Brad Maxwell

Bradley Robert Maxwell (July 8, 1957 – September 3, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player renowned as a playmaking defenceman. He featured in the 1981 Stanley Cup Finals with the Minnesota North Stars.

Pro career

After having won the Memorial Cup in 1977 as a member of the New Westminster Bruins, Maxwell was selected seventh overall in the 1977 NHL amateur draft by the Minnesota North Stars. He stayed with the North Stars throughout the early 1980s, recording 73 points in 78 games in his best season with the club in 1983–84. At the end of his career he bounced around between teams, spending short amounts of time with the Quebec Nordiques, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, and ultimately retired in 1987.

Maxwell claimed that his last trade, from the Rangers back to the North Stars, happened because Rangers general manager Phil Esposito lost a card game to North Stars general manager Lou Nanne.

Post-playing career Following his retirement from professional hockey, Maxwell launched Brad Maxwell Cabinets & Construction in Minnesota. including coordinating the North Stars alumni group for the 2016 NHL Stadium Series, which included a game in which Chicago Blackhawks alumni played against a team comprising alumni from both the North Stars and the Minnesota Wild.

Maxwell died of lung cancer on September 3, 2023, at the age of 66.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular seasonPlayoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 1973–74 Bellingham Blazers BCJHL 61 20 37 57 132 — — — — — 1974–75 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 69 13 47 60 124 18 7 13 20 33 1975–76 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 72 19 80 99 239 17 3 12 15 86 1976–77 New Westminster Bruins WCHL 70 21 58 79 205 14 7 15 22 39 1977–78 Minnesota North Stars NHL 75 18 29 47 100 — — — — — 1978–79 Minnesota North Stars NHL 70 9 28 37 145 — — — — — 1978–79 Oklahoma City Stars CHL 2 0 1 1 21 — — — — — 1979–80 Minnesota North Stars NHL 58 7 30 37 126 11 0 8 8 20 1980–81 Minnesota North Stars NHL 27 3 13 16 98 18 3 11 14 35 1981–82 Minnesota North Stars NHL 51 10 21 31 96 4 0 3 3 13 1982–83 Minnesota North Stars NHL 77 11 28 39 157 9 5 6 11 23 1983–84 Minnesota North Stars NHL 78 19 54 73 225 16 2 11 13 40 1984–85 Minnesota North Stars NHL 18 3 7 10 53 — — — — — 1984–85 Quebec Nordiques NHL 50 7 24 31 119 18 2 9 11 35 1985–86 Toronto Maple Leafs NHL 52 8 18 26 108 3 0 1 1 12 1986–87 Vancouver Canucks NHL 30 1 7 8 28 — — — — — 1986–87 New York Rangers NHL 9 0 4 4 6 — — — — — 1986–87 Minnesota North Stars NHL 17 2 7 9 31 — — — — — NHL totals 612 98 270 368 1292 79 12 49 61 178

International Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM 1978 Canada WC 10 2 1 3 12 1979 Canada WC 4 1 0 1 8 1982 Canada WC 7 0 0 0 10Senior totals 21 3 1 4 30

Awards WCHL Second All-Star Team – 1976, 1977