Playing Career
Dafoe was drafted 35th overall in the 2nd round of the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals and made his NHL debut in the 1992-93 season. Dafoe also played for the Capitals in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. In 1995, Dafoe joined the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he stayed for two seasons before being traded to the Boston Bruins in 1997.
In the following two season, Dafoe helped the Bruins back to the playoffs, winning a postseason series in 1999. He finished third in voting for the Vezina Trophy and was named to the NHL Second All-Star Team, edging out Curtis Joseph in the voting. Due to a contract dispute with Bruins General Manager Harry Sinden, he was a holdout for part of the 1999–2000 season and suffered injuries during it, so he never regained his previous form.
In 2002, he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers. Byron Dafoe retired from professional hockey following the 2004–05 NHL lockout.
Outside of the NHL, Dafoe has played for WHL sides Portland Winter Hawks (1986–1990) and Prince Albert Raiders (1990–1991), ECHL side Hampton Roads Admirals, AHL sides Baltimore Skipjacks (1991–1992 and 1992–1993), New Haven Nighthawks (1992) and Portland Pirates (1993–1994 and 1994–1995), and IHL side Phoenix Roadrunners. He was voted a First Team AHL All-Star in 1993-94 and won a Calder Cup championship that season with the Portland Pirates.
During Dafoe's time with the Winter Hawks, he had an on-ice fistfight with Tri-City Americans goaltender Olaf Kölzig, someone with whom he would go on to have a friendly rivalry in the NHL—so friendly that they served as each other's best man when they got married. He and Kolzig also had a "friendly" fight later in their NHL careers on November 28, 1998 when the Boston Bruins took on the Washington Capitals. During the game, a fight broke out that was so violent and all encompassing, the goalies (Dafoe and Kolzig) also got caught up in it. The fight between the goalies was primarily comedic, with both Dafoe and Kolzig laughing as they landed punches.
Along with fellow NHLers Kölzig and Scott Mellanby, Dafoe is a founder of Athletes Against Autism, as his son is autistic.
Dafoe and his family currently reside in Kelowna, BC.
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