Andrew Ference
Encyclopedia
Andrew James Stewart Ference (born March 17, 1979) is a Canadian professional ice hockey
defenceman
for the Boston Bruins
of the National Hockey League
(NHL). An alternate captain for the Bruins during home games, Ference has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins
and Calgary Flames
.
(WHL) with the Portland Winter Hawks
. After two full seasons with the team, he was selected 208th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft
. Ference played two more seasons with Portland and had a brief stint in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Kansas City Blades
before joining Pittsburgh in 1999.
After making his NHL debut on October 1, 1999, in a game against the Dallas Stars
, Ference scored his first NHL goal a month later against the Nashville Predators
on November 13, 1999. He split his rookie season between Pittsburgh and their American Hockey League
(AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
, finishing with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 30 NHL games and 28 points (8 goals, 20 assists) in 44 AHL games.
The next season, Ference continued to share time between both Penguins teams. Ference played in his first NHL playoffs with Pittsburgh in 2001, playing 18 games and scoring 3 goals and 10 points before the Penguins were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils
. In his third NHL season, Ference established himself as a full-time NHLer, scoring 11 points in 75 games.
, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning
.
With the 2004–05 NHL season suspended due to a lockout, Ference played in the Czech Republic
for HC Ceske Budejovice
. Ference returned to the Flames when the NHL re-started the next season. He played all 82 games of the season for the first time in his career, scoring a career high 4 goals, 27 assists and 31 points.
, to the Boston Bruins for defenceman Brad Stuart
and center Wayne Primeau
. Ference scored 1 goal, along with 15 assists, during the 2008-09 NHL season. On March 23, 2010, he agreed on a three-year contract extension with the Bruins worth an annual average salary of $2.25 million.
On April 22, 2011, Ference was fined $2,500 for an obscene gesture to the crowd at the Bell Centre
in game four of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
first round series against the Montreal Canadiens
, although Ference's comments after the incident make it unclear whether or not the gesture was intentional. In the Bruins 4-3 game 7 victory over the Montreal of the same series, Ference drew much ire for a questionable collision to the head of Canadiens' Jeff Halpern
, but upon a disciplinary hearing it was ruled that the hit did not warrant any sort of disciplinary action.
On June 15, 2011, Ference and the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks
4-0 in game 7 of the Finals to win the Stanley Cup
.
while in Calgary led him to create a carbon-neutral program for the NHL, which now includes over 500 players who purchase carbon offset credits to counteract the negative environmental impact of professional sports.
in Boston's North End, which is the area where he resides during the NHL season. After bringing the cup to and from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on a bike trailer, Ference brought the cup to an area of the North End outside the TD Garden. There, the cup was hoisted up on a platform carried by friends and family, and paraded through the North End, with many stops at local shops along the way. Ference and the other cup-carriers were accompanied by a marching band, members of The Boston Bruins Ice Girls, and the Boston Bruins mascot 'Blades.' Hundreds of fans also joined them for the parade, which was concluded with a dancing flash mob.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
for the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL). An alternate captain for the Bruins during home games, Ference has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
and Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
.
WHL and Pittsburgh Penguins
Ference began his hockey career in the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL) with the Portland Winter Hawks
Portland Winter Hawks
The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the...
. After two full seasons with the team, he was selected 208th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft
1997 NHL Entry Draft
The 1997 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on 21 June 1997.-Selections by round:Club teams are located in North America unless otherwise noted.- Round one :-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:...
. Ference played two more seasons with Portland and had a brief stint in the International Hockey League (IHL) with the Kansas City Blades
Kansas City Blades
The Kansas City Blades was a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1990–2001 until the demise of the league after the 2000–01 season. The Blades was based in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena....
before joining Pittsburgh in 1999.
After making his NHL debut on October 1, 1999, in a game against the Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, Ference scored his first NHL goal a month later against the Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
on November 13, 1999. He split his rookie season between Pittsburgh and their American Hockey League
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
(AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza...
, finishing with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 30 NHL games and 28 points (8 goals, 20 assists) in 44 AHL games.
The next season, Ference continued to share time between both Penguins teams. Ference played in his first NHL playoffs with Pittsburgh in 2001, playing 18 games and scoring 3 goals and 10 points before the Penguins were eliminated by the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. In his third NHL season, Ference established himself as a full-time NHLer, scoring 11 points in 75 games.
Calgary Flames and NHL Lockout
On February 9, 2003, in the middle of the 2002–03 season, Ference was traded to the Calgary Flames for future considerations. He posted 4 assists in 16 games during the remainder of the season with Calgary. The next season, he registered 16 points with 4 goals and 12 assists in 72 games for Calgary and also played 26 playoff games posting 3 assists. Calgary reached the Stanley Cup FinalsStanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They have one Stanley Cup championship in their history, in 2003–04. They are often referred to as the...
.
With the 2004–05 NHL season suspended due to a lockout, Ference played in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
for HC Ceske Budejovice
HC Ceské Budejovice
HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga...
. Ference returned to the Flames when the NHL re-started the next season. He played all 82 games of the season for the first time in his career, scoring a career high 4 goals, 27 assists and 31 points.
Boston Bruins
The following season, on February 10, 2007, he was traded, along with teammate Chuck KobasewChuck Kobasew
Nicholas James "Chuck" Kobasew is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .-Amateur:...
, to the Boston Bruins for defenceman Brad Stuart
Brad Stuart
Bradley Stuart is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
and center Wayne Primeau
Wayne Primeau
Wayne Michael Primeau is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently a free agent. He is the younger brother of Keith Primeau...
. Ference scored 1 goal, along with 15 assists, during the 2008-09 NHL season. On March 23, 2010, he agreed on a three-year contract extension with the Bruins worth an annual average salary of $2.25 million.
On April 22, 2011, Ference was fined $2,500 for an obscene gesture to the crowd at the Bell Centre
Bell Centre
The Bell Centre , formerly known as the Molson Centre , is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996 after nearly three years under construction...
in game four of The Stanley Cup Playoffs
Stanley Cup playoffs
The Stanley Cup playoffs is an elimination tournament in the National Hockey League consisting of four rounds of best-of-seven series. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records...
first round series against the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, although Ference's comments after the incident make it unclear whether or not the gesture was intentional. In the Bruins 4-3 game 7 victory over the Montreal of the same series, Ference drew much ire for a questionable collision to the head of Canadiens' Jeff Halpern
Jeff Halpern
Jeffrey C. Halpern is an American professional ice hockey player who is currently playing for the Washington Capitals.-Playing career:...
, but upon a disciplinary hearing it was ruled that the hit did not warrant any sort of disciplinary action.
On June 15, 2011, Ference and the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
4-0 in game 7 of the Finals to win the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
.
Family
Ference and Krista Bradford married in 2002. They have two daughters: Ava Tye, born in June 2005, and Stella, born in March 2009.Environmentalism
Ference's association with environmentalist David SuzukiDavid Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
while in Calgary led him to create a carbon-neutral program for the NHL, which now includes over 500 players who purchase carbon offset credits to counteract the negative environmental impact of professional sports.
Stanley Cup Parade
On September 5, 2011 following the Bruins Stanley Cup championship, Ference organized and led a parade and flash mobFlash mob
A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire, artistic expression...
in Boston's North End, which is the area where he resides during the NHL season. After bringing the cup to and from Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital on a bike trailer, Ference brought the cup to an area of the North End outside the TD Garden. There, the cup was hoisted up on a platform carried by friends and family, and paraded through the North End, with many stops at local shops along the way. Ference and the other cup-carriers were accompanied by a marching band, members of The Boston Bruins Ice Girls, and the Boston Bruins mascot 'Blades.' Hundreds of fans also joined them for the parade, which was concluded with a dancing flash mob.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1994–95 | Portland Winter Hawks Portland Winter Hawks The Portland Winterhawks are a major junior ice hockey team based in Portland, Oregon, playing in the Western Hockey League, a member league in the Canadian Hockey League. They play their home games at the Memorial Coliseum, though typically a few games each season are also played in the... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 72 | 9 | 31 | 40 | 159 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 1996–97 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 72 | 12 | 32 | 44 | 163 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 12 | ||
| 1997–98 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 72 | 11 | 57 | 68 | 142 | 16 | 2 | 18 | 20 | 28 | ||
| 1998–99 | Portland Winter Hawks | WHL | 40 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 104 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 1998–99 | Kansas City Blades Kansas City Blades The Kansas City Blades was a professional ice hockey team in the International Hockey League from 1990–2001 until the demise of the league after the 2000–01 season. The Blades was based in Kansas City, Missouri at Kemper Arena.... |
IHL | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1999–00 1999–2000 AHL season The 1999–2000 AHL season was the 64th season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hartford Wolf Pack finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. They play in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
44 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
30 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 2000–01 AHL season The 2000–01 AHL season was the 65th season of the American Hockey League. The league realigns its divisions again. The Atlantic division is renamed the Canadian division. The Empire State division is replaced by the South division, with many teams shifting from the Mid-Atlantic division.Twenty... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 43 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 95 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2000–01 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 36 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 28 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 16 | ||
| 2001–02 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 75 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 22 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 36 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL | 16 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 72 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 53 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 25 | ||
| 2004–05 | HC Ceske Budejovice HC Ceské Budejovice HC Mountfield České Budějovice are a professional men's ice hockey club, based in České Budějovice in the Czech Republic. The club plays home games at Budvar Arena, and are members of the Czech Extraliga... |
CzEx Czech Extraliga The Czech Extraliga is the highest-level ice hockey league in the Czech Republic. As of 2009, it is ranked by the IIHF as the third strongest league in Europe.... |
19 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 82 | 4 | 27 | 31 | 85 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 2006–07 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 54 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2006–07 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 26 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 59 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 50 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 2008–09 NHL season The 2008–09 NHL season was the 92nd season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the first season since prior to the 2004–05 lockout in which every team played each other at least once during the season, following three seasons where teams only played against two divisions in the... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 47 | 1 | 15 | 16 | 40 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 2009–10 NHL season The 2009–10 NHL season was the 93rd season of operation of the National Hockey League , and the 100th season since the founding of the predecessor National Hockey Association . It ran from October 1, 2009, including four games in Europe on October 2 and 3—until April 11, 2010, with the 2010... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 51 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 NHL season The 2010–11 NHL season was the 94th season of operation of the National Hockey League . It was the fourth consecutive season that opened in Europe with NHL Premiere . A record three events were scheduled, all in previous NHL Premiere cities: Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Prague, Czech... |
Boston Bruins | NHL | 70 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 25 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 37 | ||
| NHL totals | 640 | 27 | 129 | 156 | 564 | 99 | 7 | 25 | 32 | 118 | ||||