David Jonathan Booth (born November 24, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey player. He is a forward currently playing for the Melbourne Ice of the Australian Ice Hockey League.
Following his second year with the Michigan State Spartans, he was selected 53rd overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2004 NHL entry draft. He spent four years playing college hockey before turning professional with the Panthers organization in 2006–07. After recording career-highs in goals, assists and points, as well as being voted the Panthers' most valuable player by the team's fans in 2008–09, he suffered two concussions the following season. Midway through his sixth year in the league, Booth was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in a four-player deal.
Known as an offensive forward and a fast skater, Booth has reached the 30-goal plateau once in his NHL career. Representing the United States in international competition, he has won gold medals at the 2002 IIHF World U18 and 2004 IIHF World U20 Championships. He has also competed in the 2008 IIHF World Championship.
Playing career
Amateur career After playing minor hockey with the Fraser Falcons, then the Detroit Honeybaked of the Midwest Elite Hockey League, Booth moved on to the Junior A level with the Detroit Compuware Ambassadors of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He recorded 30 points (17 goals and 13 assists) over 42 games in 2000–01, earning him NAHL All-Rookie Team and Rookie of the Year honors. The following season, he joined the United States National Team Development Program and competed for their junior and under-18 teams in the United States Hockey League (USHL) and NAHL, respectively.
During his time with the Development Program, he committed to an athletic scholarship with the Michigan State Spartans of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Joining the Spartans in 2002–03, he recorded 36 points (17 goals and 19 assists) over 39 games, ranking fourth in team scoring and 13th in the CCHA overall. His freshman year included two CCHA Rookie of the Week distinctions and a hat-trick, recorded on January 10, 2003, in a 5–2 win against the Alaska Nanooks. His efforts as a freshman earned him Spartans Rookie of the Year and CCHA All-Rookie Team honors. Although Booth was eligible for the 2003 NHL entry draft, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules stipulated that players under the age of 19 could not opt into the draft without foregoing their college eligibility.
Early the following season, Booth sustained a knee injury that forced him out of the lineup for several games. He finished his sophomore year with 18 points (eight goals and ten assists) over 30 contests. Despite his decreased offensive production, he remained highly ranked by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau (CSB) at the end of the season for the upcoming 2004 NHL entry draft. He was listed at 27th among skaters playing in North America by the CSB, while The Hockey News ranked him 33rd overall. During the draft, Booth was selected in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Florida Panthers. He was scouted as a player with size and toughness, while a USA Today article declared that he "would have gone much higher if he opted into the draft [the previous] season."
Following his draft, Booth returned to Michigan State to complete his four-year tenure with the school. During his junior year, he and teammate Bryan Lerg set a Spartans record for the fastest two goals scored in a game (five seconds apart). Their goals came in a 6–5 overtime loss to the Alaska Nanooks in February 2005 and surpassed the previous record by one second. Later that month, Booth sustained a cracked rib and was sidelined for several games. He finished the 2004–05 season with 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) over 29 contests.
In the first month of his senior year, Booth played in his 100th career college game in a contest against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux on October 16, 2005. He recorded a shorthand goal in a 3–0 win. Booth later missed some playing time due to injury before returning to the lineup in late-November 2005. After struggling to score in the first half of the 2005–06 season (he recorded nine points in the first three months), Booth finished with 35 points (13 goals and 22 assists) over 37 games. His strong offensive production in the second half included an 11-game point-scoring streak that was broken on the last regular season game against the Miami RedHawks. In the 2006 CCHA playoffs, Booth helped the Spartans to a Mason Cup as league champions. Facing the Miami RedHawks in the final, Booth scored the game-winning goal six minutes in the second period, securing a 2–1 win for Michigan State. Moving on to the 2006 NCAA Tournament, they were eliminated in the regional final by the Maine Black Bears 5–4. Booth scored a goal and an assist in the losing effort. Over four years with the Spartans, Booth finished his college career with 105 points in 134 games.
Florida Panthers (2006–2011)
On July 20, 2006, Booth signed with the Panthers. Joining the organization, he was assigned to the Panthers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans, to start the 2006–07 season. Within two months, he was called up to the Panthers on November 20. Making his NHL debut that night against the Boston Bruins, he registered 11-and-a-half minutes of ice time in a 3–2 win. After being returned to the AHL six days later, he received another call-up the following month. During his second stint with the team, he recorded his first NHL point on December 12 against the Anaheim Ducks. Booth drew the first assist on the game's first goal by Drew Larman; the Panthers went on to lose 5–4. Sent back down to Rochester and recalled one more time in December, he remained with the team for the remainder of the campaign. Booth later scored his first NHL goal on January 4, 2007, against Jamie McLennan in a 5–4 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. In the final month of the season, he registered his first game-winning goal in the NHL on April 6 in a 7–2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Booth completed his rookie season with 10 points (3 goals and 7 assists) over 48 NHL games, while also recording 14 points (seven goals and seven assists) over 25 AHL games. As the Panthers failed to qualify for the 2007 playoffs, ranking 12th in the Eastern Conference, Booth was returned to the AHL for the Americans' post-season. He recorded two assists over six playoff games as Rochester was eliminated in the first round by the Hamilton Bulldogs.
Early in the 2007–08 season, Booth was injured after receiving a check from behind during a game against the Ottawa Senators on October 20, 2007. While playing the puck, he collided with Senators defenceman Anton Volchenkov, causing his head to hit the boards. Volchenkov received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play, while Booth was taken off the ice in a stretcher. He was brought to an Ottawa hospital for precautionary measures and returned home the same night with a sore neck. While a suspension for Volchenkov was suggested in the media following the game, the league chose not to hold a hearing regarding the incident. Senators head coach John Paddock was quick to dismiss the notion of a suspension, asserting that Booth turned into Volchenkov, as opposed to the Senators defenceman forcefully initiating contact. Booth missed one game due to the injury. Later in the campaign, he missed eight games with a knee injury. Missing nine games total, he recorded 40 points (22 goals and 18 assists) over 73 contests, ranking fourth in team scoring. Becoming an integral part of the Panthers' lineup, he also led the team with six game-winning goals. As a team, the Panthers remained out of the playoffs in 2008, finishing 11th in the East.
The following season, Booth recorded his first career NHL natural hat trick against the Anaheim Ducks on November 9, 2008. He scored all the Panthers goals against Jean-Sébastien Giguère in a 3–1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The following month, he sustained a left shoulder injury that sidelined him for eight games. After returning, he began an eight-game point-scoring streak that lasted from December 27, 2008, to January 10, 2009. Later in the season, he recorded another hat trick in a contest against the St. Louis Blues on March 7, 2009. Scoring all three goals against Chris Mason, Booth helped the Panthers to a 5–3 win. His efforts made him the fourth player in team history to register two hat-tricks in one season, after Pavel Bure, Ray Sheppard and Olli Jokinen. He also added an assist for a four-point game. Booth bettered that single-game total during the last contest of the regular season, scoring two goals and three assists for a personal best five-point effort in a 7–4 win against the Washington Capitals on April 11, 2009. Booth finished the season with career-highs of 31 goals, 29 assists and 60 points over 72 games. While leading the Panthers in goals, powerplay goals (11), game-winning goals (5); tied with Nathan Horton, and shots (246), he finished one point behind team-leader Stephen Weiss (who played six more games than Booth). Booth's efforts helped the Panthers compete for a playoff spot late in the season for the first time in his tenure with the club. They finished the season tied for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East with the Montreal Canadiens at 41 wins and 93 points each. The Canadiens earned the spot over the Panthers by virtue of having won the season series between the two teams.
During his breakout season, Booth became a favorite among team followers; home fans at BankAtlantic Center were known to cheer "Booooth" when he touched the puck during games. At the end of the campaign, he was chosen by the fans as the team's most valuable player in an official online vote. Set to become a restricted free agent in the off-season, Booth was tendered a qualifying offer by the Panthers on June 29, 2009. Two days later, he signed a six-year, US$25.5 million contract. Upon announcing the contract, Panthers General Manager Randy Sexton heralded Booth as "undoubtedly an important part of [the] club's future...[and] a role model for other players," while embodying "every attribute of what a true Panthers player stands for."
During the first month of the 2009–10 season, Booth sustained a concussion after being hit by Philadelphia Flyers forward Mike Richards during a game on October 24, 2009. Skating up to the Flyers' blueline, Booth had shot the puck into the offensive zone when Richards hit him in the head with his shoulder. Rendered unconscious, Booth was taken off the ice on a stretcher and brought to a Philadelphia hospital. In addition to his concussion, he sustained a cut above one eye that required stitches; he was released from hospital the next day. While Richards received a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct for intent to injure, he was not suspended for the play. The decision not to further penalize Richards proved to be a highly contentious issue. Panthers General Manager Randy Sexton and defenceman Keith Ballard voiced their opinion that Richards' hit was directed at the head while knowing Booth was in a vulnerable position, warranting a suspension. The Flyers captain expressed concern for Booth's health both in the media and to Panthers Head Coach Peter DeBoer personally, but asserted that he was not intending to hurt him. Another concern was the timing of Richards' hit, as Booth had already released the puck. In response, NHL Vice President Bill Daly explained that the hit was not late enough to justify a suspension.