Brad Isbister

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size =
team = Ottawa Senators
former_teams = Vancouver Canucks
Phoenix Coyotes
New York Islanders
Edmonton Oilers
Boston Bruins
New York Rangers
league = NHL
position = Left Wing
shoots = Right
height_ft = 6
height_in = 4
weight_lb = 231
nickname =
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1977|5|7|mf=y
birth_place = Edmonton AB, CAN
draft = 67th overall
draft_year = 1995
draft_team = Winnipeg Jets
career_start = 1997

Brad Isbister (born May 7, 1977 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League.

Playing career

Growing up in Alberta, Isbister played minor hockey with the Calgary Canucks of the ABHL, recording 49 points in 35 games in 1992-93. The following season, he began his junior career with the Portland Winter Hawks of the WHL. After a 16-goal, 36-point season in 1994-95, he was drafted in the third round, 67th overall, by the Winnipeg Jets in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Upon being drafted, he returned to the Winter Hawks and recorded 89 points, as well as a team-high 45 goals. In his final year with the Winter Hawks, Isbister recorded 33 points in 24 games and was named to the WHL West Second All-Star Team.citeweb|title=Brad Isbister - NHL Profile|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?page=PlayerDetail&playerId=8462094&service=page&tab=crst|accessdate=2008-09-06|publisher=National Hockey League] That season, he also competed for the Team Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championships and made his professional debut with the Springfield Falcons of the AHL, appearing in 7 games.

Isbister played his first NHL game on October 1, 1997 for the Phoenix Coyotes (formerly the Winnipeg Jets) against the Chicago Blackhawks. His first NHL point was an assist, in a 3–2 Phoenix win over the Colorado Avalanche on October 11. He scored his first NHL goal ten days later on October 21, in a 4–3 loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Isbister finished his rookie season with 17 points in 66 games. After his second season with the Coyotes, Isbister was traded to the New York Islanders on March 20, 1999, with a third round draft choice (Brian Collins) in 1999 for Robert Reichel, a third round draft choice (Jason Jaspers) in 1999 and a fourth round draft choice (previously acquired from Ottawa; Phoenix selected Preston Mizzi) in 1999.

In his first season with the Islanders, 1999–00, Isbister recorded a career-high 22 goals, 20 assists, and 42 points in 64 games. He continued at that pace in New York until March 11, 2003, as he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers Edmonton with Raffi Torres for Janne Niinimaa and a second round draft choice (previously acquired from Washington; New York selected Evgeni Tunik) in 2003.

In Isbister's first season with the Oilers, in 2003–04, his points total dipped to 18. After spending the locked out 2004-05 season in Austria, playing for Innsbruck, Isbister was traded from Edmonton to the Boston Bruins on August 1, 2005, in exchange for a fourth round draft choice (later traded back to Boston - later traded to San Jose - San Jose selected James Delory) in 2006.

Isbister recorded 23 points as NHL play resumed in 2005–06, his only season with Boston. The following summer, he was picked up by the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent on August 30, 2006, but was traded to the New York Rangers a month into the season in exchange for Acquired left wing Brad Isbister from the Carolina Hurricanes for Jakub Petruzalek and a conditional fifth-round draft choice in 2008. [citeweb|title=NHL Transactions|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/teams/transactions?team=nyr&year=2006|accessdate=2008-09-06|publisher=ESPN] With New York, Isbister spent the majority of the 2006–07 season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, the Rangers' AHL affiliate.

Following his only season with the Rangers organization, Isbister signed a one-year, $525,000 contract with the Vancouver Canucks. [citeweb|title=Canucks pick up Ritchie, Isbister|url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/nhl/2007-07-03-free-agent-roundup_N.htm|accessdate=2008-09-06|date=2007-07-03|publisher=USA Today] However, Isbister was regularly scratched from the lineup and played in only 55 games with Vancouver. He was not re-signed and was picked up by the Ottawa Senators the following summer, on a two-way, one-year contract on September 4, 2008. [citeweb|title=Isbister lands two-way deal with the Senators|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=453860|accessdate=2008-09-06|date=2008-09-04|publisher=Sporting News]

International play

Isbister first played internationally with Team Canada at the 1997 World Junior Championships. He scored 7 points in 7 games, tied for seventh in tournament scoring, as Canada captured their fifth straight gold medal. Isbister scored the final goal of the 2-0 victory over the United States in the gold medal game. [citeweb|title=Canada shuts out US for fifth straight title|url=http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20816F73E5D0C768CDDA80894DF494D81|publisher=New York Times|accessdate=2008-09-06|date=1997-01-05]

Three years later, Isbister made his senior international debut, competing in the 2000 World Championships. He scored 7 points in 9 games for Team Canada, but they were defeated in the semi-finals by the Czech Republic, then lost the bronze medal game to Finland.

Isbister competed for Canada for the second consecutive year in the 2001 World Championships and scored 5 goals in 7 games. However, Canada was once again held from a medal as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by the United States.

Awards & achievements

*Gold medal (World Junior Championships with Team Canada) - 1997
*WHL West Second All-Star Team - 1997

Career statistics

International statistics

References

External links

*hockeydb|19347