Jason Jaffray

Jason Jaffray (born June 30, 1981) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets organization of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career
Jaffray appeared in five seasons of major junior in the Western Hockey League. He played six games for the Edmonton Ice in 1997–98 before they relocated to Cranbrook, British Columbia the following season, becoming the Kootenay Ice. In 1999–2000, Jaffray appeared in the 2000 Memorial Cup as Kootenay won the WHL Championship. He recorded 19 points in 21 WHL playoff games before Kootenay was eliminated in the round robin of the Memorial Cup tournament.

Midway through Jaffray's final WHL season, 2000–01, he was traded to the Swift Current Broncos and accumulated a junior career-high 83 points in 73 games.

Undrafted, Jaffray turned professional in the ECHL with the Roanoke Express. Named Rookie of the Month twice (November and December), he tallied 85 points in 64 games and earned the 2003 CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year Award. He was also named to the ECHL First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team.

The next season, Jaffray played for the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL and was named to the Second All-Star Team after finishing third in goal-scoring with 37. In his first two seasons in the ECHL, he appeared in several American Hockey League games as well with the Norfolk Admirals and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Jaffray began in the ECHL for a third season in 2004–05 before signing a tryout contract with the Cleveland Barons on December 14, 2004. He played on a line with San Jose Sharks prospects Ryane Clowe and Marcel Goc, posting 16 points in 30 games. His tenure with the club was cut short, however, as the Barons inadvertently forgot to renew his working visa, making him ineligible to play in the United States. On his way back to his hometown of Olds, Alberta, Jaffray got a phone call from Manitoba Moose general manager Craig Heisinger. Two Moose players had come down with sickness and Hisinger asked Jaffray if he could play in Hamilton, Ontario, that night for a game against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Jaffray changed direction on the highway and made it to Hamilton in time to score the lone goal for Manitoba in a 3–1 loss. He signed a tryout contract with the Moose on February 26, 2005.

In 2006–07, Jaffray recorded an AHL career-high 81 points in 77 games, leading the Moose in team scoring. Early in the season, on October 24, 2006, Jaffray tied a Moose franchise record for most goals in one game with four against the Chicago Wolves. He went on set further Moose records with all-time franchise highs of nine game winning goals and 16 powerplay goals (tied with Lee Goren and Scott Thomas, 1998–99). As Manitoba advanced the second round of the Calder Cup playoffs, he added a team-high 13 points in 13 games. Jaffray's successful year culminated in an AHL Second Team All-Star selection and his first NHL contract, signed with the Moose's NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks.

Jaffray was called up for his first NHL game on December 12, 2007, against the Anaheim Ducks, due to an injury to Brendan Morrison. Jaffray picked up his first NHL point on a 2-on-1 with Moose teammate Mason Raymond, who was also called up. Incidentally, the assist was on Raymond's first NHL goal. Later in the game, Jaffray scored his own first goal, the eventual game winner, against J. S. Giguere as the Canucks beat Anaheim 3–2. Jaffray completed 2007–08 appearing in 19 games with the Canucks.

The following season, Jaffray appeared in 14 more games for the Canucks, while recording 49 points in 56 games for the Moose. He helped Manitoba to the AHL's top regular season record en route to a 2009 playoff run to the Calder Cup Finals against the Hershey Bears. Jaffray notched a hat trick in game two of the Finals, scoring all 3 goals for his club to defeat the Bears 3–1. He scored the game winning goal to break the 1–1 tie in the final minute of regulation before adding an empty netter to secure the win. The Moose, however, were defeated in six games.

In the off-season, Jaffray was signed by the Calgary Flames on July 7, 2009. He switched AHL clubs to the Flames' Abbotsford Heat minor league affiliate, ending his tenure with the Moose as the club's franchise all-time leader in game-winning goals (19), power-play goals (39) and plus-minus. In five seasons, he also finished second in goals (95), behind Jimmy Roy (102), and in assists (138) and points (233), behind Brett Hauer (193 and 251, respectively).

At seasons end Jaffray was traded by the Flames to the Anaheim Ducks for Logan MacMillan on June 30, 2010.

Jaffray signed with the Winnipeg Jets on July 18, 2011, returning him to the city he had played most of his professional career in.

Personal
Jaffray was born in Rimbey, Alberta, and grew up with one sister. He married Michelle, the daughter of his billet family with whom he lived while he played for the Kootenay Ice. They have a daughter named Kennedy who was born in 2007.

Awards
ECHL
 * Rookie of the Month - November and December 2002
 * CCM Tacks Rookie of the Year - 2003
 * First All-Star Team - 2003
 * All-Rookie Team - 2003
 * Player of the Week - December 29 – January 4 (2003–04)
 * Second All-Star Team - 2004

AHL
 * CCM Vector Player of the Week - October 30, 2006
 * All-Star Classic - 2007
 * Second All-Star Team - 2007

Records

 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; most goals, single game - 4 on October 24, 2006 (tied with Brandon Reid and Greg Pankewicz)
 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; most game winning goals, single-season - 9 (2006–07)
 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; most powerplay goals, single-season - 16 (2006–07) (tied with Lee Goren and Scott Thomas, 1998–99)
 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; most game-winning goals, all-time - 19 (2004–09)
 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; most powerplay goals, all-time - 39 (2004–09)
 * Manitoba Moose franchise record; highest plus-minus, all-time (2004–09)