Brad Larsen

Brad Larsen (born January 28, 1977) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey left winger who played in the National Hockey League with the Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers. He currently serves as an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League.
==Playing career==
Brad Larsen was born in Nakusp, British Columbia, and played junior ice hockey for the Swift Current Broncos where he attracted NHL scouts' attention. Larsen was drafted in round 3, 53rd overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. He was not signed by the Avalanche by 1997 NHL Entry Draft day and subsequently re-entered the draft and was drafted 87th overall by the Avalanche. 
His first four professional years were spent almost entirely with Colorado's AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, before securing a full-time role as a member of the Avalanche in 2001–02. Blighted by persistent Back and Groin injuries in 2002–03, Larsen was unable to establish himself in the NHL. Brad returned in 2003–04 and spent time with both Hershey and Colorado before he was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Thrashers on February 25, 2004. 
During the 2004 NHL Lockout, Larsen made a return to full health playing in a career high 75 games with the Thrashers AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. Upon resumption of the NHL in the 2005–06 season, Larsen established a checking line role with the Thrashers and posted a career high 7 goals for 15 points. After playing in a NHL high 72 games and helping the Atlanta reach their maiden post season the following season, Brad was re-signed by the Thrashers to a two-year contract extension on June 22, 2007. A mainstay on the Thrashers fourth line, Larsen's offensive contributions dipped in the 2007–08 season, scoring just 1 goal and four points. 
On September 26, 2008, he was traded by Atlanta, along with Ken Klee and Chad Painchaud, to the Anaheim Ducks for Mathieu Schneider. Brad's injury woes returned at the start of the 2008–09 season, after suffering a Sports hernia, he was then required to have hip surgery which consequently keep him sidelined for the entire season without debuting for the Ducks.
A free agent, Larsen was invited to the Buffalo Sabres training camp for the 2009–10 season before signing with AHL affiliate, the Portland Pirates on September 12, 2009. As a part of the leadership group with the Pirates, Larsen made his return to the ice and posted 13 goals for 27 points in 55 games. Helping the Pirates reach the Quarterfinals in the Calder Cup playoffs, Larsen later announced his retirement to become an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL on August 20, 2010.
==Career statistics==
===Regular season and playoffs===
  	  	  	 	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
1992–93 	Nelson Leafs 	RMJHL 	 	42 	31 	37 	68 	164 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1993–94 	Swift Current Broncos	WHL 	 	64 	15 	18 	33 	32 	 	7 	1 	2 	3 	4
1994–95 	Swift Current Broncos	WHL 	 	62 	24 	33 	57 	73 	 	6 	0 	1 	1 	2
1995–96 	Swift Current Broncos	WHL 	 	51 	30 	47 	77 	67 	 	6 	3 	2 	5 	13
1996–97 	Swift Current Broncos	WHL 	 	61 	36 	46 	82 	61 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1997–98 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	65 	12 	10 	22 	80 	 	7 	3 	2 	5 	2
1997–98 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	1 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1998–99 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	18 	3 	4 	7 	11 	 	5 	0 	1 	1 	6
1999–00 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	52 	13 	26 	39 	66 	 	14 	5 	2 	7 	29
2000–01 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	67 	21 	25 	46 	93 	 	10 	1 	3 	4 	6
2000–01 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	9 	0 	0 	0 	0 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2001–02 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	50 	2 	7 	9 	47 	 	21 	1 	1 	2 	13
2002–03 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	25 	3 	6 	9 	25 	 	4 	1 	1 	2 	8
2002–03 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	6 	0 	3 	3 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Hershey Bears 	AHL 	 	21 	4 	13 	17 	40 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Colorado Avalanche 	NHL 	 	26 	2 	2 	4 	11 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2003–04 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	2 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2004–05 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 	 	75 	26 	23 	49 	112 	 	18 	4 	7 	11 	22
2005–06 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	62 	7 	8 	15 	21 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2005–06 	Chicago Wolves 	AHL 	 	6 	1 	0 	1 	8 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2006–07 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	72 	7 	6 	13 	39 	 	4 	0 	2 	2 	0
2007–08 	Atlanta Thrashers 	NHL 	 	62 	1 	3 	4 	12 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2009–10 	Portland Pirates 	AHL 	 	55 	13 	14 	27 	40 	 	4 	0 	0 	0 	0
WHL totals	WHL totals 	WHL totals	 	238 	105 	144 	249 	233 	 	19 	4 	5 	9 	19
AHL totals	AHL totals 	AHL totals	 	384 	96 	120 	216 	475 	 	62 	14 	16 	30 	73
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	294 	19 	29 	48 	134 	 	25 	1 	3 	4 	13
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
===International===
Year 	Team 	Comp 	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1994 	Canada Pacific 	WHC17 	6 	1	0	1 	0
1996 	Canada 	WJC 	6 	1	1	2 	4
1997 	Canada 	WJC 	7 	0	1	1 	6
Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	Junior int'l totals	19	2	2	4 	10
==Career transactions==
* Originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft as a 3rd round choice, 53rd overall, in 1995.
* Selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft as a 4th round choice, 87th overall.Rights to Larsen were traded by Ottawa for Janne Laukkanen on January 26, 1996.
* Claimed on waivers by the Thrashers from Colorado, February 25, 2004.
* Traded along with Ken Klee and Chad Painchaud, to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Mathieu Schneider, September 26, 2008.
==Awards and honours==
Award 	Year	
WHL 	WHL 	WHL
East All-Star Team	1997	
==References==
==External links==
*
Category:Born in 1977
Category:Atlanta Thrashers players
Category:Canadian ice hockey players
Category:Chicago Wolves players
Category:Colorado Avalanche draft picks
Category:Colorado Avalanche players
Category:Hershey Bears players
Category:Nelson Leafs alumni
Category:Ottawa Senators draft picks
Category:Portland Pirates players
Category:Swift Current Broncos alumni
Category:Retired in 2010