Brian Bradley

Infobox Ice Hockey Player


image_size= 200px
played_for = Tampa Bay Lightning
Toronto Maple Leafs
Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
league = NHL
position = Centre
shoots = Right
height_ft = 5
height_in = 10
weight_lb = 180
nationality = CAN
birth_date = Birth date and age|1965|1|21|mf=y
birth_place = Kitchener, ON, CAN
draft = 51st overall
draft_year = 1983
draft_team = Calgary Flames
career_start = 1986
career_end = 1999

Brian Bradley (born 21 January, 1965) is a former professional ice hockey player and all-star from Kitchener, Ontario. Bradley played for a number of different hockey teams in many different leagues. He played for the London Knights in the early 1980s before being selected in 51st overall, in the 3rd round, by the Calgary Flames in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. Bradley spent a season with the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team before moving to the National Hockey League (NHL) for good.

Playing career

Brian Bradley's NHL debut came in the 1985–86 season with the Calgary Flames, where he saw very limited action (only 5 regular season games and one playoff game), although his first playoff game was during the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Canadiens. He would spent most of the season with the Moncton Golden Flames (Calgary's minor league team), where he was linemates with future superstar Brett Hull.

In 1988, after arriving back from playing with Canadian National Men's Hockey Team, where he spend most of the 1986–87 NHL season playing, Bradley was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. During the 1989 playoffs, Bradley would tie rookie Trevor Linden with a team-leading 7 points in seven games. His best regular season totals with the Canucks came in the 1989–90 season when he scored a team respectable 48 points and was awarded The Canuck's "Most Exciting Player" Award by Canuck fans. He started out the 1990–91 season playing strongly, only to be traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for mobile defenceman Tom Kurvers.

In 1992, the expansion Tampa Bay Lightning acquired him in the 1992 NHL Expansion Draft, and he would become the team's first star. He would score the team's first preseason goal against the Minnesota North Stars. He would set personal highs in goals, assists and points before the All-Star Break. At the end of Tampa Bay's inaugural season, Bradley lead the team with a career high 42 goals and 86 points. He played well enough throughout the season that he also made his NHL All-Star debut. In 1995–96 he set a personal high of 56 assists. That same year the Lightning debuted in the NHL playoffs. The next season (1996–97) Brian Bradley would score the first goal in the history of the Ice Palace Arena. Unfortunately, he would be sidelined for most of the rest of the season due to nagging injuries. He would play with the Lightning until retiring due to chronic injuries on 23 December, 1999.

Career statistics

NHL jersey numbers

*1986–88, Calgary Flames, #14
*1988–91, Vancouver Canucks, #10
*1991–92, Toronto Maple Leafs, #44
*1992–98, Tampa Bay Lightning, #19

NHL ALL-Star jersey numbers

*1992–93, #14
*1993–94, #19

Post-hockey life

Bradley is still affiliated with the Lightning's organisation and makes frequent appearances on Sun Sports television, which broadcasts regular season Lightning games. Bradley currently resides in Tampa.

ee also

*List of NHL players

References

*hockeydb|00000542