Brad Lauer

Lore & Background

Brad Lauer grew up in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, playing minor hockey in Swift Current alongside Wendel Clark and with the Humboldt Broncos. He moved to the Regina Pats of the WHL for the 1983–84 season, where he took on a penalty-killing role and scored 12 points in 60 games. Over the next two seasons with Regina, he developed into a scoring threat, recording 79 points in 1984–85 and 74 points in 1985–86, while also playing defence for the final six games of the 1985–86 regular season. He was selected for the WHL Eastern Division all-star game in January 1986 but was not chosen for Canada's 1986 World Junior Championship team.

Lauer made his NHL debut with the Islanders on October 9, 1986, against the Chicago Blackhawks, playing on a line with Brent Sutter and Mike Bossy. He scored his first NHL goal in his second game, a power-play goal against goaltender Bob Janecyk. His career with the Islanders included a fractured kneecap from a Mark Howe shot in October 1988, which limited him to 14 games that season, and a fractured right hand in training camp in 1987. He later developed into a defensive forward and recorded a career-high 17 goals and 35 points in 69 games during the 1987–88 season. Lauer also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, and Pittsburgh Penguins before retiring from playing in 1996.

Reader's Guide

Brad Lauer's NHL career spanned a decade, during which he played for four teams and was part of the Islanders' transition from their dynasty era. He was drafted as a scoring threat and considered part of the Islanders' 'best draft in years,' but injuries—including a fractured kneecap, broken knuckles, and a fractured hand—disrupted his development. Despite these setbacks, he achieved a career-high 17 goals in 1987–88 and contributed in the playoffs, including a three-point game in a Game 7 loss to the New Jersey Devils in 1988. After his playing career, Lauer moved into coaching, serving as an associate coach for the Winnipeg Jets and head coach of the Edmonton Oil Kings before becoming head coach of the Spokane Chiefs in the WHL. His career illustrates the challenges of maintaining consistency amid injuries and the transition from player to coach in professional hockey.

Did You Know?

• Brad Lauer scored his first NHL goal on the power play against goaltender Bob Janecyk in a 5–4 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on October 11, 1986.
• He played defence for the final six games of the 1985–86 regular season with the Regina Pats due to a shortage of defencemen.
• Lauer was one of three players told to stay in the locker room after the second intermission by head coach Terry Simpson during a game in October 1987.
• He suffered a fractured left kneecap after taking a shot from Mark Howe in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 27, 1988.