CA’s All-Time Greatest Canucks Team: Thomas Gradin

He was a playmaking Swedish centreman whose pass-first approach both wowed and occasionally frustrated fans. Though you knew he could score, shooting always seemed to be his last resort, even passing on the occasional breakaway. Even though everyone know he was looking to pass, his vision was such that defenders were often powerless to prevent him from finding linemates in prime scoring position. It was the 1980’s, and – wait a second, who the hell am I writing about?

Oh, right.

Thomas Gradin was just one identical twin winger away from being the 1980’s answer to Henrik Sedin. Hailing from the town of Sollefteå, only an hour away from Örnsköldsvik, even his accent is of the same dialect as the wonder twins. Add to this that he played for Modo in the years before arriving in North America, and he also has a brother named Peter who played hockey but was never drafted… The resemblance is some kind of freaky. He was basically a Sedin before Sedinery was even cool.

Gradin easily makes the cut for the Canucks’ All-Time team. Let’s find out why.

(Courtesy Hockey Reference)

Gradin’s tenure with the Canucks lasted from 1978-1986, and as such there are not many videos available, so I’ll just let Squire Barnes show you what was so great about him.

During his time in Vancouver, Gradin set franchise bars in many categories, often trading record breaking seasons with his left winger Stan Smyl. In 1981-82, his 86 points set a new franchise high, breaking Smyl’s record of 78 set two seasons previous. Smyl then broke Gradin’s record the following year with 88 points. In 1983-84 he passed Don Lever to become the Canucks all-time leading scorer, a title he held for the remainder of his tenure as a Canuck. Following the 1985-86 season, the Canucks opted not to re-sign him, and he finished his Canuck career with 550 points, a record which, one again, Smyl broke the following year.

Gradin was often noted to be a “playoff performer”, and he lived up to that name. His 19 points in the 1982 Stanley Cup Final run was a Canucks record at the time, before it was shattered by Pavel Bure’s 31 points in 1994. With 38 points in 38 playoff games, Gradin is the only player besides Bure to play more than 10 playoff games and maintain a point per game rate.

After leaving the Canucks, Gradin played a single season with the Bruins (gross) before returning to his native Sweden. He retired following the 1989-90 season, and became a European Scout for the Canucks. His influence as a scout aided in the drafting of Henrik and Daniel Sedin in 1999, as well as Matthias Ohlund. Gradin was one of only two scouts to see Alex Edler play in a Division 3 Swedish league and convinced Canucks management to take him in the 3rd round in 2004.

For his impressive career as a player, and for his contribution the franchise and community as a whole, Gradin was honoured in 2011 with a place in Rogers Arena’s Ring of Honour.