Andrew Ladd
Andrew Ladd | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1985 Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey winger |
| Years active | 2005–2023 |
| Known for | Playing in the NHL for Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders, Arizona Coyotes; two-time Stanley Cup champion |
Andrew Joseph Ladd (born December 12, 1985) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey winger who competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets, New York Islanders, and Arizona Coyotes.
Selected fourth overall by the Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Ladd captured the Stanley Cup twice during his career, first with Carolina in 2006 and later with Chicago in 2010.
Junior
Ladd launched his junior hockey journey with the Coquitlam Express before moving up to major junior play in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Calgary Hitmen, following a trade from the Vancouver Giants. He led all rookies by accumulating 75 points and ranked fifteenth in overall WHL scoring. Additionally, he topped the league with a +39 plus/minus rating, earning him the WHL Plus-Minus Award. This standout performance paved the way for his selection as the fourth overall pick by Carolina in 2004.
Carolina Hurricanes
Ladd began his professional career during the 2005–06 season with Carolina’s AHL team, the Lowell Lock Monsters. He made his NHL debut in November but was sidelined by a knee injury until February. After recovering and returning to Lowell, he was called back up in March to join Carolina’s playoff roster, where he contributed five points over 17 games and played a role in securing their franchise’s first Stanley Cup. A notable moment during the Finals involved Ladd inadvertently causing an injury to Edmonton Oilers’ goaltender Dwayne Roloson, which affected Edmonton’s postseason campaign.
In the 2006–07 season, Ladd earned a permanent spot on Carolina’s lineup but underwent an emergency appendectomy in December. He finished that campaign with 21 points across 65 games.
Chicago Blackhawks
In his third NHL season, Ladd was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 26, 2008, in exchange for Tuomo Ruutu. This move reunited him with former minor hockey teammates Troy Brouwer, Brent Seabrook, and Colin Fraser, all of whom were alumni of the Pacific Vipers program.
The 2008–09 season marked a breakout year for Ladd as he notched 15 goals and 34 assists, totaling 49 points over a full 82-game schedule. Chicago finished fourth in the Western Conference and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2002. The Blackhawks advanced past both the fifth-seeded Calgary Flames and third-seeded Vancouver Canucks in six-game series before falling to the defending champion second-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals.
On March 7, 2010, Ladd recorded his first NHL hat trick against Detroit despite a narrow 5–4 loss. He again participated in all 82 games during the 2009–10 season, contributing 17 goals and 21 assists for a total of 38 points. Chicago secured second place in the Western Conference and advanced through the playoffs by defeating the seventh-seeded Nashville Predators, third-seeded Vancouver Canucks, and sweeping top-seeded San Jose Sharks in the Conference Finals. They then triumphed over seventh-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six games to claim their first Stanley Cup since 1961 and fourth overall—marking Ladd’s second championship victory.
Ladd missed three games at the start of the Finals due to a shoulder injury sustained against San Jose but returned for the final trio of contests. He completed the 2010 postseason with six points (three goals and three assists) across 19 games.
Atlanta Thrashers / Winnipeg Jets
On July 1, 2010, Ladd was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers as part of a salary-cap strategy, with defenceman Ivan Vishnevskiy and a second-round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft (used to select Adam Clendening) going to the Blackhawks. This move reunited him with former Chicago teammates Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, and Brent Sopel. Ladd was appointed captain of the Thrashers on November 18, with Byfuglien and Tobias Enström named as alternate captains. He was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player at the conclusion of the season. On November 21, Ladd achieved his 100th NHL assist by setting up a goal for Byfuglien during a 2–1 overtime victory against the New York Islanders. He completed that campaign with 29 goals and 30 assists, totaling 59 points across 81 games.
Following the franchise's relocation to become the Winnipeg Jets, Ladd signed a five-year contract worth US$22 million on July 5, 2011. He reached his 100th NHL goal milestone on November 25 in a 3–1 win over his former club, the Carolina Hurricanes, scoring against goaltender Cam Ward. During the 2011–12 season, he appeared in all 82 games and finished with 28 goals and 22 assists for a total of 50 points.
On October 26, 2014, Ladd notched his 200th NHL assist by assisting Bryan Little in a 2–1 overtime triumph over the Colorado Avalanche. That season he led the Jets with 24 goals and 38 assists, amassing 62 points as the team qualified for the playoffs for their first time since relocating. Entering as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, Winnipeg was swept in four games by the top-seeded Anaheim Ducks, with Ladd contributing one assist throughout the series.
Ladd scored his 200th NHL goal on February 18, 2016, during a shootout loss (6–5) to the Tampa Bay Lightning, beating goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Return to Chicago
In the final year of his contract during the 2015–16 season and with the Jets eliminated from playoff contention, Ladd was traded back to the Chicago Blackhawks on February 25, 2016. The deal included Jay Harrison and Matt Fraser heading to Chicago in exchange for Marko Daňo and a first-round draft pick in 2016. Joining the defending Stanley Cup champions as a deadline acquisition, Ladd played in the last 19 games of the regular season, tallying eight goals and four assists while frequently skating alongside captain Jonathan Toews and Andrew Shaw on the top line. He also participated in all seven playoff games during Chicago’s first-round loss to the St. Louis Blues, recording one goal and one assist.
New York Islanders
On July 1, 2016, Ladd agreed to a seven-year contract worth $38.5 million with the New York Islanders, intended to fill roles vacated by Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen. Despite a sluggish start—going five games without registering a point and twelve without scoring—his performance improved following a mid-season coaching change from Jack Capuano to Doug Weight. He closed out the 2016–17 season with totals of 23 goals and eight assists over 78 games as the Islanders narrowly missed playoff qualification by one point.
During the 2017–18 season, Ladd contributed 12 goals and added 17 assists across 73 contests. In November of 2018, he sustained a torn meniscus that sidelined him for forty-four games. On March 26, 2019, after appearing in only twenty-six games that year, Ladd was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to torn ACL and MCL injuries.
Ladd was placed on waivers by New York on November 14, 2019, subsequently being assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He was recalled on December 21 to fill in for injured winger Cal Clutterbuck. Prior to the pandemic-shortened 2020–21 campaign, Ladd attended Bridgeport’s training camp directly.
Arizona Coyotes
Following five seasons with the Islanders, Ladd was traded to the Arizona Coyotes on July 17, 2021. Along with Ladd, the Islanders included second-round selections in both the 2021 and 2022 NHL Entry Drafts, as well as a conditional third-round pick for 2023. On February 20, 2022, during a 3–1 victory over the Dallas Stars, Ladd sustained a lower-body injury that caused him to miss 18 games. He celebrated his 1,000th NHL appearance on April 20 in a game against his former squad, the Chicago Blackhawks, held at Gila River Arena. Ladd was sidelined for the last four contests of the season after suffering another lower-body injury on April 22. He concluded the 2021–22 campaign having participated in 51 games, tallying seven goals and five assists for a total of 12 points. At the conclusion of the season, he was selected as the Coyotes' nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.
Prior to the start of the 2022–23 season, Ladd did not pass his physical examination due to an ongoing knee problem and consequently spent the entire season on injured reserve. According to the trade agreement, the Coyotes received a conditional third-round draft pick from the Islanders in 2023. On September 10, 2023, Ladd formally declared his retirement from professional hockey.
International play
Throughout his junior years, Ladd represented Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships held in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where he played alongside future Chicago Blackhawks teammates Colin Fraser and Brent Seabrook. The team earned Canada's first gold medal during a sequence of five consecutive championship victories. Additionally, Ladd served as an alternate captain for Canada at the 2011 IIHF tournament.
Regular season and playoffs
2009–10 NHL season Chicago Blackhawks NHL 82 17 21 38 67 19 3 3 6 12 2010–11 NHL seasonAtlanta Thrashers NHL 81 29 30 59 39 — — — — — 2011–12 NHL seasonWinnipeg Jets NHL 82 28 22 50 64 — — — — — 2012–13 NHL season Winnipeg Jets NHL 48 18 28 46 22 — — — — — 2013–14 NHL season Winnipeg Jets NHL 78 23 31 54 57 — — — — — 2014–15 NHL season Winnipeg Jets NHL 81 24 38 62 72 4 0 1 1 4 2015–16 NHL season 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 NHL seasonNew York Islanders NHL 78 23 8 31 45 — — — — — 2017–18 NHL season New York Islanders NHL 73 12 17 29 24 — — — — — 2018–19 NHL season New York Islanders NHL 26 3 8 11 16 — — — — — 2018–19 AHL seasonBridgeport Islanders AHL 2 1 4 5 2 — — — — — 2019–20 AHL season Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 34 11 3 14 10 — — — — — 2019–20 NHL season New York Islanders NHL 4 1 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 2020–21 AHL season Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2021–22 NHL seasonArizona Coyotes NHL 51 7 5 12 47 — — — — —| 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 NHL season | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 65 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 AHL season | Albany River Rats | AHL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 NHL season | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 43 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2007–08 | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 20 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 NHL season | Chicago Blackhawks | NHL | 82 | 15 | 34 | 49 | 28 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | ||
| NHL totals | 1001 | 256 | 294 | 550 | 615 | 65 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 48 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Outcome | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Canada | WJC | Template:Gold1 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | |
| 2011 | Canada | WC | 5th place | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Canada | WC | 5th place | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 2 | |
| 2013 | Canada | WC | 5th place | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 4 | |
| Junior career totals | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 23 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 8 | ||||
Awards
- WHL Plus-Minus Award – earned in 2004
- WHL Top Draft Prospect Award – received in 2004
- Gold medal at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships – achieved in 2005
- Two-time Stanley Cup winner – in the years 2006 and 2010