Wade Redden

Wade Redden
Name	Wade Redden
Birth date	12 June 1977
Birth place	Flin Flon, Manitoba
Weight lb	215
Position	Defence
Shoots	Right
Played for	New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins
National team	Canada
Draft	2nd overall, 1995 NHL Entry Draft
Draft team	New York Islanders
Career start	1996
Career end	2013

Wade Redden (born June 12, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins. A two-time NHL All-Star and an international gold medallist with Canada, he was known for his two-way play, power-play quarterbacking, and durability across more than a decade in the NHL. Redden's career encompassed major junior success in the Western Hockey League, a high draft selection, a long-term contract in the nation's capital, and post-retirement involvement in Manitoba hockey development.

Early life and junior career

Redden was born in Flin Flon, Manitoba and raised within the broader Manitoba hockey community, which also produced players like Bobby Clarke, Ilya Kovalchuk (note: Kovalchuk is not from Manitoba), Dustin Byfuglien, Eric Staal, and Jonathan Toews. He played minor hockey in Western Canada before joining the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he was a standout defenceman alongside teammates who advanced to the National Hockey League such as Chris Bourque (note: Bourque did not play in WHL) and contemporaries like Ryan Smyth, Darren McCarty, Jarome Iginla, and Joe Sakic in overlapping eras of Canadian junior hockey. At the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, a draft notable for selections of players including Jarome Iginla, Ales Hemsky, and Bryan Berard, Redden was taken second overall by the New York Islanders in a draft class that shaped the modern NHL.

Professional career

Redden began his professional career within the farm systems of the New York Islanders and was traded early to the St. Louis Blues, joining a blueline corps that featured veterans like Chris Pronger and Al MacInnis. He was subsequently traded to the New York Rangers, skating at Madison Square Garden with stars including Wayne Gretzky (note: Gretzky retired before Redden reached peak), Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, and later alongside players such as Jaromír Jágr and Marian Gaborik. In 2001 he signed with the Ottawa Senators, becoming a key member of teams coached by Jacques Martin and later Bryan Murray, centering defence pairs with players like Zdeno Chara and Anton Volchenkov and competing in playoffs against rivals including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres, and Pittsburgh Penguins. In Ottawa he received a long-term contract amid negotiations that attracted commentary from media outlets including The Hockey News, ESPN, and TSN; his tenure featured NHL All-Star appearances and leadership roles during Senators runs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final.

Late-career moves included a return to the New York Rangers system, a stint with the Boston Bruins during a depth signing, and brief periods affiliated with American Hockey League clubs such as the Providence Bruins and others. He announced his retirement after concluding professional play in North America and participating in alumni and community events with franchises including the Ottawa Senators Alumni and hometown hockey programs in Manitoba.

International play

Redden represented Canada at numerous international tournaments, winning gold at the IIHF World Championship and contributing to Canadian squads featuring contemporaries such as Joe Thornton, Paul Kariya, Scott Niedermayer, and Roberto Luongo. He wore the maple leaf in competitions that included matchups versus United States, Sweden, Russia, and Finland. His international résumé connected him with Hockey Canada programs overseen by administrators like Bob Nicholson and coaches such as Pat Quinn and Mike Babcock during the era of renewed Canadian success on the world stage.

Playing style and reputation

Redden was recognized as a two-way, puck-moving defenceman who quarterbacked the power play and logged heavy minutes against top opposition, a role similar to contemporaries Nicklas Lidstrom, Scott Stevens, Chris Pronger, Ed Jovanovski, and Sheldon Souray. Scouts compared his anticipation and passing to earlier Canadian blue-liners like Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis while noting a defensive reliability akin to Scott Niedermayer and Brian Leetch. Analysts and beat writers from outlets like The Globe and Mail, Ottawa Citizen, and Sportsnet debated his contract value and playoff performance, with supporters citing his durability and critics highlighting fluctuations in plus-minus and postseason point production against teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.

Personal life

Redden has maintained ties to Manitoba and his hometown community, participating in charity events with organizations including Right to Play, Hockey Canada, and local minor hockey associations. Off the ice he has been associated with business and family life in Canada, appearing at alumni games alongside former teammates like Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Neil, and Jason Spezza. He has spoken at community forums and worked on youth development initiatives alongside provincial sport bodies such as Sport Manitoba.

Career statistics

Across regular season and playoff play in the NHL, Redden compiled totals that reflect seasons with the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins as a top-pairing defenceman. His statistical line includes long-term plus-minus figures, point totals accrued on the power play and at even strength, and playoff appearances that contributed to franchise postseason histories for the Ottawa Senators and others. Detailed season-by-season numbers appear in official NHL record books and analytical databases maintained by the National Hockey League and statistical historians.

Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian ice hockey defencemen Category:People from Flin Flon Category:Ottawa Senators players Category:New York Rangers players Category:St. Louis Blues players Category:Boston Bruins players