Stéphane Da Costa

Stéphane Da Costa (born July 11, 1989) is a French professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Binghamton Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL). A forward, Da Costa was the 2010 winner of the Hockey Commissioners’ Association and the Hockey East Rookie of the Year awards while playing at Merrimack College.

Junior
Da Costa moved from his native country of France to the United States to play junior hockey for the Texas Tornado of the NAHL at the age of 17, and not being able to speak English. With the Tornado in 2006-07, Da Costa had 23 goals and 40 points in 50 games to finish tied for third in team scoring.
 * Texas Tornado

Da Costa moved to the USHL in 2007-08, as he joined the Sioux City Musketeers. In his first season with the team, Da Costa had 12 goals and 37 points in 51 games, helping the team qualify for the playoffs. In four playoff games, Da Costa had a goal and three points.
 * Sioux City Musketeers

He returned to the Musketeers for a second season in 2008-09, as he led the team in scoring with 31 goals and 67 points in 48 games, however, Sioux City failed to qualify for the post-season.

Merrimack Warriors
Da Costa joined Merrimack College of Hockey East in North Andover, Massachusetts for the 2009-10 season. In his second game of his freshman season, Da Costa scored five goals against the Army Black Knights. He finished the season with 16 goals and 45 points in 34 games. After the season, Da Costa won the National Rookie of the Year, USCHO Rookie of the Year, Inside College Hockey Rookie of the Year, College Hockey News Rookie of the Year, and Hockey East Rookie of the Year.

After receiving numerous offers from NHL teams to sign as a free agent, Da Costa decided on returning to Merrimack for a second season in 2010-11. He once again led the team in scoring with 14 goals and 45 points in 33 games. He missed some games in February due to a knee injury he suffered.

Ottawa Senators
On March 30, 2011, Da Costa signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ottawa Senators of the NHL. He made his NHL debut in the 2010-11 season, appearing in four games with the Senators and registering no points. His first NHL game was on April 2, 2011 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Da Costa became the sixth player born in France to play in the NHL, joining Cristobal Huet, Philippe Bozon, Pat Daley, Paul MacLean and Andre Peloffy, and the third French-born and trained NHL player (along with Bozon and Huet).

After an impressive training camp to start the 2011-12 season, Da Costa joined the Senators for their first game. He got his first NHL point on October 8 in his second game of the season; a goal in a 6-5 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs against James Reimer. Da Costa was reassigned to Ottawa's AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators, on November 27, 2011.

Da Costa scored his first professional hat trick on December 26, 2011, in an 8-3 Binghamton victory over the Albany Devils.

International career
Da Costa plays his international hockey with France, and played in his first international tournament at the 2008 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Division I held in Bad Tolz], [[Germany. In five games with France, Da Costa had five goals and 10 points, however, France finished with a 1-4-0 record.  Da Costa returned for the 2009 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Division I held in Herisau, Switzerland, as he scored four goals and 13 points in five games, helping France to a 3-2-0 record.

Da Costa played for the French team at the 2009 IIHF World Championship held in Bern and Kloten, Switzerland where he had two assists in six games, as France finished in 12th place. Da Costa was once again named to France for the 2010 IIHF World Championship held in Cologne, Mannheim and Gelsenkirchen, Germany as he scored a goal and three points in five games, however, France fell to 14th place. In the 2011 IIHF World Championship held in Bratislava and Kosice, Slovakia, Da Costa was held to an assist in five games as France finished in 12th place.

Personal
A native of Paris, France, Da Costa is the son of a French father and Polish mother. His two brothers, Teddy and Gabriel, also play hockey in the Polish and French leagues, respectively.