Defenseman Wade Redden played most of his NHL career with the Ottawa Senators. This 1995 story profiled Redden while he finished his WHL days with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The Ottawa Senators are going to have a high pick in the 2024 NHL entry draft, but in this major feature story from The Hockey News’ June 1, 1995, edition (Volume 48, Issue 36), writer Mike Sawatzky profiled Wade Redden – a young, yet-to-be-drafted defenseman who would spend his best years with the Sens.
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The New York Islanders selected Redden second overall in the 1995 draft, but he’d go on to spend the next nine seasons of his NHL career with Ottawa. His high panic threshold proved to be a huge part of his game.
“I don’t think even as a rookie the blunders he makes will be big ones,” an NHL scout said of Redden. “I haven’t seen anything physically that would bother the kid. He plays defense like Bruce Driver, but he sees the ice like (Sergei) Zubov.”
Redden’s WHL career with the Brandon Wheat Kings impressed many, including Brandon GM (and current Vegas Golden Knights GM) Kelly McCrimmon. Redden went on to play 1,023 regular-season NHL games, and though he didn’t win a Stanley Cup, Redden’s skill set separated him from the rest of his draft class.
“Just his composure, his intelligence and his skill level was superior and he was a great kid,” McCrimmon said of Redden. “It helped Wade that he developed in a winning organization, had good coaching and an opportunity to play.”
REDDEN: THE SAFEST PICK
Vol. 48, No. 36, June 1, 1995
By Mike Sawatzky
Scouts attending the NHL draft July 8 in Edmonton will get a chance to see Wade Redden in a whole new light.
The draft may be the only hockey setting where Redden, an 18-year-old defenseman with the Brandon Wheat Kings, is a willing participant, but isn’t in control of the proceedings.
Whenever scouts see Redden on the ice, they rave about the poise, composure and all-around game of the 6-1 ½, 193-pounder.
Redden isn’t as flashy as Detroit Jr. Red Wings’ rival Bryan Berard, but he is silky smooth and at this point, is the more mature player. Scouts say he sees the ice better in his own end and is better with the puck, almost always making the right decisions.
Berard has more upside offensive potential, but Redden might be the safest pick in the draft.
“He won’t put guys through the boards, but he doesn’t have to do that. He’ll rub them out,” said one NHL scout.
Already, Redden is regarded as one of the Western League’s finest blueliners. He had 14 goals and 60 points in 64 games this season while playing on a star-laden team that included forwards Marty Murray and Darren Ritchie and defenseman Bryan McCabe.
Some scouts feel he could benefit from another year in the WHL while he increases his upper body strength. But it’s unlikely any bottom-place team picking Redden – a certain top-four selection – will have that luxury.
“I don’t think even as a rookie the blunders he makes will be big ones,” said another scout. “I haven’t seen anything physically that would bother the kid. He plays defense like Bruce Driver, but he sees the ice like (Sergei) Zubov.”
Early in Redden’s rookie season in 1993-94, Brandon GM Kelly McCrimmon believed the young defenseman was destined for greatness.
“Just his composure, his intelligence and his skill level was superior and he was a great kid,” McCrimmon said. “It helped Wade that he developed in a winning organization, had good coaching and an opportunity to play.”
Redden’s land of opportunity began at the family farm in Hillmond, Sask. His father Gord, a minor leaguer in the early 1970s, built a rink there and coached the Lloydminster Blazers of the Alberta Jr. League where Wade made his debut at 15.
Then came the quantum leap to the WHL.
“Wade matured a lot when he left home,” Gord Redden said. “He was really the baby of the family. He came back more outspoken and more mature.”
By mid-season his first year, Redden had earned a regular shift and was an integral member of Brandon’s power play and penalty-killing units. He finished with four goals and 39 points while racking up 98 penalty minutes in 64 games.
“My 16-year-old year really helped me and I got lots of ice time,” Redden said. “I was fortunate in that way. If we would have had a lot of (defensemen) back and I sat on the bench, it just would have done me harm.”
At the start of this season, Redden’s flawless reputation took a hit.
After a summer in which he was the MVP of Canada’s gold-medal winning squad at the Mexico Cup under-18 tournament – despite the fact he didn’t score a point – he returned to Brandon in something less than peak physical condition.
It contributed to a slow start, but Redden rebounded to gain a spot on Canada’s national junior team, which won a gold medal in Red Deer, Alta.
“You’ve got to get in the best physical shape you can,” Redden said. “I didn’t take enough time to do that. But this summer I have to stay dedicated and get on a program and do it every day.”
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