Wade Redden hangs up skates after 14 NHL seasons

Veteran NHL defenceman Wade Redden, who helped lead the Senators to the Stanley Cup playoffs in each of his 11 seasons in Ottawa, announced his retirement through the NHL Players’ Association on Thursday.

Redden, 36, played 1,023 regular-season games for the New York Rangers, St. Louis, Boston and Ottawa, scoring 109 goals and 348 assists for 457 points while posting a career plus-160 rating.

“I would first and foremost like to thank my family and friends for their unconditional love and support,” the native of Lloydminster, Sask., said in a statement released by the NHLPA. “I would also like to thank my teammates, coaches and staff for all the great memories created throughout the years.

“To the fans, I appreciate all your support throughout my career. Playing in the National Hockey League has been a dream come true and I feel very proud and privileged to have played more than 1,000 games in 14 NHL seasons.”

A valued, two-way defenceman, Redden finished his career in last year’s lockout-shortened campaign, playing 23 games for St. Louis and six more with Boston following a late-season trade. He posted three goals and seven points in 29 contests with a minus-2 rating.

Redden set a career high in goals with 17 in the 2003-04 season, while his most productive campaign came in 2005-06 with Ottawa when the Kelowna, B.C., resident earned 50 points on 10 goals and 40 assists to go with a career-best plus-35.

Before the New York Islanders drafted Redden second overall in 1995, he helped the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League reach the Memorial Cup, the Canadian junior hockey championship, in 1995 and '96. Redden was named to the tournament all-star team in 1996.

Traded

Prior to the 1996 Memorial Cup, the Islanders traded Redden to Ottawa along with goalie Damien Rhodes for fellow netminder Don Beaupre, centre Martin Straka and defenceman Bryan Berard on Jan. 23, 1996.

Redden broke into the NHL the following season, playing all 82 regular-season games and scoring six goals and 30 points.

He scored his first goal on Oct. 5, 1996, in his first NHL start. Three years later, Redden was named an assistant captain with the Senators.

He played in his lone NHL all-star game in 2002 and recorded 34 points and a plus-22 that season.

The 2006-07 was memorable for Redden and the Senators, who advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals. During the regular campaign, he topped Ottawa in average ice time at 22 minutes 54 seconds.

In the playoffs, Redden led all Ottawa blue-liners in points (10) while averaging 23:37 of ice time in 20 outings.

The six-foot-two, 205-pound rearguard gained valuable experience playing internationally.

Redden won a gold medal with Canada national junior team at the 1995 and '96 world junior hockey championship. He also competed at three world championships (1999, 2001, 2005), earning a silver medal in 2005.

Redden also won gold in 2004 at the World Cup of Hockey and skated for Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.