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This section last updated: October 2, 2003

Kristi Yamaguchi has baby girl
Associated Press, October 2, 2003

LOS ANGELES - It's a girl for Olympic champion figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and her husband, Bret Hedican, a defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes.

The couple's first child, Keara Kiyomi Hedican, was born early Wednesday at a Raleigh, N.C., hospital, Yamaguchi's Los Angeles publicist said. The baby weighed 7 pounds and was 20 inches long.

"She's doing fantastic," Michael Sterling said. "Both the mother and baby are in excellent health."

Yamaguchi, 32, retired from the Stars on Ice tour last year to begin a family with Hedican, 33. The couple met at the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, where she won a gold medal and he played for the U.S. hockey team. They married three years ago.

Yamaguchi will host and star in an NBC skating special on Nov. 30.

 

College hockey: Hedican sets up hockey scholarship
By Kevin Allenspach, September 26, 2003

In a move St. Cloud State officials hope is a precursor of more donations to come, the school on Thursday announced a $160,000 hockey scholarship endowment from former defenseman Bret Hedican.
It provides an annual full scholarship to one member of the Huskies men's hockey team and is the program's sixth endowment. Hedican's is the first by a former player in the Division I era. With a growing number of former Huskies making big salaries in the National Hockey League, his act could start a trend of giving among former players.

"This is one of a variety of things I've been thinking about doing for a long time, but the situation wasn't right," Hedican said from Raleigh, N.C., hours before his Carolina Hurricanes played a preseason game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "You save enough over the years and get to a point in your life where this is something you can do. St. Cloud State recruited me, and I wasn't offered a full ride, but my experience there is one of the main reasons I am where I'm at today."

Hedican, 33, left St. Cloud State after his junior season in 1991. He signed a six-year, $18-million contract with the Hurricanes last summer. This will be his 12th NHL season.

"What was important to me was I had the schooling to back myself up if hockey didn't work out," Hedican said. "I'm proud to be the first player to do this. It's a jungle out there for a school like (St. Cloud State) to make ends meet. Hopefully, I've started clearing a path and someone else can continue."

St. Cloud State athletic director Morris Kurtz said Hedican's endowment is an important gesture but similar gifts have to be personal decisions.

"People have to be patient," Kurtz said. "People wonder how come professional athletes don't give like this very often, but they have to be at a point in their lives where they feel they're able and it's the right thing to do. That's the start of a relationship, and perhaps someday they'll give again."

Hedican, whose team went from the Stanley Cup Finals in 2001 to the worst record in the league last season, said training camp has gone well and his team still has its nucleus of players from two years ago.

He and his wife, Kristi Yamaguchi, are awaiting the birth of their first child.

"I thought this might be it," Hedican said of a reporter's call to his cell phone. "It could happen any minute now. We're really looking forward to it."

Piece of paper becomes charm for Bret Hedican
WayMoreSports.com
By Mark Zwolinski, Sports Reporter

Inspiration comes from wife, figure skater Yamaguchi

Bret Hedican pointed to a piece of paper in his locker at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Raleigh and smiled.

"It's my good luck charm," Hedican said of the paper that was blank except for the inscription "Go Hurricanes."

Hedican would not have been so buoyant had the paper arrived in the mail from a fan, or was dropped off by one of the Hurricanes' public relations staff from a well-wisher.

This paper, though, came from his wife, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

"She was just finishing a (skating) show in Montreal and we were playing there the next night," he said.

"She dropped it off in my locker and I didn't even know about it. I kept it ever since and I'd like to think of it, you know, like it brings good luck."

Ever since Hedican received the piece of paper, the Hurricanes staged a dramatic comeback against the Canadiens to set up the franchise's first-ever conference final appearance. But Hedican isn't about to call Ripley's Believe it or Not.

The paper has become part of a charm-filled playoffs for the 31-year-old native of St. Paul, Minn.

Every time he looks over at the Leaf bench, Hedican is reminded of the 1994 Vancouver Canucks and that club's run to the Stanley Cup final against the New York Rangers.

Hedican was a defenceman on that squad, which was coached by current Leaf bench boss Pat Quinn.

"Yeah, and Rick Ley too," said Hedican, referring to Ley, Quinn's current assistant, who also served in the same role with the 1994 Canucks.

"Any time you go a long way in the playoffs, you form a bond with everyone on the team, and I feel that bond with those guys (Quinn and Ley) now. I know what's coming out of his vocal chords on the bench and in the dressing room. There's a lot of good memories there, but we (Carolina) want to make our own memories now."

Hedican can relate further to the Canucks' situation in 1994. Like the Hurricanes in these playoffs, the Canucks were considered by critics to be an early-round knockout.

However, they went on to the Cup final and extended the Rangers to a seventh game.

In case he forgets, though, he has a further reminder of that momentous run right next to him on the Carolina bench. Martin Gelinas was also a member of that team, and the two players now look over at each other periodically and smile.

"We're (with Gelinas) thinking it's fun to be back in this situation again," Hedican said.

"We've told each other many times, this team reminds me a lot of that '94 team in Vancouver. It's fun for everyone in our room to walk in knowing there will be 20 guys showing up every day ready to play. That's what reminds me the most (of the '94 Canucks), the way our guys respond and play hard every night."

Hedican fired the game's first goal in Carolina's 2-1 overtime win in Game 2 against the Leafs. In case you haven't guessed it, that goal was like an omen.

Hedican had only three playoff goals in his 11-year career prior to Game 2, and his goal, coming on a nifty fake on Curtis Joseph, was his first in the post-season since Game 1 of the '94 series against the Rangers.

"It was a beaut," Gelinas said. "And his timing couldn't have been any better."
 

Road Trippin' Montreal
Carolina Hurricanes Website
By Tripp Tracey

They Led the Charge in Boston

It takes time for a player to settle in and get comfortable in his new surroundings after a trade. Now, nearly a month and a half since defenseman Bret Hedican and forward Kevyn Adams relocated from South Florida to the Triangle, the Canes are starting to really reap the benefits of their contributions.

Although Hedican and Adams did give the team a nice shot of adrenalin in the immediate aftermath of the transaction, Thursday’s 6-2 win over the formidable Boston Bruins was without question the best game in a Carolina uniform thus far for both men. The two former Florida Panthers both played key roles en route to their team's pleasant one-sided outcome. Adams scored his first goal as a Cane, and Hedican was a key cog in what was as impressive of a defensive display as we’ve seen all season.

Hedican knows what it takes to get to the Stanley Cup finals. A veteran of more than 600 National Hockey League games, he was also a key cog in a Vancouver Canucks wheel that advanced all the way to the Cup finals back in 1994. During that year, he spent much of the season with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to Vancouver right before the trade deadline in March.

Having learned from that memorable playoff march, Hedican is well aware of what he needs to do to help Carolina enjoy as much success as possible in the weeks and months to come.

“I want to focus on not doing too much, to be honest with you,” Bret said. “We have a very solid team here with a great foundation. I just want to concentrate on what I can bring personally to the ice and let the rest take care of itself.

“This team reminds me a lot of that Vancouver bunch because we’re just a bunch of guys who try to outwork our opponent every night, and hope and trust that the rest will take care of itself.”

Although he did a very admirable job of keeping it to himself, Bret was very frustrated with a back strain that sidelined him for seven games prior to the Olympic Break. He’s a selfless guy and was set on making a positive impression on his new team, yet hasn't been able to truly do that until now.

“It was tough, dealing with the injury,” Hedican said. “It would be one thing if it had happened when I was in Florida or in Vancouver because I was in both places for a while so the guys already knew what kind of player and person I am. But the timing of when I got hurt here in Carolina, just as I was trying to put my best foot forward with the coaches and all the new faces in the locker room, it was tough I have to tell you. It’s just good to be back at it now.”

Adams, the former Miami of Ohio college standout, is hoping that he has found a long-term home. He was drafted initially by Boston before being traded to Toronto and then acquired in the Expansion Draft by Columbus. He was then traded to Florida before arriving at his present post with the Canes. A super guy, it’s hard to believe that he has been as well-traveled as he has, but perhaps it’s just a stroke of good fortune for Carolina. And as was mentioned earlier, Kevyn scored a big goal in that three-goal blitzkrieg in Boston 48 hours ago.

“It was big for me that’s for sure,” he recalled. “I felt like our line (Adams, Jeff Daniels and Darren Langdon) was really contributing, and it was nice to be rewarded like we were. I know that I need to be a high energy player night in, night out for this team to be successful so our line needs to duplicate that performance tonight vs. Montreal.”

A very versatile forward in that he can either play center or wing, Adams also kills penalties and is one of the league leaders in faceoff winning percentage. Entering action tonight, he’s won 57% of his draws.

“Faceoffs are such an important aspect of the game based on puck possession,” the Buffalo native said. “When I got sent down to the minors from Toronto a few years ago, they told me to really work hard on my faceoffs because they were hoping that at some point I would be able to be relied upon to take big draws for the big team. I’d like to think that I can now be counted upon to do just that.”

The last Road Trippin’ installment happened to be about roommates Niclas Wallin and Marek Malik, and it just so happens that Hedican and Adams also room together on the road. And they, like Nic and Marek, are a good match.

“I’m very focused on game days and have a pretty specific routine,” Hedican said. “’Ads’ is perfect for me. We get along wonderfully.”

Adams concurs.

“’Hedy’ is as quiet as a church mouse. He’s a great roomy. What’s not to like,” Adams said.

Right now the new faces are working out just fine on all fronts.

Hedican fares well after Blues
The Post-Dispatch - postnet.com
By Tom Wheatley

My, how time and Bret Hedican fly.

It's been almost nine years since the tall, dark, handsome and quiet defenseman blew into Blues Country from the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

"It goes by quick," Hedican said Friday from Miami. "It is hard to believe. I shake my head at how fast that goes. I just turned 30."

Heddy, as he is known at the rink, was billed here as the next Paul Coffey. And he was - in skating ability, if not scoring skill.

It's been almost five years since he was sent to Vancouver with Jeff Brown and Nathan Lafayette to return Craig Janney to the Blues.

He joined the Canucks in time to take a regular shift on their run to the 1994 Stanley Cup finals. He was sent to Florida along with scoring star Pavel Bure in a multiplayer deal in 1999. And last summer, eight years after first meeting as members of the U.S. Olympic team in Albertville, he married gold-medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi.

"You'd probably be better off talking to her," Hedican cracked.

Not at all. He has done well, and then some, for the 198th player drafted in 1988.

He returns tonight - note the late 7:30 p.m. start for ESPN2 - as a veteran mainstay for the Panthers, who have been derailed by one accident after another. As of a week ago, seven regulars were in sick bay.

Three top forwards - Igor Larionov, Ray Whitney and Viktor Kozlov - returned this week. But forwards Scott Mellanby (back) and Mike Sillinger (foot) and defensemen Paul Laus (groin) and Mike Wilson (shoulder) are still on the disabled list.

Hedican, whose career bests are six goals and 24 points, is among his team's top scorers. Before Friday night's home game with Detroit, he was tied for second in goals (three), third in points (eight) and fourth in assists (five).

"Well, that's nothing really to shake a stick at," he said, laughing wryly.

Only four Panthers have at least eight points, led by Bure with 20. The Blues have a dozen.

The Panthers ranked 30th - dead last with 46 goals and a 9.8 power-play conversion rate. They have been outscored 9-7 with the man advantage. Not surprisingly, Florida was 5-9-4 plus four overtime losses for 18 points.

"We were battling a lot of things in the dressing room," Hedican said after Friday's morning skate. "Injuries. Guys up from the minors. Lineup changes."

He said the room remains undisturbed by outside agitators. Some Panther faithless want to fire coach Terry Murray.

With a third of the lineup out, only a faith healer could have helped behind the bench.

Murray's boss has been more understanding. And that's understandable. His boss is his brother, Bryan.

And the team?

"Absolutely, we're comfortable with the coach," Hedican snapped. "We're not looking at anybody but ourselves, the players. We're not using anything as a crutch."

Hedican logs 22 1/2 minutes per game, behind the top pair of Robert Svehla (25:40) and Anders Eriksson (22:55).

Hedican is paired with Peter Ratchuk, who moved in when fellow rookie Brad Ference went to the minors. Their youth may help explain Hedican's minus-6 defensive rating, the worst on this minus team.

Hedican has no complaint with his protgs. He remembers how daunting it was to join the Blues at age 21 after the '92 Olympics. He had helped the Yanks place fourth, just off the podium, in their best showing since the gilded 1980 Miracle on Ice.

But two years later, on March 21, 1994, the Blues sent him to Vancouver.

"I look back at my St. Louis days," Hedican said, "and I shake my head at it. I was learning along the way. I wasn't ready then. I needed to go down to the minors and get my confidence there at that level.

"It took me a long time to really settle into defense and learn the game. You can't step in at 20, 21 years old and learn the game at this level."

Yamaguchi and Hedican Exchange Vows
IFS Magazine, Nov/Dec 2000
by Mark A. Lund and Lois Elfman

"We know we wanted a great celebration for all the people who came so far," says Kristi Yamaguchi of her July 8 wedding in Hawaii to Bret Hedican.

Yamaguchi, 29, and Hedican, 30, selected Hawaii as the wedding’s locale because, says Hedican, "We felt that was where we first fell in love."

Both say they experienced strong feelings as Yamaguchi walked down the aisle.

"She and her father stepped out from behind some trees where her aisle had begun," Hedican recounts. "She looked so beautiful. I was very emotional."

"I just felt a rush of emotions, and I was really excited," Yamaguchi acknowledges. "Being a performer you think that you’re used to having all the attention. But it’s different in that moment to think, All these people are here to watch me get married. This is amazing, that these people are here to share this day."

A Tale of 2 Huskies
St. Cloud State University Website: May 17, 2000

There is an eerie resemblance between the lives of Husky greats Bret Hedican and Mark Parrish. Both were stand-out Minnesota high school hockey players. Both honed their skills on the ice of SCSU's National Hockey Center. And both have achieved their dream of playing in the NHL as members of the Florida Panthers. - By Anne Abicht

One is an eight-year veteran of the National Hockey League. The other signed, at the time, the highest paying free agent contract in NHL history. One has been involved in just about every big game you can imagine at the pro level, including playoffs and the seventh game of the Stanley Cup. The other is in only his second NHL season and was a candidate for Rookie of the Year just one year ago.

The eight-year NHL veteran is defenseman Bret Hedican and the other is forward Mark Parrish. Both played high school hockey in Minnesota, both played hockey at SCSU, and this year, both are teammates on the Florida Panthers Hockey Club of the NHL.

Hedican, a native of North St. Paul, played for the Huskies from 1988 to 1991. He then joined the U.S. Olympic Hockey Team and played in the 1992 Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France. Hedican was a tenth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 Entry Draft. He signed with the Blues shortly after returning from the Olympic Games.

His life as a student and hockey player at SCSU holds many great memories for Hedican. "Life seemed pretty easy. I had to focus on going to school, being a good student and playing hockey. The message was always, we are here to get a degree, and to be good young men away from the ice," said Hedican.

He will never forget the friends he made at St. Cloud State. "We felt so close. The camaraderie was great. I have not experienced anything like it since then." Hedican was part of a freshman class that included SCSU's top two all-time scorers, Jeff Saterdalen and Tim Hanus, and current assistant hockey coach Doc DelCastillo.

Things are a little different for the NHL veteran now. "At times, it feels good to be a veteran. Every year I learn a little more about myself, the game, and the team." Hedican said.

An 82-game schedule can take its toll on an athlete and one of the things you learn as a veteran, says Hedican, is to keep an even keel. "It's not easy some nights. Other nights, it just flows," he said. "It also depends on the team and whether we are playing well or not. It is true though, that when the going gets tough, the tough get going."

While he has had a solid professional life, Hedican's personal life will change in July. That's when he will marry Olympic Figure Skater and Gold Medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. The two first met at the 1992 Olympic Games in France and met again five years ago in Vancouver. Kristi and Kurt Browning were hired to skate for the opening of the General Motors Place in Vancouver. "I went over and introduced myself. She didn't remember me from the Olympic Team, but she had made an impression on me." As coincidence would have it, they ran into each other about seven more times that year, as Kristi would perform in the same cities where the Canucks were playing.

"Our relationship just evolved from there."

Mark Parrish has been in the NHL for only one-fourth of the time that Hedican has, but already he is making an impact. He was in the running for Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 and has been a regular in the Panther line-up this season. "He has a great head on his shoulders. He is an excellent hockey player, and he will be in the league for a long time," said Hedican, in reference to Parrish and his playing ability. "The opportunity to play with this kid has been a blast for me."

Parrish never dreamed that one day he would be playing in the NHL. "I thought it would be cool to make the high school team. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would make a college or NHL team," Parrish said. He always wanted to be the best at what he did and loved watching the Stanley Cup games as a kid. "I guess my goal still is to make the Stanley Cup Finals." Parrish said that hockey engulfed his life as a kid, including two state championships at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

Parrish arrived on the SCSU campus in the fall of 1995, along with another notable frosh, Matt Cullen, currently a member of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He was voted the Huskies MVP for that season (1996-97). He also earned second team All-American honors from the American Hockey Coaches Association.

According to Parrish his best memories about being at SCSU aren't about the games, but more about being around the guys he played with. "Obviously playing with my brother (Geno, the current Husky captain) was by far the most memorable thing. It was pretty amazing."

While Hedican and Parrish took two different paths to the NHL, both have had mentors along the way who have helped them to stay within themselves and endure the grueling schedule of the NHL.

Hedican has had mentors at every stage of his career. "At SCSU, it was Sats and Hanus (former SCSU teammates Jeff Saterdalen and Tim Hanus)," Hedican said. In Vancouver, it was Mark Messier. "I learned from him the way things should be in a winning program. He was very positive, not finger pointing or blaming. Here's a guy who had won six Stanley Cups. When you learn from a guy like him, it reassures you."

For Parrish, his first mentor in the NHL was Dino Cicerelli, former Minnesota North Star. They were teammates during Parrish's rookie season. "He was my idol growing up and helped me out in my rookie season," said Parrish.

This year Parrish has found another mentor in Hedican. "Bret has really helped me more on the mental side, like keeping your head in the game and staying focused."

Hedican joined the Panthers halfway through Parrish's rookie season, and the two were roommates on the road.

Both Parrish and Hedican have strong ties to Minnesota and try to spend as much time as they can during the off-season at their homes. Last summer, Parrish spent his free time in St. Cloud, working out with some of the current members of the Husky hockey team and playing softball in Elk River. Hedican's free time is spent between the new home he and Kristi are building in the Brainerd area and Kristi's home in San Francisco.

NHLPA.com Weekly Player Charity Round-Up

Player: Bret Hedican
Tournament: North Saint Paul Hockey Alumni Association
Date: August 15, 2000
Location: Oakdale, Minnesota
Cause: North Saint Paul Hockey Alumni Association
Money Raised: $17,000
Other Players: Mark Parrish, Shjon Podein

Notes: This was Bret’s second fundraising golf tournament to benefit the hockey program of his former high school, North Saint Paul High School, as well as youth hockey in the local area. Last year’s event raised $7,000 while this summer’s tourney raised more than $17,000. Proceeds from last summer’s fundraiser helped buy new jerseys for the high school hockey teams as well as ice time for youth programs. Once again, proceeds from the tournament will benefit the high school hockey program as well as youth hockey programs in Saint Paul.

Bret Hedican: “Obviously we were happy with the turnout and we were ecstatic about the money that we raised at the dinner and the auction. Originally, what I wanted to do before I started this golf tournament, was I wanted to raise money to help youth hockey … to pay for all their equipment for the mite and squirt levels and their ice times so it wouldn’t cost families anything to get their kids into hockey. And that’s kind of where we’re going with this tournament right now. But this tournament was more of an alumni tournament for old guys that have played for the high school. It isn’t a charity event where you have a lot of celebrities and that sort of thing. This isn’t a golf tournament that I’m doing for a major charity that generates $100,000 or anything like that. This is just for the local community. What has happened is it has generated a lot more excitement and it’s brought a lot more people back into the high school hockey program and kind of given credibility back to the program and to youth hockey. We had a strong program back when I was in high school and before me, as well. But since I’ve left North Saint Paul High School, it’s kind of tapered off and we lost a lot of the players to other teams. But now, players are leaving those other teams that they had gone to and coming back to North Saint Paul. And old alumni are getting back into the program and helping coach. So it’s kind of been a trickle down effect with the whole program which has been great. Maybe some day I’ll get involved in a larger charity event where we can raise more money for a big charity such as Make A Wish but, right now, it’s just a simple thing where I wanted to help our high school and our community kind of get more involved in the program and in hockey in general.”

People Magazine: July 14, 2000

Surrounded by family and fellow ice stars, Kristi Yamaguchi and pro hockey's Bret Hedican say 'I do' in the land of aloha 

They've spent their careers on ice, but figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi and Florida Panthers hockey player Bret Hedican, both 29, opted to begin married life in a warmer locale. After a picture-perfect sunset over Hawaii's Kohala coast on July 8, the couple exchanged vows in front of 300 guests, including skating stars Peggy Fleming, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano and Ekaterina Gordeeva. Wearing a hand-painted, off-white silk Vera Wang gown and a diamond tiara on loan from Fred Leighton, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist glided down the aisle at the island's Orchid at Mauna Lani resort, and "everyone lost their breath," says guest Lea Ann Miller, a friend. Adds pal David Baden: "She was radiant." 

As they dined on peppered beef, Hawaiian snapper and strawberry-and-cream wedding cake at the reception, guests were entertained by San Francisco pop band Pride & Joy -- and jokes from the wedding party about Kristi's passion for shopping and dining out. "If you ever get traded again," her sister and matron of honor, Lori Yamaguchi Costas, told Hedican, "make sure there's a Nordstrom close by. And don't expect home-cooked food." 

Certainly not during the winter, when Hedican travels with his team and Yamaguchi hits the road with the Stars on Ice tour. Despite their busy schedules, they've been a couple ever since meeting at a 1995 gala to celebrate the opening of Vancouver's new ice hockey arena. "He was clean-cut and soft-spoken," Yamaguchi told PEOPLE after they became engaged on Christmas Eve, 1998. "Figure skaters have awful perceptions of hockey players, and I thought, 'This guy's a little different.' " 

Indeed: How many other professional tough guys would stand up before everyone and serenade his new bride with the Bob Dylan-penned song "Make You Feel My Love"? "They let us share an amazing moment of intimacy," says Hamilton. "Every single woman in the room was crying." As for the beaming Yamaguchi, she looked as if she rated her nuptials a perfect 6.0. Says Baden: "She was living out the wedding she always wanted." 

Yamaguchi, Husband to live in Minn.
AP News Wire, July 12, 2000

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) - Come winter, the new neighbors at Gull Lake should be right at home on the ice: Newlyweds Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican plan to keep a home in central Minnesota.

The figure skating star and Florida Panthers hockey player were married Saturday in Hawaii.

Hedican, a St. Paul native, met gold medalist Yamaguchi when they represented the United States in the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France. They started dating after he turned professional.

``She's been great,'' Hedican said during a recent visit to St. Cloud. ``There's been so much planning with the wedding. And then I'm trying to get a house finished (near Brainerd). It's been crazy.''

The couple, both 29, also plan to keep homes in California and Florida. 

Figure Skater Marries NHL Player
AP News Wire, July 8, 2000

KOHALA COAST, Hawaii, (AP) — Kristi Yamaguchi's singles days are over.

Yamaguchi, who won a gold medal in figure skating at the Albertville Olympics, married Florida Panthers defensemen Bret Hedican on Saturday in an outdoor ceremony at The Orchid at Mauna Lani.

Among the 300 guests were fellow Olympians Scott Hamilton, Peggy Fleming, Brian Boitano, Ekaterina Gordeeva and Todd Eldredge. New York Islanders forward Mark Parrish, Hedican's former Panthers teammate, also was in attendance.

Canadian ice dancer Isabelle Brasseur, who won two bronze medals with Lloyd Eisler, was one of Yamaguchi's bridesmaids.

Yamaguchi, 28, first met Hedican, 29, in 1992 when they both represented the United States in Albertville. The two became reacquainted three years later in Vancouver, British Columbia, where Hedican was playing for the Canucks.

Florida Panthers Official Website: Hed-i-CAN!
Bret Hedican Brings Speed and Intelligence to the Panthers' Blueline

By Jon Kramer

Ask anyone associated with the Panthers to talk about Bret Hedican, and the words you hear most often are "great skater" and "poise under pressure." Funny, that's exactly what they say about Kristi Yamaguchi, the 1992 Olympic Gold Medalist in Figure Skating, and more importantly, Hedican's fiancee.

Hedican and Yamaguchi got engaged on Christmas Eve when he got down on his knee and proposed in a San Francisco restaurant. Yamaguchi enjoys world-wide fame, but Hedican can certainly hold his own on the ice. Acquired by the Panthers in the Jan. 17 trade that brought Pavel Bure to South Florida, Hedican has made an immediate impact on the Cats' blueline.

"Hedican is the part of the trade that hasn't been talked about enough," said Panthers coach Terry Murray. "He's brought a lot of speed, he's brought a lot of good defensive play. He has the size and has really helped settle everything down in our own end, under pressure. I think he's got the ability to grab the puck and skate it out of trouble at any given time. I think that's something we've really missed, and (he's) been a great addition to our (team)."

The days leading up to the trade were unsettling ones for Hedican. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, he had been in Vancouver for nearly five years and really enjoyed the city. In fact, he Bure and Dana Murzyn were the only players remaining from the Canucks team that advanced to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals before losing to the New York Rangers in seven games. Panthers goalie Kirk McLean was also a member of that squad.

"Anytime your name is mentioned in trade rumors, it's a negative feeling," said Hedican, 28. "But when the trade finally happened, with me being here in Florida, I couldn't be happier. It's a great situation. We have a great coaching staff and some great young players that we can build around. I think we've got a good team here."

Hedican had just flown from Vancouver to Dallas when he learned of the trade. He was getting ready for practice at Reunion Arena when then-Canucks coach Mike Keenan gave him the news. Hedican packed his bags, went back to the airport, and caught the first available flight to South Florida.

In-season trades are never convenient, and that was especially true in Hedican's case. Vancouver was beginning a two-day road trip so he arrived in Fort Lauderdale with only one suit and a couple of shirts. His parents later flew west to pack his stuff and close up shop.

Hedican played for the Canucks when they shut out the Panthers on Oct. 23 at National Car Rental Center. His Florida debut on Jan. 18 was also a shut out -- Buffalo did the honors -- meaning Hedican played his first two games in Sunrise without hearing public address announcer John DeMott scream, "Panthers ... GOAL."

Things got better on Jan. 20 at the Nassau Coliseum when Hedican picked up two assists in Bure's debut, a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. The next night, Hedican scored the game-winning goal with 1:43 left in the third period as the Panthers defeated the Rangers, 2-1, at Madison Square Garden. He scored again on Feb. 6 at Carolina, giving him two goals and two assists in his first nine games with Florida.

"His skating ability certainly helps him out a lot," said McLean. "He can get up into the play real quickly, and his skating ability allows him to get back (on defense)."

"I'm not looking for him to be a player who can carry the puck, attack and lead the rush," said Murray. "I want him to be someone who's going to join (the play) from behind, the second part of the attack, and not hang around in the offensive zone. Maintain your speed, get down to the front of the net, jump into the openings, get your play to the net and then (revert to a defensive posture)."

Hedican has God-given ability when it comes to hockey's most fundamental skill, but he also took power skating lessons as a youngster to further his development.

"I'm very fortunate to be able to skate the way I do. I can't explain it," he said. "When I was growing up, my cousins were hockey players. One was short, quick and fast and one was tall, but real smooth. I wanted to be like them so I imitated them. I think that's where my stride comes from."

The son of Theresa and Jerry Hedican (or Teri and Jerry as he likes to say), Bret grew up in North St. Paul with his sister Kelly. His father is a longtime employee of Northwest Airlines, having started as a jet mechanic 19 years ago. Jerry Hedican is now involved in "line planning," which means taking reports from the pilot and mechanics and developing a maintenance plan for a particular aircraft. Kelly, who's a year older than her brother, lives in Oakdale, Minnesota with her two children.

Bret was a good athlete at North St. Paul High School (home of the Polars) where he played football, soccer and golf, in addition to hockey. There was just one problem; he stood only 5-foot-7 when he got his driver's license at the age of 16. Now unless you're Theoren Fleury, you can forget about a career in professional hockey when you're vertically challenged. The problem was solved when Hedican grew seven inches between his junior and senior years. He now stands a healthy 6-foot-2 and weighs 205.

"I guess I didn't notice," said Hedican, when asked if he felt uncoordinated during his growth spurt. The good news was that he got to resume his football career as a senior. After playing as a freshman, Hedican's size forced him to the soccer field during his sophomore and junior years.

Born in 1970, Hedican watched Mike Eruzione, Jim Craig, Neal Broten and the rest of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team shock the world and win a gold medal in Lake Placid. At that point, he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

"I want to be an Olympian someday," Hedican thought. In high school, he focused his attention on obtaining a college scholarship and eventually landed one from St. Cloud State, a school located about an hour north of the Twin Cities. Hedican was drafted by the St. Louis Blues (198th overall) after his senior year of high school, but went to St. Cloud where he played three seasons from 1988-91. He recorded 21 of his 30 career goals and 47 of his 76 points as a junior in '90-91.

"He was the best player to come out of St. Cloud. Everybody talked about him," said Panthers rookie Mark Parrish, who played two seasons there from 1995-97. "They had his jersey hung up in the (school's) Hall of Fame."

Hedican was going to become a physical therapist, but a chance to play for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team took him out of school before he was able to obtain his degree. He helped Team USA finish fourth in Albertville, France, and found the Olympic experience to be everything he had ever dreamed it would be.

"Whether you're representing Canada or the United States, whatever country you're representing, it's neat to be there and to be among all those great athletes," said Hedican. "The greatest experience is walking in for the opening ceremonies and then competing in the Games. It would have been nice to take home a medal, obviously we came up a bit short, but we had a great tournament and it was such a great experience."

Hedican made his NHL debut with the Blues after the Olympics and spent parts of three seasons in the organization before being traded to Vancouver on Mar. 21, 1994. He enjoyed a strong playoff for the Canucks that year, recording one goal, six assists and a plus-13 rating in 24 games as the team fell 60 minutes shy of capturing hockey's biggest prize.

"To play in Game 7, New York City, Madison Square Garden ... We had a 25 motorcycle, Harley Davidson police escort from the Hyatt (hotel) to Madison Square Garden. It was pretty breathtaking," he said.

Breathtaking is also a good way to describe Yamaguchi, who enthralled Hedican and the rest of America with her gold medal performance in Albertville.

"I met her at the Olympics in '92 and obviously she made an impression," said Hedican. "She was a great person then, and still is, but it wasn't until the opening of our new building in Vancouver, G.M. Place (in 1995), that I bumped into her again. I went over and introduced myself, and she obviously didn't remember who I was."

Hedican and Yamaguchi were part of the gala opening for the building. Kristi and Kurt Browning performed on the ice, while Hedican and some of his teammates gave away pucks. Afterwards, Hedican and Yamaguchi began to chat. Kristi, a resident of Northern California, agreed to go out with him when Vancouver visited San Jose a couple of weeks later. And who says you have to spend a lot of money on a first date? The two went out for ice cream and their relationship blossomed from there.

"We bumped into each other seven times that year on the road, at least," said Hedican. "Her tour ended in Vancouver, and then we lost to Colorado in the (1996) playoffs. So I came back to Vancouver and we spent a few days there together. We've been talking ever since."

And talking, and talking, and talking ...

"I'll tell you what, I think I'm part owner of AT&T now," said Hedican, who could write a book on how to survive a long-distance relationship.

"I have her whole schedule and where her hotels are," said Hedican. "I carry my phone around with me quite a bit. Some people might get the wrong impression by me carrying a phone around, but for me it's essential. If she's having a bad day, we can at least communicate through the phone. I know that's one of the only ways that we can do this thing -- through communication and keeping in touch. The phone's a great part of that."

Yamaguchi is currently touring with the Discover Stars on Ice. She appeared at National Car Rental Center on Feb. 14 -- Valentine's Day -- and Hedican was there to cheer her on. A longtime Sharks fan, Yamaguchi is changing allegiances, according to her fiance.

While things are going well in his personal life, Hedican is very serious about his career. McLean said the defenseman is self-motivated, and puts a lot of pressure on himself to perform in front of his teammates.

"He's in great shape and has a good attitude towards hockey," said the goaltender. "He's always working on his hand-eye coordination before games, after games, and he's trying to make his good qualities even better. He's a professional, all in all, and his attitude and enthusiasm mean a great deal to the team.

"He's experienced now and he knows what it takes to win. He's a talkative guy, nothing but positive comes out of his mouth, and that's what we need."

"He's a real good player," added coach Murray. "He's got all the tools you like to see in a defenseman. Great skater, he's probably one of the top skaters as far as defensemen in the league. He plays his position well, he's responsible, he's a very conscientious guy and a good guy who fits in extremely well with the chemistry of the team. Just a great addition to the team."

Things have gone well in Florida, but Hedican won't rest until he gets back to the Stanley Cup Finals.

"You can't even explain what it takes out of you," he said. "When you're there, it's worth every moment of blood, sweat and tears that you shed to get to that point. Now it's all I really think about, getting back to the Stanley Cup Finals and trying to win it."

That, and remembering to bring his cell phone on the next road trip.

People Magazine: January 11, 1999 Click for the actual article including pictures.

Picture of Kristy: Yamaguchi says Hedican "broke my stereotype of hockey players"

New Skating Partners

As icebreakers go, Bret Hedican had the perfect line to introduce himself to figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi. "You probably don't remember me, but I played for the U.S. hockey team in France," the 6'2" defenseman said on meeting the 5'1" Olympic Gold Medal winner at the opening of Vancouver's new hockey stadium in September 1995. They quickly became friends, keeping in touch with cell phones and e-mails as he traveled with the Vancouver Canucks and she toured with the Discover Stars on Ice show. At a San Francisco restaurant on Christmas Eve, Hedican had another good line: Let's get married. That one worked to. "I was a little speechless at first but of course I was thrilled, and I knew the answer right away," Yamaguchi told PEOPLE. The couple plan to wed next year. Although, Yamaguchi, 27, admits that "figure skaters have awful perceptions of hockey players," she says the 28-year-old Hedican is different--clean-cut and soft-spoken. Besides, the two are in sync about where to spend their honeymoon. Says Yamaguchi: "Someplace warm--and sunny."

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