Brad Lukowich
Brad Lukowich | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 12, 1976 Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Ice hockey defenseman, coach |
| Years active | 1996–2012 (player), 2013–2014 (coach) |
| Known for | Two-time Stanley Cup champion (1999, 2004) |
Bradley J. Lukowich (born August 12, 1976) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman and former assistant coach for the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League. He earned two Stanley Cup titles during his career, winning with the Dallas Stars in 1999 and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. Although part of the Stars' roster during their 1998–99 championship season, he did not meet the requirements to have his name inscribed on the Cup. Lukowich is presently active in coaching roles.
Playing career
Lukowich spent three seasons playing major junior hockey with the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL, capturing back-to-back Memorial Cup championships in 1994 and 1995. Selected 90th overall by the New York Islanders in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, he was traded to the Dallas Stars organization in 1996.
He progressed through the Stars’ system, including time with their IHL affiliate, the Michigan K-Wings, before breaking into the NHL late in the 1990s. Lukowich participated in eight playoff games during Dallas’s 1999 Stanley Cup run but did not qualify to have his name engraved on the trophy. He secured a regular NHL roster spot in the 1999–2000 season, recording four points across 60 games.
In June 2000, Lukowich was briefly dealt to the Minnesota Wild but returned shortly thereafter to Dallas as part of a multi-player transaction. He increased his offensive production to 14 points during his second full campaign with the Stars.
On June 22, 2002, Lukowich was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he tallied five goals and totaled 19 points in the 2003–04 season, contributing to Tampa Bay’s first-ever Stanley Cup victory.
During the NHL lockout in 2004–05, he signed with the CHL's Fort Worth Brahmas but appeared in only 16 games. Returning to NHL action post-lockout, Lukowich re-signed with his original team, the Islanders, in 2005 before being traded mid-season to the New Jersey Devils, finishing that year with a personal best combined total of 21 points. He remained with New Jersey for an additional season.
In July 2007, Lukowich returned to Tampa Bay as a free agent, providing modest contributions until being traded in July 2008 to the San Jose Sharks along with Dan Boyle in exchange for Matt Carle, Ty Wishart, and draft selections.
After one season registering eight points with San Jose, he was traded in August 2009 to the Vancouver Canucks. Due to depth on Vancouver’s roster, Lukowich was assigned to their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, but was recalled in January 2010 following injuries on the main squad. On January 25, he scored his first goal as a Canuck—and his first NHL goal in over three years—netting a game-winning goal against the Buffalo Sabres.
In June 2013, Lukowich transitioned into coaching by accepting an assistant coach position with the Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL). He was released from this role in February 2014 and subsequently filed a wrongful dismissal claim that was settled later that year; settlement terms confirmed his termination occurred without cause.
Personal life
Lukowich and his wife Cara are parents to two daughters. His father, Bernie Lukowich, played two NHL seasons with both the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins as well as appearing in 21 games for the Calgary Cowboys of the World Hockey Association (WHA). His cousin, Morris Lukowich, competed in 582 NHL games and 228 WHA contests.
Residing in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex area, Lukowich currently manages hockey programs at local StarCenter ice facilities.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular Season | Postseason | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1992–93 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 42 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 168 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 35 | ||
| 1994–95 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 63 | 10 | 35 | 45 | 125 | 18 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 | ||
| 1995–96 | Kamloops Blazers | WHL | 65 | 14 | 55 | 69 | 114 | 13 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 29 | ||
| 1996–97 | Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 69 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 77 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 60 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 104 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 14 | ||
| 1997–98 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 67 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 95 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1998–99 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 14 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Michigan K-Wings | IHL | 67 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 95 | ||||||||
| 1999–00 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 60 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 50 | |||||||
| 2000–01 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 80 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 76 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 2001–02 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 66 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 40 | |||||||
| 2002–03 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 70 | 1 | 14 | 15 | 46 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 2003–04 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 79 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 24 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| 2004–05 | Fort Worth Brahmas | CHL | 16 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 33 | |||||||
| New York Islanders | NHL | 57 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 32 | ||||||||
| 2005–06 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 18 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| New Jersey Devils | NHL | 75 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 36 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2007–08 | Tampa Bay Lightning | NHL | 59 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 20 | |||||||
| San Jose Sharks | NHL | 58 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Texas Stars | AHL | 29 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 10 | |||||||
| Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||
| 2010–11 | Texas Stars | AHL | 67 | 4 | 23 | 27 | 59 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Dallas Stars | NHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2011–12 | Texas Stars | AHL | 67 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 40 | |||||||
| NHL Career Totals | 658 | 23 | 90 | 113 | 369 | 71 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 22 | ||||
Awards
- Secured the Stanley Cup championship with the Dallas Stars in 1999 Stanley Cup Finals and again with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals.