Redden looking to make the most of his return to the NHL


Wade Redden hoped he would one day get to the milestone he is about to celebrate next week in St. Louis, but that's about all he could do. Cross his fingers.

Redden looking to make the most of his return to the NHL


The day after his first daughter, Leni, was born in September 2010, the New York Rangers waived Redden and sent him to the American Hockey League's Connecticut Whale to get the final four years of his six-year, $39-million US contract off the books.

After two seasons that were beyond disappointment, the Rangers, and in particular coach John Tortorella, had had enough.

And so for the next two years, the then-33-year-old defenceman, who had played 994 games in the NHL and not a single one in the minors, found himself stuck in Connecticut, with a contract that was too rich for anyone to touch and too rich for him to give up.

The predicament was all the more poignant because if anyone didn't deserve this humiliation, it was Redden, one of the better people you could ever meet in or out of the game, as people in the Ottawa Valley well know from his 12 years in this community.

Which is why it was so satisfying on so many levels when Redden finally got his wish.

When the new collective bargaining agreement was modified to allow teams to dump one contract this season, the Rangers exercised their option and bought out Redden, freeing him and al-lowing the St. Louis Blues to sign him to a one-year deal worth $1 million, including about $200,000 in potential bonuses.

And next week, either Thursday at home against the Detroit Red Wings or Saturday at home against the Anaheim Ducks, he'll reach the milestone that has eluded him for the last two years: his 1,000th game.

Of the 997 games Redden had played heading into Friday's game in Detroit, 838 were played in an Ottawa uniform. So it'll feel a bit odd reaching 1,000 after only six games in a Blues' uniform, he says. He's hoping St. Louis fans find it in themselves to cheer, if even a little.

"I had a lot of good years in Ottawa," he said. "Obviously in New York, I had some challenges. But I've been very fortunate to stick around for 1,000 games.

"The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. With everything else that's been happening, the game is taking a bit of a back seat, but it's something I'm very proud of.

"In my head I was always hoping I was going to get another chance. I did, and I'm going to make the most of it."

If it's a cliché that you don't know how good you have it until you don't, it applies to Redden.

From the first-class life of a professional athlete in New York, he had to get used to riding buses and playing in small-town rinks, something he hadn't done since he was a junior with the Brandon Wheat Kings.

The demotion was almost enough to make him quit, which is what the Rangers were hoping he would do so they wouldn't have to play his $6.5-million salary, but his wide circle of family, friends and former teammates convinced him to stay.

In addition to former Ottawa teammates Curtis Leschyshyn and Daniel Al-fredsson, Redden leaned on advice from Wheat Kings general manager Kelly Mc-Crimmon and his late brother Brad.

McCrimmon will be in St. Louis for Redden's 1,000th game.

"He signed a contract in New York that after a while they thought would be better in Connecticut," McCrimmon said Kelly in an interview from Brandon, Man.

"Even though he was tremendously well compensated, it was a difficult situation for a guy who had never played a game in the minors.

"We just talked to him about having to play the cards you're dealt and that's what he did. There's never been a touch of arrogance or entitlement about Wade.

"This isn't the story of a guy who was injured and is finally coming back or a guy who spent lots of years in the minors and is finally getting a chance.

"This is a unique situation he was in and I'm sure there were some days when he was wondering if he'd ever get back.

"So this is probably even more satisfying for him.

"There are few people happier or prouder than me to see him reach this milestone."

After he got over the shock of being sent to Connecticut, Redden was the model citizen.

He did everything that was asked of him and more, says coach Ken Gernander.

He worked hard, tutored the team's young defencemen - getting a shout-out from Ryan McDonagh when he arrived in New York - and was elected team captain for the 2011-12 season.

"He's such a humble and patient guy who carries himself so well that any suggestion from him really carried weight," Gernander said during an interview from Hartford.

"He was a calming influence in the dressing room and on the ice he was a reliable guy who was always in position. That made it a lot easier for the other guys because he was such a good read."

Redden was also generous, taking his teammates, who made infinitely less money than he did, out for the odd lunch.

And occasionally, said Gernander, he'd put an iPad up on the bulletin board for the player who scored the winning goal.

But while that may have endeared him to his teammates, the rest of the league looked at him as a target.

"I think it was hard for him in a lot of ways," Gernander said. "He was challenged a number of times, whether it was because of his contract status or because someone was looking to make a mark.

"But he always handled himself with class.

"He could have made the worst of it and been a real problem, but I can't say enough about Wade as a teammate or as a person."

While he wasn't happy about being sent to Hartford, Redden said he had to accept the situation and make the best of it if he ever wanted to get back to the NHL.

While his play had noticeably declined in New York, he had played 12 seasons in the NHL, so it wasn't as if he had suddenly lost all his skill. But he did need to work at it.

"Obviously there were different circumstances that affected my reason for being there," he said. "It wasn't good for the Rangers and it wasn't good for me. It was tough initially to go down there, but I understood the situation.

"Life goes on and I went down there, worked hard, played hard, tried to be a good teammate and did all the things I usually do.

"I always felt like if I did those things, it'd be my best chance to get back."

After the buyout, Redden had offers from about six teams, but the Blues were the best fit.

They were a young, exciting team with a good chance to go far in the playoffs.

He also had someone in his corner in the form of coach Ken Hitchcock.

Just about the time that Redden had left the Senators in 2008 and was mulling over free-agent offers, Hitchcock, then in Columbus, wanted the Blue Jackets to go after him.

Hitchcock coached Redden in the 2004 World Cup and the 2006 Olympics (when Hitchcock and then-Senators coach Jacques Martin were roommates) and had seen plenty of him when he was coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2002-03 to 2006-07.

Redden chose the Rangers, though.

With the Blues, Hitchcock and general manager Doug Armstrong needed depth - after not re-signing the oft-injured Carlo Colaiacovo and releasing Colin White - and a partner for the up-and-coming Alex Pietrangelo.

The Blues had scouted Redden over his two years in the AHL, said Armstrong, and were comfortable that he could still play in the NHL.

Plus, Redden was in great shape - which in the past had been a criticism - after spending the lockout working hard with a group of players in Kelowna, B.C., where he now lives.

"He's a very dependable, smart player and lets the puck do the work for him," Armstrong told reporters.

When Redden got to St. Louis, Hitchcock talked and Redden listened.

"There are different coaches who like different styles and different kinds of players and he kind of laid it out for me," Redden. said. "I think the style they play is like what Jacques had us playing in Ottawa. It's hard-working, defence-first mentality, but we create a lot of opportunities from it, so I feel comfortable.

"I was just happy to get a chance with any team, really, but St. Louis was a good fit for me and it's been a great start so far.

"It's a privilege to play in the best league in the world.

"It's just a lot of fun to be part of it and when you're not around it, you sure appreciate it when you get back."

Redden won't second-guess his decision to sign with the Rangers and says he's long past feeling bitter about the way things turned out.

He's bruised, but has come out of it more or less intact.

"It wasn't a good situation in New York, from early on, I guess, but you can't go back," he said. "You never know what's going to happen. You make the decision that you think is going to be good for you and you go from there.

"That's the approach I took and I stuck with it.

"I mean, the last couple of years have been positive, too. The AHL is a good league and you can't coast.

"But I didn't want it to end that way. I had something to prove to myself and to everyone else.

"So I'm thankful and happy the Blues have given me another chance. I'm feeling good and looking forward to playing some games."


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