Stafford grew up with a legendary high school hockey coach for a father and an uncle who was the legendary equipment manager for the Edmonton Oilers for nearly three decades, including the teams that won five Stanley Cups from 1984-90.

For some players, hockey is the family business.

Stafford grew up with a legendary high school hockey coach for a father and an uncle who was the legendary equipment manager for the Edmonton Oilers for nearly three decades, including the teams that won five Stanley Cups from 1984-90.

Both were able to provide a good deal of puck-based education to Stafford before and after the Buffalo Sabres made him the No. 13 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft.

A power wing, the right-handed shooting Stafford's 6-foot-2, 214-pound frame helps him negotiate the tough going in front of the net. Meanwhile, his offensive gifts, including above average puck handling and a strong shot, help Stafford produce goals as both a sniper and a set-up man.

Born in Milwaukee but raised in Faribault, Minn., where his father Gordie coached in the esteemed hockey program at Shattuck-St. Mary's school, Buffalo recalled Stafford from the American Hockey League nine times during his rookie season of 2006-07.

In his NHL debut on Nov. 5, 2006, Stafford scored his first point in the overtime period of his first NHL game by assisting on Daniel Briere's game-winning goal at the 3:57 mark against the New York Rangers.

Stafford scored his first NHL goal on Nov. 11, 2006, in a 5-4 win against the Philadelphia Flyers, and in March 2007, he won NHL Rookie of the Month honors on the strength of 13 points in 15 games. Despite playing in only half of Buffalo's games, he led all Sabres rookies in scoring with 27 points and finished 14th in points among all NHL rookies.

Stafford also played a significant role in Buffalo's run to the Eastern Conference Finals as a rookie. He appeared in 10 of the 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games that season and amassed a four-game point streak that included his first two playoff goals and first two playoff assists.

The next season, Stafford finished second on the Sabres with five game-winning goals, including one during a three-goal, five-point performance in a 10-1 win against the Atlanta Thrashers on Jan. 18, 2008. During 2010-11, Stafford had four hat tricks over a 21-game span and finished the season with 31 goals and 52 points.

The Sabres traded Stafford to the Winnipeg Jets as part of an eight-player transaction on Feb. 11, 2014. In 26 games with the Jets, Stafford scored 19 points while helping the franchise reach the playoffs for the first time since it relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season. He signed a two-year extension with the Jets on June 30, 2015, and in 2015-16 finished third on the team with 21 goals.

Stafford starred for three seasons at the University of North Dakota and helped the United States win gold at the 2004 World Junior Championship. He also played for the United States at the 2005 World Junior Championship and the 2006, 2008 and 2009 IIHF World Championship.

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