By: Steve McClure | Follow me on Twitter / X @stmcclure1993
Former Boston Bruin Steven Kampfer is celebrating his birthday today. The Ann Arbor, Michigan-born Kampfer played on the Bruins’ blueline during the 2010-2011 season through the early part of the 2011-2012 season and returned again–later in his career–from 2018 through 2021.
Kampfer, a right-handed defender, played for the University of Michigan for four seasons—where he scored 60 points in 147 games—and became the 4th round draft pick (93rd overall) of the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. In 2010 he was traded to the Bruins for Boston’s 4th round pick in that year’s draft.
The 198-pound defenseman’s rookie campaign resulted in five goals and five assists for ten points. He played in 38 regular season games for the eventual Stanley Cup championship team and posted a commendable plus/minus of +9. Due to Boston’s impressive blueline depth, Kampfer saw no ice time during the playoffs. That same deep and sturdy defense core would become Kampfer’s undoing in 2011-2012. At the trade deadline, the offensive right-shot Kampfer would be traded to Minnesota for Greg Zanon, a much needed stay-at-home, left-shot defenseman who could adeptly block shots.
After serving time with the Wild, the Panthers, and the Rangers, Kampfer returned to Boston for the start of the 2018-2019 season after being traded–along with the Rangers’ 4th and 7th round picks in the 2019 draft–for veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid. Similarly to his role in 2011, Kampfer filled in on the back end when blueline injuries mounted, suiting up for 35 regular season games, scoring three goals and assisting on three others. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals versus Carolina, Kampfer scored the opening goal of the series in front of a raucous Boston Garden crowd. The defenseman would thus become the oldest Bruin—at the age of 30—to score his first NHL playoff goal. It was the only playoff point he would score in three career playoff games for Boston.
Kampfer played parts of two more seasons with the Bruins and then spent some time playing within the Detroit and Arizona organizations’ minor league affiliates. He played in 231 career regular season contests and accumulated 39 career points.
Happy 36th birthday to Steven Kampfer!
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