Andrew Ladd



Andrew Ladd (born December 12, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted in 2004 by the Carolina Hurricanes and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2006. He won the Stanley Cup a second time, this time with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.

Playing career
Ladd began his junior hockey career in the Junior A British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Coquitlam Express. He then progressed to the major junior Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Calgary Hitmen after being traded from the Vancouver Giants for Jamison Orr. He recorded 75 points in his rookie season, tops among first-year players and 15th in league scoring. His +39 plus/minus led the league, earning him the WHL Plus-Minus Award. In the off-season, Ladd was drafted in the first round, 4th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. Ladd turned pro after two seasons with the Hitmen in 2005–06 with the Lowell Lock Monsters, the Hurricanes' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate. He was called up to the Hurricanes in November, making his NHL debut, but soon suffered a knee injury in December which sidelined him through to February. Ladd was assigned back to the Lowell Lock Monsters until March when he was recalled to join the Hurricanes for their playoff run. He contributed 5 points in 17 post-season games helping the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup championship. The following season, in 2006–07, Ladd solidified a roster spot with the Hurricanes, but suffered from injury a second straight season, undergoing an emergency appendectomy on December 14, 2006. He finished the campaign with 21 points in 65 games. In the midst of his third NHL season, Ladd was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline on February 26, 2008, in exchange for Tuomo Ruutu. By joining the Blackhawks, Ladd was reunited with three former minor hockey teammates, Troy Brouwer, Brent Seabrook and Colin Fraser, who all played together with the Pacific Vipers. In a game against the Detroit Red Wings on March 7, 2010, Ladd scored his first NHL hat trick. On July 1, 2010, in a salary-cap move, Ladd was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in exchange for defenseman Ivan Vishnevskiy and Atlanta's second-round choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, joining Dustin Byfuglien, Ben Eager, and Brent Sopel, who had been traded from the Blackhawks a week earlier. During the 2010-11 season, on November 18, Ladd was named as the captain of the Thrashers, with Byfuglien and Tobias Enstrom as alternates.

International play
During his junior career, Ladd played for Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks, where he was joined by former minor hockey and future Chicago Blackhawks teammates Colin Fraser and Brent Seabrook. The trio helped Canada win their first gold medal of a five-year championship run.

Awards

 * Won the WHL Plus-Minus Award in 2004.
 * Won the WHL Top Draft Prospect Award in 2004.
 * Won a World Junior Championships gold medal with Canada in 2005.
 * Won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.