David Booth

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).

David Jonathan Booth (born November 24, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey forward.

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).

Representing the United States in international competition, he has won gold medals at the 2002 IIHF World U18 and 2004 IIHF World U20 Championships.

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 Athletics 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.

Following his second year with the Michigan State Spartans, he was selected 53rd overall by the Florida Panthers in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

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 finished the 2004–05 season with 16 points (seven goals and nine assists) over 29 contests.

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.

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 short handed 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.

He spent four years playing college hockey before turning professional with the Panthers organization in 2006–07.

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.

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.

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.

He has also competed in the 2008 IIHF World Championship.

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).