Larry Trader
Encyclopedia
Larry J. Trader is a retired ice hockey
defenceman
. He played a handful of games at the NHL level, but is mostly known for his high scoring in the American Hockey League
and overseas. He last played for Varese Hockey Club in Italy. He is the cousin of former NHL player Jim Peplinski
.
. In the 1979–80 season, Trader scored 33 points in 50 games as a defenceman and was named CJHL Best Midget-Age Player and invited to the All-star team. His scoring numbers were impressive and the London Knights
picked Trader with their 1st pick(3rd overall) to join their team for the 1980–81 season. In the OHL, Trader continued to put up big numbers and the NHL took notice. The Detroit Red Wings
drafted Trader with their 3rd pick (86 overall) in the 1981 NHL draft
. After being selected by the Red Wings, Trader remained on the Knights to develop and he responded by putting up his largest numbers to date. In 68 games that season, Trader scored 19 goals and 37 assists to go along with 161 penalty minutes. With impressive numbers now on his resume, Trader was asked to play for Team Canada in the 1993 World Junior Championships
. Scoring five points in the tough 7-game series, The Red Wings felt Trader was finally ready for the NHL.
of the AHL. In 1983–84
, Trader posted 41 points with Adirondack and was second on the team in defensive scoring. Detroit came calling again for the 1984–85 season and Trader responded, played great defensive hockey and posting 10 points in 40 games. After a short playoff run, Trader was sent back down for another season with Adirondack. He played in 64 games that season putting up 56 points to lead the team in defensive scoring and was named to the AHL second all-star team. He joined Adirondack in their playoff run and helped them win the Calder Cup
over the Hershey Bears
in six games. Trader was named AHL's Playoff Points and Playoff Assists Leader for 1986 and even scored the Calder Cup-winning goal in game six.
After the celebration, Trader received more good news, he had been selected to join the Canadian National Team. Trader played 48 games for the team and scored 20 points. With the help of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Mario Lemieux, the 1987 Canadian team won the 1987 Canada Cup
, Spengler Cup
and a fourth place finish in the 1987 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. During his run with Team Canada, Trader found out over the phone that he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Lee Norwood
on August 7, 1986.
Trader only made it back to the United States for five games with the Blues in 1986–87, but would join the Blues for a single game in 1987–88 before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens
on October 13, 1987. He was traded along with a 3rd round draft pick for Gaston Gingras
and Montreal's 3rd round draft pick. He was send down for a short stint with the Sherbrooke Canadiens
before playing the remaining 30 games for Montreal while scoring six points. After the season he was let go and was signed as a free agent by the Hartford Whalers
on August 3, 1988. He would never make it to the parent club, but played out the 1988–89 season
with the Binghamton Whalers
of the AHL where he again lead a team in defensive scoring with his 11 goals and 40 assists.
playing for the Klagenfurt AC. Trader excelled in the Erste Bank Hockey League and was 4th on the team in scoring with 34. For the 1990–91 season, Trader headed to Italy
to play in the Serie A
for the Brunico SG. He played with the team for three years amassing 101 total points, before leaving halfway through the 1992–93 season to rejoin the Austrian Hockey League and play four games for the Zell am See EK. He would return to Italy for the 1993–94 season to play for Hockey Club Varese. Playing in only seven games that year, including the playoffs, he scored two goals and three assists before deciding to retire from playing ice hockey and return to North America.
of the Brantford Smoke
prior to the 1995–96 season. He coached the Smoke for three seasons, always with a winning record, but always getting knocked out in the second round of the playoffs. Trader officially retired from coaching after the 1997–98 season.
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...
defenceman
Defenceman (ice hockey)
Defence in ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring...
. He played a handful of games at the NHL level, but is mostly known for his high scoring in the American Hockey League
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...
and overseas. He last played for Varese Hockey Club in Italy. He is the cousin of former NHL player Jim Peplinski
Jim Peplinski
James Desmond Peplinski is a retired Canadian National Hockey League player.He played junior hockey for the Toronto Marlboroughs of the OHL and was drafted in 1978 NHL Amateur Draft by the Atlanta Flames. Peplinski was one of five active NHL players who played on Canada's 1988 Olympic ice hockey...
.
Minor league hockey
Growing up playing hockey, Trader developed into a mobile defenceman with a great shot from the blueline. He attracted a lot of attention playing Junior hockey for the Gloucester Rangers of the CJHLCentral Junior A Hockey League
The Central Canada Hockey League is a Canadian Junior "A" ice hockey league operating in eastern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ottawa District Hockey Association and Hockey Canada and is a member of the Canadian Junior Hockey League...
. In the 1979–80 season, Trader scored 33 points in 50 games as a defenceman and was named CJHL Best Midget-Age Player and invited to the All-star team. His scoring numbers were impressive and the London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
picked Trader with their 1st pick(3rd overall) to join their team for the 1980–81 season. In the OHL, Trader continued to put up big numbers and the NHL took notice. 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...
drafted Trader with their 3rd pick (86 overall) in the 1981 NHL draft
1981 NHL Entry Draft
The 1981 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Montreal Forum in Montreal, Quebec. The National Hockey League teams selected 211 players eligible for entry into professional ranks, in the reverse order of the 1980–81 NHL season and playoff standings. This is the list of those players...
. After being selected by the Red Wings, Trader remained on the Knights to develop and he responded by putting up his largest numbers to date. In 68 games that season, Trader scored 19 goals and 37 assists to go along with 161 penalty minutes. With impressive numbers now on his resume, Trader was asked to play for Team Canada in the 1993 World Junior Championships
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation for national under-20 ice hockey teams from around the world...
. Scoring five points in the tough 7-game series, The Red Wings felt Trader was finally ready for the NHL.
Playing in the NHL
In the 1982–83 season, Trader played 15 games as a rookie and added two assists. He showed promise, but Detroit felt he still needed time to develop and Trader was sent to Detroit's minor league affiliate, the Adirondack Red WingsAdirondack Red Wings
The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, USA at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League...
of the AHL. In 1983–84
1983–84 AHL season
The 1983–84 AHL season was the 48th season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league initiates two new awards. The Aldege "Baz" Bastien Memorial Award is first awarded to the league's "best goaltender." The Jack A...
, Trader posted 41 points with Adirondack and was second on the team in defensive scoring. Detroit came calling again for the 1984–85 season and Trader responded, played great defensive hockey and posting 10 points in 40 games. After a short playoff run, Trader was sent back down for another season with Adirondack. He played in 64 games that season putting up 56 points to lead the team in defensive scoring and was named to the AHL second all-star team. He joined Adirondack in their playoff run and helped them win the Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
over the Hershey Bears
Hershey Bears
The Hershey Bears Hockey Club is a professional ice hockey team playing in the American Hockey League, and is currently the top affiliate of the NHL Washington Capitals. The hockey club is based in the unincorporated town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, located within Derry Township some 14 miles east of...
in six games. Trader was named AHL's Playoff Points and Playoff Assists Leader for 1986 and even scored the Calder Cup-winning goal in game six.
After the celebration, Trader received more good news, he had been selected to join the Canadian National Team. Trader played 48 games for the team and scored 20 points. With the help of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Mario Lemieux, the 1987 Canadian team won the 1987 Canada Cup
1987 Canada Cup
The 1987 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament held from August 28 to September 15, 1987. The finals took place in Montreal on September 11 and Hamilton, Ontario, on September 13 and September 15, and were won by Team Canada....
, Spengler Cup
Spengler Cup
The Spengler Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held in Davos, Switzerland. First held in 1923, the Spengler Cup is often cited as the oldest invitational ice hockey tournament in the world. The event is hosted by the Swiss team HC Davos and played each year in Davos, Switzerland, between...
and a fourth place finish in the 1987 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. During his run with Team Canada, Trader found out over the phone that he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Lee Norwood
Lee Norwood
Lee Charles Norwood is a retired American ice hockey player. Although Norwood was born in California, he grew up in Trenton, Michigan....
on August 7, 1986.
Trader only made it back to the United States for five games with the Blues in 1986–87, but would join the Blues for a single game in 1987–88 before being traded to the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
on October 13, 1987. He was traded along with a 3rd round draft pick for Gaston Gingras
Gaston Gingras
Gaston Reginald Gingras is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played ten seasons in the National Hockey League....
and Montreal's 3rd round draft pick. He was send down for a short stint with the Sherbrooke Canadiens
Sherbrooke Canadiens
The Sherbrooke Canadiens were a professional ice hockey team in Sherbrooke, Quebec. They played their home games at the Palais des Sports. They were a member of the American Hockey League from 1984 to 1990, and were a farm team of the Montreal Canadiens....
before playing the remaining 30 games for Montreal while scoring six points. After the season he was let go and was signed as a free agent by the Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
on August 3, 1988. He would never make it to the parent club, but played out the 1988–89 season
1988–89 AHL season
The 1988–89 AHL season was the 53rd season of the American Hockey League. Fourteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league abandoned awarding points for an overtime loss. The Sherbrooke Canadiens finished first overall in the regular season...
with the Binghamton Whalers
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...
of the AHL where he again lead a team in defensive scoring with his 11 goals and 40 assists.
International play
After being let go by Hartford, Trader decided to head overseas. He began his journey in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
playing for the Klagenfurt AC. Trader excelled in the Erste Bank Hockey League and was 4th on the team in scoring with 34. For the 1990–91 season, Trader headed to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to play in the Serie A
Serie A (hockey)
Serie A is the name of the top tier of professional ice hockey in Italy, which first began play in 1924. They are conducted under the authority of the Federazione Italiana Sport del Ghiaccio...
for the Brunico SG. He played with the team for three years amassing 101 total points, before leaving halfway through the 1992–93 season to rejoin the Austrian Hockey League and play four games for the Zell am See EK. He would return to Italy for the 1993–94 season to play for Hockey Club Varese. Playing in only seven games that year, including the playoffs, he scored two goals and three assists before deciding to retire from playing ice hockey and return to North America.
Trader the coach
After returning from Europe, Trader was named head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the Brantford Smoke
Brantford Smoke
The Brantford Smoke were a professional ice hockey team in the Colonial Hockey League, later the United Hockey League, now known as the International Hockey League. They played in Brantford, Ontario from 1991-92 until 1997-98, playing home games at the Brantford Civic Centre.They won the Colonial...
prior to the 1995–96 season. He coached the Smoke for three seasons, always with a winning record, but always getting knocked out in the second round of the playoffs. Trader officially retired from coaching after the 1997–98 season.
Awards and achievements
- COJHL Best Midget-Age Player: 1979–80
- COJHL All-Star First Team: 1979–80
- World Junior Championships: 1983 (bronze medal)
- Named to AHL All-Star Second Team: 1985–86
- AHL Playoffs Points Leader: 1986 (22 points)
- AHL Playoffs Assists Leader: 1986 (16 assists)
- Won Calder Cup: 1986