| Ruben Rafkin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 8 January 2002 Turku, Finland | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Defense | ||
| Shoots | Right | ||
| Liiga team Former teams | HC TPS Tappara Örebro HK | ||
| NHL draft | Undrafted | ||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||
Ruben Rafkin (born 8 January 2002) is a Finnish professional ice hockey defenceman for HC TPS of the Liiga.
Rafkin was drafted 14th overall by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2019 CHL Import Draft. [1] He recorded four goals and 27 assists in 59 games for the Spitfires. [2] On April 3, 2020, Rafkin signed a two-year contract with HC TPS of the Finnish Liiga. [3] He made his professional debut for TPS during the 2020–21 season. [4]
During the 2024–25 season, Rafkin transferred from the Liiga following 33 appearances with Tappara to the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) in joining Örebro HK on 6 February 2025. [5] He played out the season, notching 2 assists through 12 games.
On 21 May 2025, Rafkin returned to his original club, HC TPS of the Liiga, agreeing to a one-year contract for the 2025–26 season. [6]
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ice hockey | ||
Representing  Finland | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
 | 2022 Canada | |
 | 2021 Canada | |
Rafkin represented Finland at the 2021 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships where he appeared in one game and won a bronze medal. [7] He will again represent Finland at the 2022 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. [8]
Rafkin is of Finnish and Russian-Jewish descent. His paternal great-grandfather had moved from Russia to Vyborg. He is the grandson of Dennis Rafkin, a Finnish businessman and the founder and the owner of Pizzeria Dennis restaurant chain. [9]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2018–19 | Tri-City Storm | USHL | 38 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 90 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Windsor Spitfires | OHL | 59 | 4 | 27 | 31 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2020–21 | TPS | Liiga | 48 | 4 | 12 | 16 | 36 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2021–22 | TPS | Liiga | 52 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 100 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 2022–23 | TPS | Liiga | 39 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2023–24 | TPS | Liiga | 57 | 4 | 21 | 25 | 79 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Tappara | Liiga | 33 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2024–25 | Örebro HK | SHL | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| Liiga totals | 229 | 14 | 56 | 70 | 265 | 40 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 18 | ||||
| Year | T1eam | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Finland | U17 |  | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | |
| 2019 | Finland | HG18 | 4th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2021 | Finland | WJC |  | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Finland | WJC | | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | |
| Junior totals | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 20 | ||||
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