Andrew Ladd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andrew Ladd |
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Ladd with the New York Islanders in March 2018
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| Born | December 12, 1985 Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) | ||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Carolina Hurricanes Chicago Blackhawks Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets New York Islanders Arizona Coyotes |
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| National team | .svg){kind=small} Canada |
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| NHL Draft | 4th overall, 2004 Carolina Hurricanes |
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| Playing career | 2005–2022 | ||
Andrew Joseph Ladd (born December 12, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He was a talented winger who played for several teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). These teams included the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders, and Arizona Coyotes.
Ladd was chosen early in the 2004 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. He quickly made an impact, helping them win the famous Stanley Cup in 2006. Later, he won the Stanley Cup again in 2010 with the Chicago Blackhawks. Andrew Ladd is known for being a strong leader and a two-time Stanley Cup champion. He officially retired from playing hockey on September 10, 2023.
Playing Career
Junior Hockey Days
Andrew Ladd started his junior hockey journey with the Coquitlam Express. He then moved up to play in the major junior Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Calgary Hitmen. In his first full season with the Hitmen, he scored 75 points. This was the most points for any first-year player in the league. He also had the best plus/minus rating, which shows how well a player performs when their team scores or gets scored on.
Because of his great performance, Ladd was picked very high in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. The Carolina Hurricanes chose him as the fourth overall player. This meant he was one of the most promising young players in hockey.
Starting in the NHL
Carolina Hurricanes
Ladd became a professional player in the 2005–06 season. He played for the Lowell Lock Monsters, which was a minor league team for the Hurricanes. He was soon called up to play for the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. However, he got a knee injury in December that kept him out for a while.
He returned to the Hurricanes in March and joined them for their playoff run. Ladd helped the Hurricanes win their first-ever Stanley Cup championship. He played in 17 playoff games and contributed 5 points. During the Stanley Cup Finals, he was involved in a collision that injured the opposing goalie, Dwayne Roloson.
In the next season, 2006–07, Ladd earned a regular spot on the Hurricanes team. However, he faced another injury when he had an emergency appendectomy. He still managed to score 21 points in 65 games that season.
Chicago Blackhawks
In the middle of his third NHL season, Ladd was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in February 2008. This trade brought him back together with some of his old teammates from minor hockey. These friends included Troy Brouwer, Brent Seabrook, and Colin Fraser.
Ladd had a fantastic season with the Blackhawks in 2008–09. He scored 15 goals and made 34 assists, totaling 49 points in all 82 games. The Blackhawks made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They had a surprising deep run, but eventually lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
On March 7, 2010, Ladd scored his first NHL hat trick (three goals in one game). He continued to play well in the 2009–10 season, playing in all 82 games again. He scored 17 goals and 21 assists for 38 points. The Blackhawks continued their strong performance, securing a high spot in their conference.
Ladd and the Blackhawks went on another long playoff run. They defeated several tough teams, including the Vancouver Canucks for the second year in a row. They then swept the San Jose Sharks to reach the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals. In the finals, they beat the Philadelphia Flyers in six games. This win brought the Blackhawks their first Stanley Cup since 1961, and it was Ladd's second Stanley Cup win! Ladd missed the first three games of the Finals due to a shoulder injury but returned to play in the final three games.
Atlanta Thrashers and Winnipeg Jets
On July 1, 2010, Andrew Ladd was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers. This move was made to help the Blackhawks manage their team's salary cap. He joined other former Blackhawks players who had also been traded to Atlanta. On November 18, Ladd was named the captain of the Thrashers. This showed his strong leadership skills. He was also given the team's MVP (Most Valuable Player) award at the end of the season. He finished the season with 29 goals and 30 assists.
On July 5, 2011, Ladd signed a new five-year contract with the team. Soon after, the Thrashers team moved and became the Winnipeg Jets. On November 25, Ladd scored his 100th NHL goal against his old team, the Carolina Hurricanes. He continued to play in all 82 games during the 2011–12 season, scoring 28 goals and 22 assists.
On October 26, 2014, Ladd reached another milestone by getting his 200th NHL assist. He had a great 2014–15 season, leading the Jets in assists and total points. The Jets made it to the playoffs for the first time since moving from Atlanta. However, they were swept in four games by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round.
On February 18, 2016, Ladd scored his 200th NHL goal. This was another big achievement in his career.
Return to Chicago
In the 2015–16 season, Ladd was traded back to the Chicago Blackhawks. This happened on February 25, 2016, as the Jets were not going to make the playoffs. He was brought in to help the Blackhawks, who were the defending Stanley Cup champions. Ladd played in 19 games for the Blackhawks, scoring eight goals and four assists. He often played on the top line with captain Jonathan Toews. He also played in all seven of the Blackhawks' playoff games that year.
New York Islanders
On July 1, 2016, Ladd signed a seven-year contract with the New York Islanders as a free agent. The Islanders hoped he would help fill the spots left by other players who had left. However, Ladd had a tough start with the Islanders. He didn't score a point in his first five games and no goals in his first 12 games.
Because of the team's struggles, their head coach was fired in January 2017. Under the new coach, Doug Weight, Ladd's performance improved a lot. He scored 15 goals in the next 38 games. He finished the 2016–17 season with 23 goals and 8 assists.
On March 26, 2019, it was announced that Ladd would miss the rest of the 2018–19 season. He had suffered a serious knee injury called a torn ACL. After recovering, Ladd was sent to the Islanders' minor league team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, in November 2019. He was called back up to the Islanders briefly in December 2019.
Arizona Coyotes and Retirement
After five seasons with the Islanders, Ladd was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on July 17, 2021. The Islanders also sent some draft picks to Arizona in the trade. On April 20, 2022, Ladd played his 1,000th NHL game against his former team, the Chicago Blackhawks. This is a huge milestone for any hockey player.
Before the 2022–23 season, it was announced that Ladd could not pass his physical exam. This was due to a continuing knee problem. He spent the last year of his contract on the injured reserve list.
On September 10, 2023, Andrew Ladd officially announced his retirement from the NHL. He had a long and successful career, winning two Stanley Cups and playing over 1,000 games.
International Play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada |
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| Ice hockey | ||
| World Junior Championships | ||
| Gold | 2005 Grand Forks | |
During his junior career, Andrew Ladd played for Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships. He played alongside his future Chicago Blackhawks teammates, Colin Fraser and Brent Seabrook. This trio helped Canada win a gold medal, starting a five-year winning streak for the team. Ladd was also chosen as an alternate captain for Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF tournament.
Career Statistics
Regular Season and Playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2001–02 | Port Coquitlam Buckaroos | PIJHL | 42 | 15 | 22 | 37 | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Vancouver Giants | WHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | 58 | 15 | 40 | 55 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 71 | 30 | 45 | 75 | 119 | 7 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | ||
| 2004–05 | Calgary Hitmen | WHL | 65 | 19 | 26 | 45 | 167 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 18 | ||
| 2005–06 | Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 25 | 11 | 8 | 19 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 29 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | ||
| 2006–07 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 65 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Albany River Rats | AHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 43 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 20 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 15 | 34 | 49 | 28 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | ||
| 2009–10 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 17 | 21 | 38 | 67 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 | ||
| 2010–11 | Atlanta Thrashers | NHL | 81 | 29 | 30 | 59 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2011–12 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 82 | 28 | 22 | 50 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 48 | 18 | 28 | 46 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 78 | 23 | 31 | 54 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2014–15 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 81 | 24 | 38 | 62 | 72 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | Winnipeg Jets | NHL | 59 | 17 | 17 | 34 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2015–16 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 19 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 | ||
| 2016–17 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 23 | 8 | 31 | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | New York Islanders | NHL | 73 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | New York Islanders | NHL | 26 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 34 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2019–20 | New York Islanders | NHL | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Bridgeport Sound Tigers | AHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2021–22 | Arizona Coyotes | NHL | 51 | 7 | 5 | 12 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,001 | 256 | 294 | 550 | 615 | 65 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 48 | ||||
International Play Statistics
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Canada | WJC |  |
6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Canada | WC | 5th | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Canada | WC | 5th | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Canada | WC | 5th | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior totals | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||||
| Senior totals | 23 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 | ||||
Awards and Achievements
- WHL Plus-Minus Award – 2004 (Award for the best plus/minus rating in the WHL)
- WHL Top Draft Prospect Award – 2004 (Recognized as a top player for the NHL Draft)
- World Junior Championships gold medal – 2005 (Won gold with Team Canada)
- 2× Stanley Cup champion – 2006, 2010 (Won the NHL championship twice)
