Phil Rafter: A Legend in his Own

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

When you think of legendary players that have come from one person, it's hard to not think of Phil as a great builder. While this won't be me talking about him as a builder, I want to focus on one of his players that was just before my time. Phil Rafter was a center that was drafted to the Davos Dynamo and had a hall of fame career.

 

Phil Rafter was the sixth overall selection in the season 27 draft and normally when you see a Phil player fall that far, it's because the draft class is loaded. The fact he fell so far was just honestly weird if you don't know the draft class that well. When he landed in the laps of the Dynamo, I am quite certain they were giddy with joy. Anyone who knows the player agency knows that Phil is a great locker room presence and he knows how to build hall of fame players. Rafter was on his way to stardom from the time he stepped on the ice for the Dynamo

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His first season lead to him scoring 92 points which is amazing as a rookie. The team weren't exactly playoff contenders but he was on a team that had just had a great draft and added other amazing players. He was on pace to win the rookie of the year award but ended up not winning that due to losing out to fellow teammate. That's something powerful when you have two amazing rookies who were literally number one and two on the ballot for the rookie of the year voting. The general manager must have felt proud and glad that he selected these two young studs in the draft.

 

He followed up his rookie campaign with an upgrade as he topped 100 points for the first time in his career. The team managed to have a lot more success as they did reach the playoffs this season and Rafter was a key component in them getting there. Not only did he have a career high in points but he also inched closer to the 50 goal mark for the course of the season. He took less shots this season paired with three more game winning goals and not one single penalty minute taken. He managed to hone his skills to not visit the penalty box and his team benefited from having their star player on the ice longer.

 

His career was nothing short of spectacular as he had an amazing career, put up great numbers and even won a championship with the team that drafted him. He did get traded to the Helsinki Titans for half of a season as a rental but he would go on to manage to find his way back to Davos. Being loyal to the team that drafted him seemed to be something that should be admired by many. When the going got tough, he stuck it out and he enjoyed success for waiting out like he did. It's amazing to see the kind of player he was and how his devotion to one team really paid off in the long run.

 

@Phil

[Phil 5,111]

thank you for the dedicated article, my friend!

[Da Trifecta 1,896]

2 minutes ago, Phil said:

thank you for the dedicated article, my friend!

 

It's shorter than it should have been but yeah buddy