Brad Stuart

Playing career

Stuart was drafted in the first round, 3rd overall, in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks. In a game against the Los Angeles Kings on April 4, 2004, Stuart scored twice in a 17-second span, forcing the game into overtime at a 3-3 tie. The San Jose Sharks went on to win 4-3. Stuart's feat is the fastest that a Sharks player has scored two goals.

After playing with the Sharks for more than five seasons, Stuart was traded along with Marco Sturm and Wayne Primeau to the Boston Bruins for Joe Thornton in November, 2005.

On February 10, 2007, he was traded to the Calgary Flames along with Wayne Primeau in exchange for Andrew Ference and Chuck Kobasew. Boston General Manager Peter Chiarelli cited his inability to agree on a new contract with Stuart, who was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2006–07 NHL season, as a reason for the deal.

After the end of the season, Stuart signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal to play for the Los Angeles Kings.

The Kings traded Stuart to the Detroit Red Wings on February 26, 2008 for a second round draft pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth round draft pick in 2009. On June 4, 2008, Stuart won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Red Wings where he saw time as a top-4 defenceman paired with Niklas Kronwall.

Stuart was an unrestricted free agent after the 2007–08 season and on July 1, 2008, he re-signed with the Detroit Red Wings for $15 million over 4 years. Stuart returned to his home town of Rocky Mountain House on August 17, 2008 with the Stanley Cup to share his celebration with those that supported him.

Stuart played in 67 games during the 2008–09 season, scoring two goals to go with 13 assists as the Red Wings came within one game of repeating as Stanley Cup Champions.

On June 10, 2012, Stuart's negotiating rights were traded to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for the negotiating rights to forward Andrew Murray and a conditional 7th round pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Eight days later, it was reported that Stuart signed a three-year $10.8 Million deal with the Sharks. In the 2013–14 season on October 8, 2013 against the New York Rangers, Stuart recorded a hit on Rick Nash which led to Stuart being suspended for three games. He finished the season with 11 points in 61 games before surrendering a 3-0 series lead in the Conference Quarterfinals to the Los Angeles Kings.

On July 1, 2014, with the Sharks intent on getting younger, Stuart accepted a trade to provide a veteran presence to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2nd round draft pick in 2016 and a 6th round pick in 2017. Before playing a game with the Avalanche prior to the 2014–15 season, Stuart was signed to a two-year contract extension on September 29, 2014. Stuart played in his 1,000th career game on December 18, 2014. As the Avalanche failed to qualify for the post-season, Stuart finished with 3 goals and 13 points in 65 games.

In the 2015–16 season, his second season with the Avalanche, Stuart appeared in only 6 games before he was ruled out with a back injury on November 10, 2015. With little sign of improvement, on February 1, 2016 it was announced that Stuart's season was over after undergoing back surgery. In the off-season, with the Avalanche aiming to go younger on the blueline, Stuart's tenure in Colorado ended as he was bought out from the remaining year of his contract on June 27, 2016.