Thomas Gradin, a skilled Swedish forward, was selected in the third round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. Rather than immediately heading to North America, Gradin chose to continue developing his game with Skellefteå AIK in the Swedish Elite League.
It wasn't until the Vancouver Canucks acquired his rights prior to the 1978-79 NHL season that he made the jump to the NHL.Transitioning from European hockey to the North American style, especially in the 1970s, was often a tough challenge. But for Gradin, the adjustment appeared effortless.
In his NHL debut on October 11, 1978, at the Pacific Coliseum, Gradin made an instant impact. The Vancouver Canucks dominated the Colorado Rockies with an 8-2 victory. Just 4:14 into the game, Gradin scored his first NHL goal against goaltender Doug Favell, assisted by veteran defenseman Dennis Kearns.
Gradin continued his stellar performance by opening the second period with another goal, this time assisted by Curt Fraser, and later assisted on a Fraser goal. He finished the game with two goals on two shots and one assist, totaling three points in a dream debut.
Two nights later, Gradin proved his performance was no fluke, netting two more goals in an 8-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. After four games, he had already tallied five goals and three assists, averaging two points per game.
Though his torrid scoring pace eventually leveled out, Gradin’s rookie season remained impressive. He finished the year with 20 goals and 51 points, earning a tie for 7th place in Calder Trophy voting alongside Brad Marsh of the Atlanta Flames. Gradin’s early NHL success helped pave the way for more Swedish players to make the leap to the NHL, showing that European talent could thrive on North American ice.
About Thomas Gradin
Along with being drafted by Chicago in the third round of the 1976 NHL Amateur Draft, 45th overall, Thomas Gradin was a first round pick by the Winnipeg Jets that year in the 1976 WHA Amateur Draft. He played for neither.
Between 1978-79 and 1986-87, Gradin played 677 regular season and 42 playoff games in the National Hockey League with the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. He reached the 20 goal plateau in his first seven seasons and had a career best 37 with the Canucks in 1981-82.
In that 1981-82 NHL season, Thomas helped Vancouver reach the Stanley Cup final, contributing 19 points in 17 games. Vancouver was finally knocked out by the defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders.
No comments:
Post a Comment