Brady Skjei

Brady Michael Skjei ( ; born March 26, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey player who is a defenseman for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the New York Rangers in the first round, 28th overall, in the 2012 NHL entry draft.

Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Skjei played for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, based out of Michigan, and he represents the United States in international play.

Playing career Amateur Skjei played two seasons of high school hockey in Minnesota for the Lakeville North Panthers. In his first season with the team, he was named Rookie of the Year, and in his second he was named the team's Most Valuable Player. During his freshman season at the University of Minnesota, Skjei played in 36 games, recording one goal and two assists. Skjei scored his first professional goal (and point) in a Calder Cup playoff game against the Providence Bruins on April 26, 2015.

He was promoted to the Rangers from Hartford on December 15, 2015, after recording 2 goals and 9 assists in 27 games for the Wolf Pack to start the 2015–16 season. Injuries to various New York Rangers' defenseman increased Skjei's ice time, but he failed to score any points in the 7 regular season games he played for the team. In the playoffs, Skjei recorded two assists as the Rangers were eliminated in the first round in 5 games by the Pittsburgh Penguins. On December 11, 2016, Skjei scored his first NHL goal against the New Jersey Devils. On April 16, 2017, he scored his first career playoff goal against the Montreal Canadiens. On April 29, 2017, Skjei had his first multiple-goal game, when he scored two goals against the Ottawa Senators in the 2017 Stanley Cup playoffs. However, he and teammate Brendan Smith were benched during the final 2 minutes of regulation in place of Nick Holden and Marc Staal as the Rangers would go on to lose the game in overtime despite leading 5–3. On June 21, 2017, Skjei was named to the NHL's 2017 All-Rookie team.

Returning for his sophomore 2017–18 season, the Rangers struggled as a team, announcing a team rebuild in February. Skjei would see his points total dip to 25, but also a significant increase in ice time following the trade of team captain Ryan McDonagh. After his second season, Skjei signed a six-year deal with the Rangers on July 28, 2018.

Carolina Hurricanes On February 24, 2020, Skjei was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick.

Nashville Predators Following five seasons with the Hurricanes, having established himself as a top-pairing two-way defenseman, Skjei left Carolina as a free agent and was signed to a seven-year, $49 million contract with the Nashville Predators on July 1, 2024.

International play

Skjei represents the United States in international play. His first taste of international hockey was at the 2011 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, where he recorded one goal and three assists in 6 games, while helping the US to a second-place finish.

Personal life Skjei is of Norwegian descent. While attending Lakeville North High School in Minnesota, Skjei played quarterback on the varsity football team and was also a member of the golf team. His grandfather played football at the University of Minnesota.

In early August 2021, Skjei married his longtime girlfriend, Gracia Bonesho. On May 28th, 2025, it was revealed that the couple was expecting a child. Their son, Baker, was born in late October.

In popular culture Skjei was portrayed by Alex Moffat in the November 18, 2017, episode of Saturday Night Live, hosted by Chance the Rapper. Skjei was reported to have enjoyed the sketch, which poked fun at the pronunciation of his surname.

Career statistics Regular season and playoffs Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2008–09 Lakeville North High SSC 25212146 ————— 2009–10 Lakeville North High SSC 257162324 54266 2010–11 U.S. NTDP Juniors USHL 3615614 20000 2010–11 U.S. NTDP U17 USDP 555141924 ————— 2011–12 U.S. NTDP Juniors USHL 24391212 ————— 2011–12 U.S. NTDP U18 USDP 604192336 ————— 2012–13 University of Minnesota WCHA 3612314 ————— 2013–14 University of Minnesota B1G 40681430 ————— 2014–15 University of Minnesota B1G 33191032 ————— 2014–15 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 80000 1512316 2015–16 Hartford Wolf Pack AHL 684242836 ————— 2015–16 New York Rangers NHL 70004 50222 2016–17 New York Rangers NHL 805343942 1241510 2017–18 New York Rangers NHL 824212539 ————— 2018–19 New York Rangers NHL 788172544 ————— 2019–20 New York Rangers NHL 608152341 ————— 2019–20 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 70114 80224 2020–21 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 52371030 110008 2021–22 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 829303948 141238 2022–23 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 8118203840 1513412 2023–24 Carolina Hurricanes NHL 8013344740 111896 2024–25 Nashville Predators NHL 8210233342 ————— 2025–26 Nashville Predators NHL 823232640 ————— NHL totals 773 81 225 306 414 76 7 18 25 50

International Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM 2011 United States U17 5 1 2 3 0 2012 United States U18 6 0 1 1 4 2014 United States WJC 5th 5 0 1 1 0 2016 United States WC 4th 10 1 0 1 2 2017 United States WC 5th 3 0 1 1 0 2019 United States WC 7th 8 2 0 2 2 2025 United States WC 10 1 2 3 4 Junior totals 16 1 4 5 4 Senior totals 31 4 3 7 8