Andrew Ladd

Lore & Background

Ladd began his junior hockey career with the Coquitlam Express before moving to the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Calgary Hitmen. In his rookie WHL season, he recorded 75 points, tops among first-year players, and his plus-minus of +39 led the league, earning him the WHL Plus-Minus Award. He turned professional in 2005–06 with the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Hurricanes' AHL affiliate, and made his NHL debut that November. A knee injury sidelined him until February, but he was recalled for the playoffs and contributed 5 points in 17 post-season games as the Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup. Ladd is remembered for injuring Edmonton Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson in game one of the Stanley Cup Final, an injury that prevented Roloson from playing the rest of the playoffs.

After being traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2008, Ladd enjoyed a breakout 2008–09 season with 15 goals and 34 assists for 49 points in all 82 games. He scored his first NHL hat trick against the Detroit Red Wings on March 7, 2010. In the 2010 playoffs, he missed the first three games of the Stanley Cup Final with a shoulder injury but returned for the final three games as the Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers. He was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in a salary-cap move in July 2010 and was named captain of the Thrashers on November 18, 2010. When the franchise relocated to Winnipeg, he signed a five-year, $22 million contract and continued as captain. He recorded his 100th NHL goal on November 25, 2011, against his former team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Ladd later returned to the Blackhawks at the 2016 trade deadline and then signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the New York Islanders as a free agent in July 2016.

Reader's Guide

Andrew Ladd's career is notable for his role on two Stanley Cup-winning teams and his leadership as captain of the Atlanta Thrashers and later the Winnipeg Jets. He was a durable player who played all 82 games in multiple seasons, including 2008–09 and 2009–10 with the Blackhawks, and 2011–12 with the Jets. His offensive production peaked with 29 goals and 30 assists for 59 points in 2010–11 with the Thrashers, and he led the Jets in assists and points in 2014–15 when the team qualified for the playoffs for the first time since relocating from Atlanta. Ladd's time with the Islanders was marked by a slow start after signing a large free-agent contract, but he rebounded under a coaching change to finish the 2016–17 season with 23 goals. Injuries, including a torn meniscus in 2018 and a torn ACL and MCL in 2019, limited his later seasons. He was placed on waivers by the Islanders in November 2019 and assigned to their AHL affiliate, though he was later recalled. Ladd's career illustrates the arc of a first-round draft pick who achieved team success early, served as a franchise captain, and navigated the challenges of free agency and injury.

Did You Know?

• Ladd won the WHL Plus-Minus Award in his rookie season with the Calgary Hitmen.
• Ladd was named captain of the Atlanta Thrashers on November 18, 2010.
• He recorded his 200th NHL goal on February 18, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Lightning.