Top 50 Canucks players of all time: #13 – Thomas Gradin

Join us this summer as we count down the top 50 Vancouver Canucks players of all time! #13: Thomas Gradin

At 13, we have one of the first Swedish players to ever suit up in a Vancouver Canucks jersey, and he has played a significant role in bringing other Swedes to the team throughout the years.

Thomas Gradin was born in Sollefteå, Sweden. Growing up playing nearby his hometown, he began playing men’s hockey at the age of 14. Just a couple of years later, Gradin joined Modo Hockey of the Swedish first division before the team moved up to the Swedish Elite League.

Following the 1975-76 season with Modo Hockey, Gradin was selected in the 1976 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks with the 45th overall pick. However, despite being drafted by the Blackhawks, the two sides were unable to come to a contract agreement, which led to Gradin staying in Sweden with a new team, AIK, for the next three seasons.

During the 1978 offseason, the Blackhawks traded Gradin’s NHL rights to the Canucks in exchange for a future second-round pick. Gradin had immediate success in Vancouver. Playing alongside fellow rookies Stan Smyl and Curt Fraser in his first season, he finished second in points and tied for the team lead in assists. On top of the regular season production, Gradin led the team in points with five in their three playoff games that postseason.

Gradin built off his impressive rookie season by scoring 30 goals and 45 assists for 75 points through 80 games. Once again, he was second on the team in points this time behind his linemate, Stan Smyl.

The following two seasons, Gradin led the team in points, including his career-best season in 1981-82, ahead of the team’s Stanley Cup Final run. That year, he scored 37 goals and 49 assists for 86 points in 76 games. He was able to continue his high-end production into the playoffs, scoring nine goals and 10 assists through 17 playoff games.

Gradin managed to produce at a similar rate the following year, scoring 86 points for the second consecutive year; however, the team was unable to reach the heights they had achieved the previous year, losing in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite continuing to be an instrumental piece in the lineup, the final three seasons of Gradin’s career as a Canuck saw a steady decline. By the end of his time with the Canucks, he had become the all-time leading point scorer in both the regular season and playoffs. Though the regular season record was short-lived, as Stan Smyl broke the mark the following season.

After a very successful career with the Vancouver Canucks, Gradin went on to play one more year in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, followed by three years back in Sweden before deciding to retire.

In his retirement, Gradin has been a scout for the Canucks, helping the Canucks find other Swedish superstars, the Sedins, Alexander Edler and Mattias Ohlund. His success on the ice and in a scouting role with the team led to his induction into the Ring of Honour in 2011, cementing his legacy in Canucks history.

Our previously ranked top 50 Canucks of all time:

#50 – Curt Fraser
#49 – Dave Babych
#48 – Martin Gelinas
#47 – Chris Oddleifson
#46 – Jannik Hansen
#45 – Ivan Boldirev
#44 – Gary Smith
#43 – Jacob Markstrom
#42 – Orland Kurtenbach
#41 – Harold Snepsts
#40 – Darcy Rota
#39 – Thatcher Demko
#38 – Geoff Courtnall
#37 – Dennis Ververgaert
#36 – Petri Skriko
#35 – Dan Hamhuis
#34 – Doug Lidster
#33 – Patrik Sundstrom
#32 – Brendan Morrison
#31 – Richard Brodeur
#30 – Sami Salo
#29 – André Boudrais
#28 – Kevin Bieksa
#27 – Don Lever
#26 – Bo Horvat
#25 – Brock Boeser
#24 – Dennis Kearns
#23 – Ed Jovanovski
#22 – Greg Adams
#21 – Cliff Ronning
#20 – JT Miller
#19 – Tony Tanti
#18 – Jyrki Lumme
#17 – Elias Pettersson
#16 – Alex Burrows
#15 – Alexander Mogilny
#14 – Mattias Ohlund