Brent Ashton

Brent Kenneth Ashton (born on May 18, 1960 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) is a retired professional player who spent fourteen seasons in the National Hockey League between 1979 and 1993. Despite being a fine goalscoring winger, he was known during his career for being the most-traded player in the history of the NHL, a record since tied by Mike Sillinger.
==Playing Career==
Ashton played his junior hockey for his hometown Saskatoon Blades and following a 119 point season in 1978–79 was selected in the second round (26th overall) of the 1979 NHL Entry Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. He stepped straight into the Canucks' lineup at the age of 19 in 1979–80. Although he tied an NHL rookie record with a 4–assist game against the Atlanta Flames, he was used sparingly and finished the year with 5 goals and 19 points in 47 games. In 1980–81, he improved to 18 goals and 29 points, but at the conclusion of the season was traded to the Colorado Rockies in a three-way deal.
In Colorado, Ashton received more ice time and responded in fine style, leading the Rockies with 36 assists and 64 points in 1981–82. For 1982–83, the franchise moved to New Jersey and became the New Jersey Devils, and Ashton slumped to just 14 goals and 33 points in 76 games.
Ashton was dealt to the Minnesota North Stars for the 1982–83 campaign, but struggled to get ice time on a deep North Star squad, and suffered through the worst season of his career, finishing with just 7 goals and 17 points. He was again struggling to start the 1983–84 season with just 4 goals through 29 games, but a trade to the Quebec Nordiques would rejuvenate his career. In 49 games after the trade to Quebec, Ashton exploded offensively with 27 goals and 51 points, finishing the year with a career-high 31 goals. He would turn in another solid season in 1984–85, finishing with 26 goals and 58 points.
Ashton would get off to a blistering start to the 1985–86 campaign, with 25 goals through 46 games, but in what would become the story of his career was traded mid-season to the Detroit Red Wings despite recording 78 goals in just 172 games as a Nordique. Ashton continued to score frequently in Detroit, finishing the season with a career-high 40 goals and 75 points, and added 13 points in 16 playoff games as the Red Wings reached the Campbell Conference finals. In 1987–88, he turned in a respectable 26 goals and 53 points and had another strong playoff performance with 7 goals and 12 points in 16 games as Detroit again reached the conference finals.
For the 1988–89 season, Ashton was on the move again, this time to the Winnipeg Jets. He turned in 31 goals - his 5th straight year with at least 25 goals - and a career-high 37 assists for 68 points, and at the conclusion of the season helped Canada to a silver medal at the World Championships.
Ashton would have the longest stay of his NHL career in Winnipeg, spending three full seasons with the Jets. He turned in another 20 goal season in 1989–90, but as he moved into his 30s injuries took their toll and his production began to fall off. After a poor start to the 1991–92 season, he was dealt to the Boston Bruins, where he rebounded to finish with 18 goals and 40 points. However, the following year he would struggle with just 2 goals in 26 games for the Bruins and was assigned to the minors for the first time in his 14-year career. He was eventually traded to the Calgary Flames, and finished out the year strongly with 19 points in 32 games as a Flame.
Unable to get an NHL contract for the 1993–94 campaign, Ashton signed with the Las Vegas Thunder of the International Hockey League and was playing well until suffering a career-ending knee injury in November. The injury occurred just as he was about to sign with the Los Angeles Kings, who would have been his 10th NHL team.
In 998 career NHL games, Ashton scored 284 goals and added 345 assists for 629 points, along with 635 penalty minutes. He was traded an NHL-record 9 times during his career.
Following his career, Ashton returned to his hometown of Saskatoon where he operates Brent Ashton Sportswear, as well as coaches minor hockey. His brother Ron Ashton was also a professional hockey player, appearing for the Winnipeg Jets during their WHA incarnation, and his son Carter Ashton, was drafted in the first round in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
==Career Statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1975–76 	Saskatoon Blades 	WCHL 	 	11 	3 	4 	7 	11 	 	18 	1 	1 	2 	5
1976–77 	Saskatoon Blades 	WCHL 	 	54 	26 	25 	51 	84 	 	6 	1 	2 	3 	15
1977–78 	Saskatoon Blades 	WCHL 	 	46 	38 	26 	64 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1978–79 	Saskatoon Blades 	WHL 	 	62 	64 	55 	119 	80 	 	11 	14 	4 	18 	5
1979–80 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	47 	5 	14 	19 	11 	 	4 	1 	0 	1 	6
1980–81 	Vancouver Canucks 	NHL 	 	77 	18 	11 	29 	57 	 	3 	0 	0 	0 	2
1981–82 	Colorado Rockies 	NHL 	 	80 	24 	36 	60 	26 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982–83 	New Jersey Devils 	NHL 	 	76 	14 	19 	33 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	68 	7 	10 	17 	54 	 	12 	1 	2 	3 	22
1984–85 	Minnesota North Stars	NHL 	 	29 	4 	7 	11 	15 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Quebec Nordiques 	NHL 	 	49 	27 	24 	51 	38 	 	18 	6 	4 	10 	13
1985–86 	Quebec Nordiques 	NHL 	 	77 	26 	32 	58 	64 	 	3 	2 	1 	3 	9
1986–87 	Quebec Nordiques 	NHL 	 	46 	25 	19 	44 	17 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1986–87 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	35 	15 	16 	31 	22 	 	16 	4 	9 	13 	6
1987–88 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	73 	26 	27 	53 	50 	 	16 	7 	5 	12 	10
1988–89 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	75 	31 	37 	68 	36 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1989–90 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	79 	22 	34 	56 	37 	 	7 	3 	1 	4 	2
1990–91 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	61 	12 	24 	36 	58 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1991–92 	Winnipeg Jets 	NHL 	 	7 	1 	0 	1 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1991–92 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	61 	17 	22 	39 	47 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Providence Bruins 	AHL 	 	11 	4 	8 	12 	10 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	26 	2 	2 	4 	11 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1992–93 	Calgary Flames 	NHL 	 	32 	8 	11 	19 	41 	 	6 	0 	3 	3 	2
1993–94 	Las Vegas Thunder 	IHL 	 	16 	4 	10 	14 	29 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	998 	284 	345 	629 	635 	 	85 	24 	25 	49 	72
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==External Links==
*
*Profile at hockeydraftcentral.com
Category:Born in 1960
Category:Boston Bruins players
Category:Calgary Flames players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Colorado Rockies (NHL) players
Category:Detroit Red Wings players
Category:Las Vegas Thunder players
Category:Minnesota North Stars players
Category:New Jersey Devils players
Category:Providence Bruins players
Category:Quebec Nordiques players
Category:Saskatoon Blades alumni
Category:Vancouver Canucks players
Category:Winnipeg Jets players
Category:Retired in 1994