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.
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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.
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.
Vancouver Canucks (2011–2014)
Less than a month into the 2011–12 season, Booth was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on October 22, 2011. The Panthers sent him, along with forward Steven Reinprecht and a third-round pick in the 2013 draft, to Vancouver in exchange for forwards Mikael Samuelsson and Marco Sturm. Tallon described the deal as a performance-based trade; Booth had registered one assist over the first six games of the season and had a team-worst –6 plus-minus rating while being demoted to the third line. Booth was saddened and admittedly surprised at the trade. Booth had also been reportedly sought after by Vancouver for six months prior; the team conferred with alternate captain Ryan Kesler regarding Booth's character on and off the ice (the two grew up playing minor and junior hockey together). Joining Vancouver, he switched his jersey number from 10 to 7, in honor of his younger sister, Rachael, who also wears the number as a hockey player. Playing on the second line with countrymen Ryan Kesler and Chris Higgins, Booth formed a component of a scoring unit was nicknamed the "American Express" line. Booth scored his first goal as a Canuck 15 days after the trade, opening the scoring in a 6–2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Blackhawks' goaltender Corey Crawford. The following month, Booth suffered a right medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury after a knee-on-knee hit from Colorado Avalanche forward Kevin Porter during a game on December 6, 2011. Porter received a five-minute major and game misconduct for the play, while a subsequent hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan resulted in a four-game suspension. Booth was sidelined for 18 games over six weeks with the injury, returning in mid-January 2012. Booth finished the regular season with 16 goals, 14 goals and 30 points in 62 games to help the Canucks win a second consecutive Presidents' Trophy awarded to the best regular season team. Having never qualified for the playoffs with the Panthers previously in his career, Booth made his post-season debut in the first game of the first round of the 2012 playoffs on April 11, 2012 against the Los Angeles Kings. He recorded one assist over five games as the first-seeded and back-to-back Presidents' Trophy-winning Canucks were eliminated in the first round by the eighth-seeded and eventual Stanley Cup champion Kings. Booth told reporters prior to the playoffs that he was struggling with a diminished role with the Canucks, in comparison to his time with the Panthers, alluding to his ice time. The previous year while still with the Panthers, he was averaging nearly 19 minutes per game, which dropped to 15 minutes as a Canuck.
In subsequent seasons with the Canucks, Booth continued to struggle. His production dropped steeply, and he suffered several injuries during the lockout-shortened 2012–13 season, scoring a total of three points. Scoring a total of nine goals and 19 points in the following season, he had gone 32 games without a goal, but managed to score three in the final ten games of the season.
Later NHL years and KHL
On July 22, 2014, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Booth to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million. He scored the only shootout goal in the first preseason game on September 22, 2014, which led the Toronto Maple Leafs to victory. Booth would break his foot shortly afterwards and miss the opening few months of the season.
On November 21, 2014, Booth was sent down to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL for a conditioning stint. He would finish with one goal in his two-game tour with the Marlies. On November 29, Booth played his first game as a Maple Leaf in a 6–2 win over the Washington Capitals. Booth recorded no points but enjoyed his first game in Toronto. However, Booth would record his first point as a Leaf three games later, an assist on a goal scored by line-mate Richard Pánik in a 5–2 victory over his former team, the Canucks. His first goal as a Maple Leaf would come on December 16, where he scored the game winner in a 6–2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Booth would finish the season with 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists) in 59 games.
As a free agent over the following summer, Booth agreed to a return to the Florida Panthers in accepting an invitation to training camp on a professional try-out contract on September 9, 2015. At the conclusion of camp and approaching pre-season, Booth was released by the Panthers. On November 26, 2015, Booth belatedly signed his first contract abroad, agreeing to a one-year deal with Russian club Admiral Vladivostok of the Kontinental Hockey League for the remainder of the 2015–16 season. In 23 games with Admiral, Booth contributed with 6 goals and 16 points.
Booth returned home during the off-season and signed a professional try-out contract to attend the training camp of the Anaheim Ducks on September 20, 2016. After his release from the Ducks pre-season roster, Booth later opted to return to the KHL, continuing with Avangard Omsk on November 17, 2016.
After two years in the KHL, Booth signed a PTO with the Detroit Red Wings on August 30, 2017, marking his third attempt to return to the NHL. On October 2, 2017, Booth made the team and signed a one-year, two way contract with the Red Wings. Booth played sparingly with the Red Wings, recording four goals and one assist while playing in just 28 games.
Europe and Australia
From 2019 until 2025, Booth played irregularly for clubs in Norway, Germany and Hungary. His clubs included Manglerud Star, Vålerenga Ishockey, Storhamar Hockey, Eisbären Regensburg and Ferencvárosi TC.
On May 27, 2025, Booth joined Australian club Melbourne Ice. He made his AIHL debut three days later on May 30.
On November 19, 2025, Booth signed with the Fife Flyers of the EIHL.. During his stint with the team, Booth would suffer a season-ending lower-body injury during the team's Pride Night in early February 2026. It is believed that this injury is in part due to the fact that he didn't warm up in the pride jerseys due to his beliefs..
After recovering from his injury suffered in Scotland, he would re-sign with the Melbourne Ice on June 25, 2026..
International play
During his tenure with the United States National Team Development Program, Booth competed at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championship, held in Trnava and Piešťany, Slovakia. Playing Russia in the last game of the final round, Booth scored the United States' first two goals of the game. A win against Russia placed the United States in a tie for the gold medal with four wins and one tie each. In order to beat Russia on the goal-differential tiebreaker, they needed to win the contest by two goals. Leading 2–1 with a minute remaining, the United States pulled their goalie and Zach Parise scored with 30 seconds left to capture the gold medal. Booth was named MVP of the gold medal game. Booth finished the tournament with two goals and two assists over eight games.
Two years later (now a member of the Michigan State Spartans), Booth moved on to the under-20 level, competing at the 2004 IIHF World Junior Championships, held in Helsinki and Hämeenlinna, Finland. He recorded his lone assist of the tournament on Dan Fritsche's game-winning goal in the semifinal against Finland. Booth and the United States went on to win the gold medal with a 4–3 win over Canada in the final. With a goal and an assist over six games, Booth tied for 12th in team point-scoring. In a 2011 interview for Canucks.com, Booth recalled his IIHF U18 and U20 gold medals as his first- and second-best hockey memories, respectively.
Following Booth's second season in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, he was named to his first United States men's team for the 2008 IIHF World Championships, held in Halifax and Quebec City, Canada. He scored his lone goal of the tournament (also his first international goal and point at the men's level) in a 5–1 preliminary round win against Slovakia. In the quarterfinals, the United States lost 3–2 to Finland and finished the tournament in sixth place.
The following year, he was invited to the national team's summer orientation camp in anticipation of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Booth later recalled that making the Olympic team was his goal at the start of the 2009–10 season. During the first month of NHL play, however, Booth suffered a concussion and was sidelined long-term. When the final Olympic roster was announced on January 1, 2010, Booth was still recovering from the injury and he was not selected.
Playing style
At 6 feet (1.83 metres) and 212 pounds (96 kilograms), Booth's size enables him to play in the style of a power forward. Along with his physical stature, he is a fast skater, both of which allow him to retain the puck and contribute to his offensive skills.
Personal life
Booth was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Washington Township in Macomb County. His father's name is Mike. Booth has two brothers and one sister, Rachael. During Booth's career with the Panthers, he lived with his younger brother in Florida. Raised in a Christian household, Booth has publicly professed his faith during his professional career. Growing up, he was a fan of the Detroit Red Wings and attended home games as his family owned season tickets. He has listed favorite players as a child as Red Wings forwards Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan, as well as Keith Tkachuk, who played for the Winnipeg Jets/Phoenix Coyotes franchise, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers.
During Booth's minor hockey career, he was linemates with fellow Michigan native Ryan Kesler for two years, beginning at age 12. They played together in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Detroit Honeybaked minor ice hockey team. The two went on to become teammates with the US National Team Development Program from 2001 to 2002, the U.S. national junior team in 2004 and the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL from 2011 to 2014, respectively. In addition to hockey, he also played baseball and golf growing up.
Booth earned his secondary education at Lutheran High School North in Macomb and Huron High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He moved to and graduated from the latter to facilitate his participation with the US National Team Development Program, which was based out of Ann Arbor. During his tenure with the Development Program, he made the choice to play NCAA hockey, opting against the major junior Ontario Hockey League (OHL) in order to attend college. The decision was encouraged by his father, who valued Booth's education. Enrolled at Michigan State University while playing for the school's hockey team, he studied dentistry before switching to general management.
Booth married model and former beauty queen from Tennessee, Ashley Durham, in June 2014. Their relationship was featured on the second season of the Canadian reality series Hockey Wives.
Controversy
An avid hunter, Booth posted a YouTube video in May 2012 of him baiting and killing an American black bear. Though the practice is legal in Alberta, it is banned in 18 American states, as well as British Columbia, the Vancouver Canucks' province. Booth's actions were widely criticized by the public, causing him to remove the video within days.
On January 31, 2026, Booth's team, the Fife Flyers, made changes to their Pride Night jersey plans, explaining that they were "respecting the diversity of backgrounds and personal beliefs within our playing group." As such, Pride jerseys were worn only during warm ups, with Booth the only player who did not participate during the warm ups, leading to speculation that his refusal led to the jersey change. In the first five minutes, Booth had a non-contact injury and needed help to leave the ice. The coach later indicated that the injury could be long-term. The changes made to the presentation of pride have widely criticized as they were made mere hours before face-off. The club had until this point a long history of wearing their pride jerseys for game night.