| Raphael Diaz | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Born | (1986-01-09)January 9, 1986 (age 39) Baar, Switzerland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg; 13 st 12 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| NL team Former teams | HC Fribourg-Gottéron Montreal Canadiens Vancouver Canucks New York Rangers Calgary Flames EV Zug | ||
| National team |  Switzerland | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2003–present | ||
Raphael Salvador Diaz (born January 9, 1986) is a Swiss professionalice hockeydefenceman who currently plays withHC Fribourg-Gottéron in theNational League (NL). He began his professional career with EV Zug in 2003 and has also played with theMontreal Canadiens,Vancouver Canucks,New York Rangers and theCalgary Flames. After returning to Switzerland withEV Zug Diaz has won the2019 Swiss Cup and the2020-21 NL Championship
Diaz was selected to play for theSwitzerland men's national ice hockey team at the2010 and2014 Winter Olympics. He previously represented Switzerland at the 2004IIHF World U18 Championships, the 2005 and 2006IIHF World U20 Championship, the 2008Ice Hockey World Championship, and captained the team at the2017 Spengler Cup.
As a youth, Diaz played in the 2000Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a team from CentralSwitzerland.[1]
On May 13, 2011, Diaz signed a one-yeartwo-way contract with theMontreal Canadiens of the NHL.[2] He made his NHL debut October 6, 2011 against theToronto Maple Leafs.[3] Diaz scored his first NHL goal on October 18, 2011, againstRyan Miller of theBuffalo Sabres in the 2nd Period.[4] He appeared as a rookie team member at the2012 All Star game skills competition, as an injury replacement forAdam Larsson.[5] He participated in the G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay performing the control relay skill skating with the puck through a series of 6 cones.[6] Diaz was traded to theVancouver Canucks on February 3, 2014, forDale Weise.[7]
On March 5, 2014, Diaz was traded to theNew York Rangers for a 5th-round pick in the2015 NHL Entry Draft[8]
After attending theCalgary Flames training camp on a try-out, Diaz capped a successful pre-season by signing a one-year contract with the club on October 6, 2014.[9]
On July 1, 2015, the New York Rangers signed Diaz as a free agent to a one-year, $700,000 contract.[10] In his return to the Rangers organization, Diaz was assigned to AHL affiliate, theHartford Wolf Pack for the duration of the2015–16 regular season. On December 23, 2015, Diaz was signed by theEV Zug to a five-year, CHF 5 million[11] contract starting in the 2016–17 season.[12]
On June 2, 2017, Diaz was named captain of EV Zug.[13] He won his first NL title with Zug in2021.
On January 27, 2021, Diaz was signed to a four-year deal byHC Fribourg-Gottéron, starting with the 2021–22 season and through the 2024–25 season.[14]
Diaz's father is originally from Spain, while his mother is Swiss.[3] His name was originally 'Rafael,' and is still used by theSwiss national team, though as his passport uses 'Raphael,' he uses that as his official name.[15]
His sisterDaniela Diaz also played hockey.[16]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | EV Zug | SUI U20 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | EV Zug | SUI U20 | 30 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 32 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 2002–03 | EHC Seewen–Herti | SUI.2 U20 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | EHC Seewen–Herti | SUI.3 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | — | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | ||
| 2003–04 | EV Zug | SUI U20 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | EV Zug | NLA | 38 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2004–05 | EV Zug | SUI U20 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | EV Zug | NLA | 41 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06 | EV Zug | SUI U20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | EV Zug | NLA | 35 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | EV Zug | NLA | 44 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 2007–08 | EV Zug | NLA | 50 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 44 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2008–09 | EV Zug | NLA | 50 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 36 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 2009–10 | EV Zug | NLA | 49 | 4 | 27 | 31 | 22 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 2010–11 | EV Zug | NLA | 45 | 12 | 27 | 39 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 59 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | EV Zug | NLA | 32 | 7 | 22 | 29 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 23 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 46 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | New York Rangers | NHL | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2014–15 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 56 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Hartford Wolfpack | AHL | 37 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | New York Rangers | NHL | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | EV Zug | NLA | 46 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 28 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 6 | ||
| 2017–18 | EV Zug | NL | 48 | 5 | 25 | 30 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | EV Zug | NL | 43 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 14 | ||
| 2019–20 | EV Zug | NL | 47 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | EV Zug | NL | 44 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 24 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NL | 37 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2022–23 | HC Fribourg–Gottéron | NL | 50 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| NL totals | 699 | 97 | 243 | 340 | 411 | 129 | 11 | 35 | 46 | 72 | ||||
| NHL totals | 201 | 8 | 41 | 49 | 62 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
| Representing Switzerland | ||
| World Championships | ||
 | 2013 Sweden/Finland | |
| 2018 Denmark | |
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Switzerland | WJC D1 | 11th | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2005 | Switzerland | WJC | 8th | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| 2006 | Switzerland | WJC | 8th | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2008 | Switzerland | WC | 7th | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Switzerland | OG | 8th | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2011 | Switzerland | WC | 9th | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| 2013 | Switzerland | WC |  | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | Switzerland | OG | 9th | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2016 | Switzerland | WC | 11th | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Switzerland | WC | 6th | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |
| 2018 | Switzerland | OG | 10th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Switzerland | WC | | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | |
| 2019 | Switzerland | WC | 8th | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Switzerland | WC | 6th | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Switzerland | OG | 8th | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Junior totals | 17 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 18 | ||||
| Senior totals | 73 | 6 | 19 | 25 | 34 | ||||