Thomas Gradin
Swedish centre who became Vancouver's all-time leading scorer and later a key scout.
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Thomas Kjell Gradin, born February 18, 1956, in Sollefteå, Sweden, works as an associate head scout for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL and previously played centre in both the NHL and the Swedish Elite League from 1975 to 1990. After his first SEL season, the Chicago Black Hawks picked him 45th overall in the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft. A trade sent him to Vancouver in 1978, and he moved to North America to start his NHL career. Over eight seasons with the Canucks, he became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer, played in the 1982 Stanley Cup Final, and appeared in the 1985 NHL All-Star Game.
Following a single season with the Boston Bruins, he went back to Sweden and finished his playing days with AIK, his former SEL club. Gradin rejoined the Canucks organization as a scout in 1994, and his work helped the team draft Swedish players like Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Mattias Öhlund, and Alexander Edler. In 2011, the team honored his long career with the organization by inducting him into their Ring of Honour.
Background
Born in Sollefteå, Sweden, Gradin played youth hockey for nearby Långsele AIF and began men's hockey at age 14. After three seasons with Modo in Sweden's Division 1, he moved up to the SEL in 1975. Following his rookie SEL season, Gradin was drafted by the Chicago Black Hawks in 1976 but remained in Sweden for two more years, transferring to AIK to accommodate his studies in Stockholm. In June 1978, the Black Hawks traded his NHL rights to the Vancouver Canucks, prompting his move to North America.
Along with fellow Swedes Lars Zetterström and Lars Lindgren, Gradin became one of the first Europeans to join the Canucks. Playing on a line with rookies Stan Smyl and Curt Fraser, he led the team in assists and finished second in team scoring in his debut season, earning the Cyclone Taylor Award as team MVP. Gradin improved to 30 goals and 75 points in 1979–80, then led the team in scoring in 1980–81 and set a single-season franchise record with 86 points in 1981–82.
In the 1982 playoffs, he led the Canucks in post-season scoring with 19 points in 17 games as the team reached its first Stanley Cup Final, where they were swept by the New York Islanders. Gradin's 19 points ranked fourth in league scoring and stood as a Canucks record for 12 years. He recorded 86 points again in 1982–83 and became the Canucks' all-time leading scorer in 1983–84. After a career-low 41 points in 1985–86, Gradin signed with the Boston Bruins as a free agent.
He played one season with Boston, recording 12 goals and 43 points, then returned to Sweden to finish his career with AIK. Gradin captained Sweden at the 1984 Canada Cup, leading them to the finals before losing to Canada.
Career statistics and honours
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1970–71 | Långsele AIF | SWE III | 14 | 11 | 2 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | SWE | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1972–73 | Modo AIK | SWE | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1973–74 | Modo AIK | SWE | 14 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 2 |
| 1974–75 | Modo AIK | SWE | 29 | 16 | 15 | 31 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76 | Modo AIK | SEL | 35 | 16 | 23 | 39 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1976–77 | AIK | SEL | 36 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1977–78 | AIK | SEL | 36 | 22 | 15 | 37 | 22 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| 1978–79 | Vancouver Canucks | 76 | 20 | 31 | 51 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | |
| 1979–80 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 80 | 30 | 45 | 75 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1980–81 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 79 | 21 | 48 | 69 | 34 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| 1981–82 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 37 | 49 | 86 | 32 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 10 |
| 1982–83 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 80 | 32 | 54 | 86 | 61 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 1983–84 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 75 | 21 | 57 | 78 | 32 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1984–85 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 76 | 22 | 42 | 64 | 43 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86 | Vancouver Canucks | NHL | 71 | 14 | 27 | 41 | 34 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 64 | 12 | 31 | 43 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1987–88 | AIK | SEL | 38 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 1988–89 | AIK | SEL | 33 | 11 | 21 | 32 | 40 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1989–90 | AIK | SEL | 35 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 1996–97 | Västerås IK | SEL | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| SWE totals | 54 | 25 | 20 | 45 | 22 | 19 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 4 | ||
| SEL totals | 215 | 94 | 105 | 199 | 121 | 16 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 | ||
| NHL totals | 677 | 209 | 384 | 593 | 298 | 42 | 17 | 25 | 42 | 20 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 1974 | Sweden | WJC | 5 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
| 1974 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| 1975 | Sweden | EJC | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
| 1976 | Sweden | WJC | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 1978 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1981 | Sweden | CC | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1984 | Sweden | CC | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Junior totals | 24 | 17 | 14 | 31 | 8 | ||
| Senior totals | 22 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 10 | ||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Thomas Gradin (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Thomas Gradin (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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