defencemen in goals, assists, and points, behind only Ray Bourque. He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defenceman three times and was voted to eight end-of-season All-Star teams. He holds the record for the most goals by a defenceman in one season, 48 in 1985–86, and is the only defenceman to have scored 40 goals more than once, also doing it in 1983–84. He is also one of only two defencemen to score 100 points in a season more than one time, as he did it five times; Bobby Orr did it six times. Coffey holds or shares 33 NHL records in the regular season and playoffs.

The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th regular season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Detroit Red Wings, who swept the Philadelphia Flyers in four games and won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 42 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Bucyk</span> Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1935)

John Paul "Chief" Bucyk is a Canadian former professional ice hockey left winger and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Having played most of his career with the Boston Bruins, he has been associated in one capacity or another with the Bruins' organization since the late 1950s. Bucyk was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in 2017.

The 1987–88 NHL season was the 71st season of the National Hockey League. It was an 80-game season with the top four teams in each division advancing to the Stanley Cup playoffs. This season would see the Edmonton Oilers win their fourth Stanley Cup in five years by sweeping the Boston Bruins 4–0 in the Stanley Cup Finals. In the process of their Cup win, Edmonton lost only two games, a record for the "16 wins" playoff format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991–92 NHL season</span> National Hockey League season

The 1991–92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League. The league expanded to 22 teams with the addition of the expansion San Jose Sharks. For the first time, the Stanley Cup Finals extended into June, with the Pittsburgh Penguins repeating as Stanley Cup champions, winning the best of seven series four games to none against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The 1989–90 NHL season was the 73rd season of the National Hockey League. The Stanley Cup winners were the Edmonton Oilers, who won the best of seven series 4–1 against the Boston Bruins. The championship was the Oilers' fifth Stanley Cup in seven seasons.

The 1988–89 NHL season was the 72nd season of the National Hockey League. The Calgary Flames won an all-Canadian Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens four games to two. This remains the last time two Canadian teams faced each other for the Stanley Cup.

The 1986–87 NHL season was the 70th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup by beating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to three in the Cup finals.

The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. This season saw the league's Board of Governors introduce the Presidents' Trophy, which would go to the team with the best overall record in the NHL regular season. The Edmonton Oilers would be the first winners of this award.

The 1984–85 NHL season was the 68th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers won their second straight Stanley Cup by beating the Philadelphia Flyers four games to one in the final series.

The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. The Edmonton Oilers de-throned the four-time defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders four games to one in the Cup finals.

The 1982–83 NHL season was the 66th season of the National Hockey League. The New York Islanders won their fourth Stanley Cup in a row with their second consecutive finals sweep by beating the Edmonton Oilers four games to none. No team in any major professional North American sport has won four consecutive playoff championships since.

The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The William M. Jennings Trophy made its debut this year as the trophy for the goaltenders from the team with the fewest goals against, thus replacing the Vezina Trophy in that qualifying criteria. The Vezina Trophy would thereafter be awarded to the goaltender adjudged to be the best at his position. The New York Islanders won their third straight Stanley Cup by sweeping the Vancouver Canucks in four games.

The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. The New York Islanders were the top regular season team and the top playoff team, winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup by defeating the Minnesota North Stars in five games.

Donald Andrew Moog is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Moog played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens, and also for the Canadian national team. Moog is a three-time Stanley Cup champion: 1984, 1985 and 1987. He earned the William M. Jennings Trophy in the 1989–90 NHL season for fewest total goals against the team during the regular season, sharing the trophy with his goaltending partner, Reggie Lemelin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milan Lucic</span> Canadian ice hockey player (born 1988)

Milan Lucic is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played major junior hockey with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for three seasons and captured the Memorial Cup, while being named tournament MVP in 2007. He was selected 50th overall in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and made the Bruins’ roster as a 19-year-old in 2007–08. Three years later, he won a Stanley Cup with the Bruins. He spent the first eight seasons of his NHL career with Boston prior to being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in June 2015. After a single season in Los Angeles, Lucic signed as a free agent with the Edmonton Oilers in July 2016, playing three seasons for the Oilers before being traded to the Calgary Flames in July 2019.

The 1990–91 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins 24th season in the NHL, and they were coming off of a disappointing 1989–90 season, having finished one point behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Patrick Division, failing to qualify for post-season play for the seventh time in eight seasons. The Penguins placed first in their division, third-overall in the Wales Conference, on the way to the first-ever Stanley Cup championship for the team. Eight players and three off-ice staff members from the 1990-91 team have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. This was the first of eleven consecutive playoff appearances for the Penguins.

The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League (NHL). The Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup Finals four games to three, being the sixth Cup win in Bruins' franchise history. For the fourth consecutive season, the season started with games in Europe. The 58th All-Star Game was held at RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina, home arena of the Carolina Hurricanes, on January 30, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Bartkowski</span> American ice hockey player (born 1988)

Matthew Richard Bartkowski is an American professional ice hockey defenseman who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL).

References

  1. ↑ McGaughey, Paul. "Oilers' Andrew Ference put NHL GMs on notice with 1997 letter". cbc.ca. CBC. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Andrew Ference fined for gesture". espn.com. April 22, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Andrew Ference Comes Clean About Unintentional Bird". csnne.com. June 26, 2012. Archived from the original on August 2, 2015. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Habs-B's: Barnaby/Melrose final thoughts – Cross Checks Blog – ESPN". Espn.go.com. April 5, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  5. ↑ "League decides against suspension for Bruins' Ference". Tsn.ca. April 28, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Andrew Ference Bruins make their cup run last with tattoos". bigbadblog.com. June 15, 2011. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Andrew Ference and Chris Kelly will share second alternate captain role". bleacherreport.com. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Ference returns to roots, signs deal with Oilers". National Hockey League. July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Ference named captain". NHL.com.
  10. ↑ "PRESS RELEASE: Oilers name alternate captains for 2015-16 season". NHL.com.
  11. ↑ "Former Boston Bruins Andrew Ference Calls It A Career". causewaycrowd.com. September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Andrew Ference announces retirement". National Hockey League Players' Association. July 13, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  13. ↑ Wyshynski, Greg (March 26, 2018). "Andrew Ference says NHL must reach beyond 'middle-aged white dudes'". ESPN. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  14. ↑ "CANOE – SLAM! Sports: l CFL Calgary – Baby steps for Stamps". Slam.canoe.ca. July 4, 2005. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  15. ↑ "Boston Bruin Zdeno Chara Welcomes Daughter Elliz Victoria – Moms & Babies – Moms & Babies - People.com". Celebritybabies.people.com. April 28, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  16. ↑ Shinzawa, Fluto (April 30, 2009). "Renaissance Bruin – The Boston Globe". Boston.com. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  17. ↑ Wertheim, Jon (September 9, 2008). "Jon Wertheim: More athletes taking political stands – 09.09.08 – SI Vault". Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Beyond the Puck". National Geographic Web Series. National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 16, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  19. ↑ "Andrew Ference brings Cup to Spaulding Hospital". Boston.com. September 5, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Andrew Ference parades the Stanley Cup through the North End". myfoxboston.com. September 5, 2011. Retrieved October 31, 2011.[ permanent dead link ]
  21. ↑ "BlackBerry: Bruins "Coat" Feature Video – NHL VideoCenter – Boston Bruins". Video.bruins.nhl.com. March 5, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  22. ↑ "Andrew Ference Awarded 2014 King Clancy Memorial Trophy". oilers.nhl.com. edmontonoilers.com staff. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "The Hockey News". The Hockey News.
  24. ↑ "Winterhawks to induct quartet of legendary alumni to team's Hall of Fame". whl.ca. March 2, 2018. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Canadian All-Stars 11, Planet USA All-Stars 10". American Hockey League. January 15, 2001. Retrieved February 1, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Ference returns to roots, signs deal with Oilers". NHL.com.
  27. ↑ "Oilers' Ference wins King Clancy Memorial Trophy". NHL.com.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by Winner of the WHL Humanitarian of the Year Award
1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner
2014 		Succeeded by
Sporting positions
Preceded by Edmonton Oilers captain
2013–15 		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.