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Wade Redden is Enjoying Life After a Tumultuous NHL Career

By: Darcy Lynch

The 40-year-old former all-star defenceman is once again relishing the game he loves.

Despite playing in multiple NHL all-star games, and representing Canada at the 2006 Olympics, Wade Redden is best remembered for underperforming with the New York Rangers. His $40 million contract, which he signed in 2008, is commonly referred to as the worst deal ever in professional hockey. Most fans assume the salaries NHL players are paid ensures they have a stress-free lifestyle, but the pressures and expectations associated with the money can take a toll on a player’s emotions and well-being.    Redden, 40, experienced extreme highs and lows, both on and off the ice, while playing in Ottawa and New York. These days he is focused on the positives associated with his NHL career. His journey is a story of redemption, which demonstrates how a favorable attitude can help conquer difficult circumstances. The big leagues showed Redden that life in Manhattan is not an easy adjustment for a farm kid from Saskatchewan. Still, the experiences made him mentally stronger for his life after hockey.

Redden is now a husband and father of three young children, and lives a quiet life in Kelowna, British Columbia. After retiring from hockey in 2014 he quietly stepped away from the spotlight and dedicated more time to his family. Since then he has also taken sufficient time to reflect on his 14 years in the NHL. “It was important for me to just relax and decompress after my career,” says Redden. A span that culminated with him playing in the minor leagues while still earning the infamous contract from the Rangers. Redden was a highly regarded prospect when he broke into the league in 1997 as an 18-year-old rookie with the Ottawa Senators. He played an instrumental role in the team’s long playoff runs in 2003 and 2007, and was well-respected in the Ottawa community. “Wade was always a class act,” says Dave Burns, a longtime Senators season ticket holder. “He was always nice to fans, and did lots of charity work in the community.” Redden still greatly appreciates the support from fans in Ottawa, and he is especially proud of the volunteer work he did with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

As he approached his 30’s Redden had become an NHL superstar who led Senators defensemen with 67 points in 2006. Based on his accomplishments he expected to be compensated accordingly. When Redden became a free agent in 2008 the Rangers were the highest bidder, so he agreed to a seven-year contract with the team.

After signing the long-term deal Redden was immediately expected to dominate in New York. However, things didn’t go as planned in his first season. He struggled in his initial ten games, and the fan base grew restless. Redden became depressed and had a hard time focusing on improving his play. “It was tough to get out of that hole where people were on you,” says Redden. “All the diehard fans in New York were booing and stuff, so I was in a tough situation.” Things never really improved. After just two years the Rangers sent him to their minor league affiliate in Hartford, which meant a big departure from the status Redden was accustomed to as an NHL player. While sitting in a quiet room in his up-scale home, which includes minimal memorabilia from his hockey career, the brawny Redden ponders the good moments connected to his final years of professional hockey. While acknowledging the ending was both humbling and humiliating, he now has more of an appreciation for the friendships that were formed during that period of his life.

Notwithstanding the ups and downs of his career, Redden’s public demeanor never changed. “Wade is one of the few players who was the same cordial guy at 30 as he was as a fresh-faced kid at 18,” says Colin Tesky, a sports reporter for Extra 90.5 FM. Similar refrains were said about Redden throughout his playing career. Yet, towards the end most media stories were about his lack of results for the money he was being paid. Professional hockey players are a brotherhood, and Redden remained close with his teammates during the difficult seasons. “The guys in the room didn’t care about my contract because they understood hockey is a business,” says Redden. “Fans and media tend to be more focused on that stuff than players.” Redden is quick to point out how his family and teammates were the ones who helped him get through the toughest days of his career.   After a few years away from hockey Redden is now slowly easing his way back into the game. He missed the comradery and competitiveness connected to professional sports, so he recently took a part-time position as a development coach with the Nashville Predators. He’s also involved in his four-year-old son’s initiation program, which has helped the former defenceman rediscover his passion for hockey.  Like most hockey dads Redden hopes his son has a chance to make the NHL someday, but with a witty smile he admits he’d prefer if it’s not the New York Rangers that draft him.  

Extra:

Hear Wade Redden describe his time as a New York Ranger, and his retirement from the NHL, in this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H79BmKcme88