Wade Redden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wade Redden
Redden with the New York Rangers in 2008
Born	(1977-06-12) June 12, 1977 (age 48) Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Canada
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Ottawa Senators New York Rangers St. Louis Blues Boston Bruins
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	2nd overall, 1995 New York Islanders
Playing career	1996–2013

Wade Redden (born June 12, 1977) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played most of his career as a defenceman for the Ottawa Senators in the National Hockey League (NHL). His NHL career lasted from 1996 to 2013.

Redden also played for the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Boston Bruins. He represented Canada seven times in international games. He won two gold medals at the World Junior Championships. He also won a gold medal at the World Cup of Hockey. Redden was chosen for the NHL All-Star Game two times. Today, he works as a development coach for the Ottawa Senators.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Wade Redden was born on June 12, 1977, in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. He is Métis. He grew up in a small place called Hillmond, Saskatchewan. Wade went to school in Hillmond until grade nine. He then went to high school in Lloydminster and later in Brandon, Manitoba.

While in Brandon, he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings junior hockey team. Wade has an older sister, Nikki, and an older brother, Bart. He is the youngest of the three children.

Playing Career Highlights

Junior Hockey Years

Wade Redden started playing minor hockey with local teams in Hillmond. He then played one year for the Lloydminster Blazers. In the 1993–94 season, he joined the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Brandon Wheat Kings. This was his first year in major junior hockey. He won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's best rookie.

The Wheat Kings reached the Memorial Cup tournament twice with Redden. This was in 1995 and 1996. Wade also played for the Canadian junior team in the World Junior Hockey Championships. He won gold medals with Team Canada in both 1995 and 1996.

Joining the NHL: A Big Trade

The New York Islanders picked Wade Redden second overall in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. But he never played for them. Instead, he was part of a big trade on January 23, 1996. This trade involved three teams: the Islanders, the Ottawa Senators, and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Senators really wanted to sign Bryan Berard, their first pick from the same draft. When they couldn't, they made this trade. Redden's rights were sent to the Ottawa Senators.

Time with the Ottawa Senators

Redden joined the Senators for the 1996–97 season. He made the team right out of his first training camp. On October 5, 1996, he scored his first NHL goal on his very first shot. This was against Jocelyn Thibault of the Montreal Canadiens. Redden was named NHL Rookie of the Month for April 1997. He helped the Senators reach the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in their modern history.

By the 1999–2000 season, Redden was a key player for the team. On October 2, 1999, he became an alternate captain. He held this role for nine seasons. He missed the 2000 playoffs due to an ankle injury. This was a factor in the Senators losing in the first round.

The next year, Redden kept getting better. He played over 25 minutes per game. He also had 37 assists. After the 2001 playoffs, he played for Team Canada's senior team for the first time. This was at the 2001 IIHF World Championship.

Redden with the Ottawa Senators, 2007.

In the 2001–02 season, Redden was chosen for the 2002 NHL All-Star Game. The next season, 2002–03, he had many games with multiple points. In the 2003–04 season, he scored a personal best of 17 goals. This helped him get a spot in the 2004 NHL All-Star Game. He also won a gold medal with Canada at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. He played for Canada again in the 2005 IIHF World Championship.

During the 2005–06 season, Redden had a career-high 50 points. He also had a joint-NHL-leading plus-minus rating of +35. He was chosen for Team Canada's roster for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

After the 2005–06 season, the Senators had to choose between Redden and Zdeno Chára. They were both top defencemen and could become free agents. The Senators decided to keep Redden. He signed a two-year contract. Chára then signed with the Boston Bruins.

The 2006–07 NHL season was tough for Redden at first. He played with a new defensive partner, Andrej Meszároš. But by the 2007 playoffs, they played well together. Redden helped the Senators reach the Stanley Cup Finals. They lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games.

The 2007–08 was also eventful. General manager Bryan Murray tried to trade Redden. But Redden used a "no-trade clause" in his contract to stop the deals. He wanted to win the Stanley Cup with Ottawa. Despite trade rumors, he played his 800th career NHL game on January 10, 2008. His contract ended after this season.

Moving to the New York Rangers

On July 1, 2008, Redden signed a six-year contract with the New York Rangers. His performance in New York was not as strong. He faced a lot of criticism. On September 25, 2010, the Rangers placed Redden on waivers. This meant other teams could claim him. This move also helped the Rangers manage their team salary under the salary cap.

Redden was then sent to the Rangers' minor league team, the Hartford Wolf Pack, in the American Hockey League (AHL). He became the highest-paid player in AHL history. Redden thought about retiring, but decided to play for Hartford. In the 2011–12 season, Redden was the captain of the Connecticut Whale, which was the Wolf Pack's new name.

The 2012–13 Lockout

During the 2012–13 NHL lockout, the Rangers did not pay Redden's salary. When the lockout ended, new rules affected Redden. Teams had to count AHL player salaries over $900,000 against their NHL cap. Also, teams could buy out up to two contracts without it counting against the cap. This was called a compliance buyout.

To avoid injury, the Rangers first told Redden not to report to camp. But the players' association worried this would hurt his chances of finding another team. So, the rules were changed. On January 16, 2013, Redden was waived by the Rangers. After a compliance buyout, he became a free agent.

Return to the NHL

On January 18, 2013, Wade Redden signed a one-year contract with the St. Louis Blues. This was just before the shortened 2012–13 season began. On January 24, he played his first NHL game since April 2010. He scored his first goal back on January 26. On February 7, he played his 1,000th career NHL game.

Redden with the Connecticut Whale in 2011

At the 2013 NHL trade deadline, Redden was traded to the Boston Bruins. The Bruins hoped he would play well with his former Senators teammate, Zdeno Chára. In six regular season games with the Bruins, Redden scored one goal and had one assist. In the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored a goal and an assist in the first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

On January 9, 2014, Wade Redden announced he was retiring from professional ice hockey.

After Playing Hockey

On June 27, 2016, Redden joined the Nashville Predators. He became their assistant director of player development. His job was to help young players get ready for the NHL.

On July 11, 2022, Redden was named a development coach for the Ottawa Senators.

Personal Life

When Redden played for the Senators, he sponsored a special suite at their arena. It was called Wade's World. This suite was for children who were very sick. He also helped the 65 Roses Club, which raises money for cystic fibrosis research.

During the off-season, Redden and his wife live near Kelowna, British Columbia. They got engaged in 2007 and married in August 2008. Wade and his wife have three daughters.

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play

Medal record
Representing  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Silver	2005 Vienna
World Cup of Hockey
Gold	2004 Canada
World Junior Championships
Gold	1995 Alberta
Gold	1996 Massachusetts

Awards and Honours