Reed Larson
Encyclopedia
Reed David Larson is a retired professional ice hockey
defenseman
and former captain
of the Detroit Red Wings
who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League
between 1976 and 1990. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
.
at the University of Minnesota
's Minnesota Gophers before being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings
with the 22nd pick of the 1976 NHL Entry Draft. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in University of Minnesota hockey history as part of the "Legends on Ice" tribute in 2001.
game. He appeared in 14 NHL games that season and was also named to Team USA for the 1977 World Ice Hockey Championships
but missed the tournament due to shoulder injury. His first full NHL season (1977–78) was highly successful as he was runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie
, scoring the most points (60) by a rookie defenseman. A tough, offensive defenseman, he was particularly well known for his hard slap shot. Larson became the first American player to score 200 goals and he appeared in the 1978, 1980 and 1981 NHL All-Star Games as the Red Wings representative. He finally made his international debut for the United States national team at the 1981 World Ice Hockey Championships
tournament and also represented the U.S. at the 1981 Canada Cup
.
Larson spent ten NHL seasons in Detroit until the Red Wings traded him to the Boston Bruins
for Mike O'Connell
in 1986. He played another two seasons for the Bruins before ending his NHL career in 1989–90 with the Buffalo Sabres
His professional career continued overseas in Italy where he was a player-coach for four seasons before returning to his home state for a final nine games for the International Hockey League Minnesota Moose
in 1994–95. He also played six games for Roller Hockey International
's Minnesota team in 1994.
in 1996.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
defenseman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
and former captain
Captain (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, each team can designate an official captain for each game. The player serving as captain during the game wears a "C" on his or her jersey...
of the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
who played 904 regular season games in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
between 1976 and 1990. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
.
College career
Larson spent three seasons under coach Herb BrooksHerb Brooks
Herbert Paul Brooks, Jr. was an American ice hockey player and coach. He notably coached the United States' men's hockey team to a 4-3 upset of the heavily favored Soviet Union in the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York on February 22, 1980...
at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
's Minnesota Gophers before being drafted by the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
with the 22nd pick of the 1976 NHL Entry Draft. He was named one of the 50 greatest players in University of Minnesota hockey history as part of the "Legends on Ice" tribute in 2001.
Professional and international career
Larson joined Detroit near the end of the 1976–77 season after Minnesota suspended him for assaulting an official during a WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey Association
The Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
game. He appeared in 14 NHL games that season and was also named to Team USA for the 1977 World Ice Hockey Championships
1977 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1977 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Vienna, Austria from 21 April to 8 May. Eight teams took part, first playing each other once, then the four best teams advancing to a new round. The tournament was also the 55th ice hockey European Championship...
but missed the tournament due to shoulder injury. His first full NHL season (1977–78) was highly successful as he was runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's top rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, scoring the most points (60) by a rookie defenseman. A tough, offensive defenseman, he was particularly well known for his hard slap shot. Larson became the first American player to score 200 goals and he appeared in the 1978, 1980 and 1981 NHL All-Star Games as the Red Wings representative. He finally made his international debut for the United States national team at the 1981 World Ice Hockey Championships
1981 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 1981 Ice Hockey World Championships took place at the Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg, Sweden from 12 April to the 26 April. Eight teams took part, firstly splitting into two groups of two, with the best two from each group advancing to the final group. These teams then play each other in the...
tournament and also represented the U.S. at the 1981 Canada Cup
1981 Canada Cup
The 1981 Canada Cup was the second best-on-best ice hockey world championship and involved the world's top six hockey nations. Tournament games were held in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Montreal and Ottawa. The Soviet Union defeated Canada in a single game final to win its first title, while Soviet...
.
Larson spent ten NHL seasons in Detroit until the Red Wings traded him to the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
for Mike O'Connell
Mike O'Connell
Michael Thomas O'Connell is the Director of Pro Development for the Los Angeles Kings. O'Connell was also a former professional ice hockey player and general manager. He played 860 NHL regular season games between 1977 and 1990 and later served as the general manager of the Boston Bruins from 2000...
in 1986. He played another two seasons for the Bruins before ending his NHL career in 1989–90 with the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
His professional career continued overseas in Italy where he was a player-coach for four seasons before returning to his home state for a final nine games for the International Hockey League Minnesota Moose
Minnesota Moose
The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at...
in 1994–95. He also played six games for Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
's Minnesota team in 1994.
Post playing career
Reed Larson has mostly been working for the insurance business since his retirement. He has also been active in Oldtimers' charity hockey and has played in Heroes of Hockey games at several NHL All-Star weekends. He was elected to the United States Hockey Hall of FameUnited States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 1996.
Awards and achievements
- Member of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame
- NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team (1975)
- WCHAWestern Collegiate Hockey AssociationThe Western Collegiate Hockey Association is a college athletic conference which operates over a wide area of the Midwestern and Western United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey-only conference....
First All-Star Team (1976) - Played in NHL All-Star Game (1978, 1980, 1981)
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1974–75 | University of Minnesota University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557... |
NCAA | 41 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1975–76 | University of Minnesota | NCAA | 42 | 13 | 29 | 42 | 94 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | University of Minnesota | NCAA | 21 | 10 | 15 | 25 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976–77 | Detroit Red Wings Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York... |
NHL | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977–78 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 75 | 19 | 41 | 60 | 95 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1978–79 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 79 | 18 | 49 | 67 | 169 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979–80 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 22 | 44 | 66 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 78 | 27 | 31 | 58 | 153 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 21 | 39 | 60 | 112 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1982–83 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 80 | 22 | 54 | 74 | 104 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983–84 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 78 | 23 | 39 | 62 | 122 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 21 | ||
| 1984–85 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 77 | 17 | 45 | 62 | 139 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 20 | ||
| 1985–86 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 67 | 19 | 41 | 60 | 109 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1985–86 | Boston Bruins Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the... |
NHL | 13 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 66 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 95 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| 1987–88 1987–88 AHL season The 1987–88 AHL season was the 52nd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned shootout, but continues to award points for an overtime loss... |
Maine Mariners Maine Mariners The Maine Mariners were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Portland, Maine, USA at the Cumberland County Civic Center.-History:... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1987–88 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 62 | 10 | 24 | 34 | 93 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1988–89 | Edmonton Oilers Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League .... |
NHL | 10 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | New York Islanders New York Islanders The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 33 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1988–89 | Minnesota North Stars Minnesota North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white... |
NHL | 11 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1989–90 | Buffalo Sabres Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:... |
NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1989–90 | HC Alleghe | Italy | 43 | 24 | 50 | 74 | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1990–91 | HC Alleghe | Italy | 36 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1993–94 | HC Courmaosta | Italy | 25 | 10 | 23 | 33 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1994–95 | Minnesota Moose Minnesota Moose The Minnesota Moose was an ice hockey team in the International Hockey League. They played in Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, at the Saint Paul Civic Center. The team also played some home games at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The Moose were a representative of professional hockey in Minnesota at... |
IHL | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 904 | 222 | 463 | 685 | 1391 | 32 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 63 | ||||