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BRYAN RUFENACH
Bryan Rufenach
Position: Defense
Shoots: Left
Vitals: 6'0'' / 187 lbs.
Birthdate: April 15, 1989
Hometown: Cameron, Ontario
Acquired: Detroit's fifth choice (208th overall) in the 2007 draft
CSS Ranking: Not ranked
Contract: None (must sign by Aug. 15, 2011)
RWC Says: Offensive Defenseman

STORIES

AWARDS
  • 2005-06 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League East Division rookie of the year
  • 2006-07 Ontario Provincial Junior A Hockey League all-star game (South East Conference)
  • 2006-07 Canadian Junior A Hockey League prospects game

HISTORY
2004-05:
  • Drafted from Central Ontario midgets in 10th round (181st overall) of OHL draft by Oshawa.
2005-06:
  • Played Ontario junior A for Lindsay to preserve NCAA eligibility (48-11-15-26).
2006-07:
  • Played Ontario junior A for Lindsay to preserve NCAA eligibility.
  • Missed more than a month with a shoulder injury.
  • Finished 20th among OPJAHL defensemen in scoring (31-11-21-32).
  • Committed to play NCAA hockey for Clarkson starting in 2007-08.
  • Unranked entering the NHL draft but went in seventh round (208th overall) to Red Wings.
2007-08:
  • Broke into NCAA at Clarkson (35-3-3-6, one power-play goal).
2008-09:
  • Emerged as Clarkson's top offensive threat on the blue line (34-9-10-19, 73 shots).
  • Struggled in his own end and was an abysmal minus-13.
  • Tied for sixth in scoring among all ECAC defensemen and tied for second with nine goals.

SCOUT COMMENTS
"Our scouts just kind of liked his potential — he's raw, he's a good skater, he moves the puck well and he competes hard. Skating and moving the puck are his best assets. Like everybody, he's got to get stronger." — Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2007) ... "He's got very good hockey sense and vision and he’s real smart with the puck. He's going to school for four years and you're hoping you'll end up with another Dan Boyle down the road." — Nill (July 2007) ... "He can move the puck and shoot the puck and jumps into holes and he creates scoring chances. Those things just come naturally to him (but) we feel he needs to really improve his defensive game and play more controlled on the back end." — Red Wings scout Mark Leach (February 2009).

STRENGTHS
Lists Paul Coffey as his favorite player and loves rushing the puck ... Likes to go end-to-end ... Excellent skater ... A smart power-play quarterback ... Good vision with the man advantage and capable of making good plays ... Above-average slap shot with a good release ... A hard worker with competitive fire.

WEAKNESSES
Still raw and needs to show he can continue to produce offense at a higher level ... Prone to defensive lapses and poor reads as far as knowing when to pinch ... Needs to get stronger ... Has below average size for a defenseman, although it's not the issue it once was.

PROJECTION
Rufenach has a good potential as an offensive defenseman, and the Red Wings are monitoring him closely as he develops at Clarkson. His production jumped in 2008-09, but he needs to spend his junior season at Clarkson solidifying his defensive game and becoming more well-rounded.

STATISTICS
  REGULAR SEASON PLAYOFFS
SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
2005-06 Lindsay Ont. Jr. A 48 11 15 26 50 4 1 1 2 6
2006-07 Lindsay Ont. Jr. A 31 11 21 32 28 5 1 2 3 8
2007-08 Clarkson NCAA 35 3 3 6 12 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Clarkson NCAA 34 9 10 19 32 -- -- -- -- --

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