Brandon Reid

Lore & Background

Reid was a standout junior player for the Halifax Mooseheads of the QMJHL but was passed over in the 1999 NHL entry draft due to his size. He established himself as a legitimate NHL prospect after a superb performance at the 2000 World Junior Championships, scoring 9 points in 7 games and helping Canada win a bronze medal. He finished the 1999–2000 season with 124 points in 62 games and was named Memorial Cup Most Sportsmanlike Player. The Vancouver Canucks selected him 208th overall in the 2000 NHL entry draft.

After being traded to Val-d'Or Foreurs for the 2000–01 season, Reid continued to dominate the QMJHL, forming a deadly partnership with Simon Gamache. He recorded 126 points in 57 games and added 42 more in 21 playoff games, helping Val-d'Or reach the Memorial Cup, where he was again named Most Sportsmanlike Player. He also helped Canada earn another bronze medal at the 2001 World Junior Championships.

Reid signed with the Canucks for the 2001–02 season and spent most of his professional career in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose, leading the team in scoring in 2002–03 and 2003–04. He appeared in a handful of NHL games, including a two-goal effort against the Nashville Predators, and played regularly for Vancouver in the 2003 playoffs. His relationship with the Canucks deteriorated after he felt less deserving players were called up ahead of him. He later played extensively in the DEL and Swiss leagues before retiring due to injuries in 2014.

Reader's Guide

Brandon Reid's significance lies in his transition from an undersized junior star overlooked in the draft to a productive professional who carved out a long career in Europe and later found success as a head coach. Despite being passed over in the 1999 draft, he used his speed and skill to earn a bronze medal at the World Juniors and eventually get drafted by Vancouver. His junior career was marked by two Memorial Cup Most Sportsmanlike Player awards and a CHL Most Sportsmanlike Player honor.

In the NHL, Reid's impact was limited to parts of three seasons with the Canucks, but he made a strong impression in the 2003 playoffs, replacing Trevor Letowski on the checking line. His legacy in the AHL includes leading the Manitoba Moose in scoring twice and ranking seventh among the franchise's all-time scoring leaders. In Europe, he led the Hamburg Freezers and DEG Metro Stars in scoring and was named playoff MVP in the DEL for the 2008–09 season.

As a coach, Reid achieved his greatest success with the Aalborg Pirates, leading them to their first Danish national championship since 1981 and winning the national cup in 2017–18, earning Coach of the Year honors in Denmark. His coaching career also included a stint as assistant coach for the Canadian National Sledge Hockey team, helping them win gold and silver medals.

Did You Know?

• Reid was passed over in the 1999 NHL entry draft due to his size before being drafted 208th overall by Vancouver in 2000.
• He was named Memorial Cup Most Sportsmanlike Player in both 2000 and 2001.
• Reid led the Manitoba Moose in scoring during the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons.
• As head coach of Aalborg Pirates, he won the Danish national championship in 2017–18, the club's first since 1981.