Brad Larsen is a former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for over a decade. He was born on June 28, 1977, in Nakusp, British Columbia, Canada. Larsen began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Swift Current Broncos in 1994. He played for the Broncos for three seasons before being drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the fifth round of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft.
Larsen made his NHL debut with the Senators during the 1997-98 season, playing in 11 games and recording one assist. He spent the majority of the season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the International Hockey League (IHL), where he scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 57 games. Larsen played one more season with the Senators before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 1999.
Larsen played for the Avalanche for two seasons, helping the team win the Stanley Cup in 2001. He played in 67 regular-season games during the championship season, scoring six goals and 10 assists. Larsen also played in all 23 playoff games, recording two goals and three assists.
After his time with the Avalanche, Larsen played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Washington Capitals, and Columbus Blue Jackets. He played his final NHL game with the Blue Jackets in 2008. In total, Larsen played in 294 NHL games, scoring 19 goals and 27 assists.
Following his playing career, Larsen transitioned to coaching. He began as an assistant coach with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2010. Larsen then spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Blue Jackets before being named head coach of the Falcons in 2014. He led the team to a 38-28-10 record in his first season as head coach.
In 2015, Larsen was named an assistant coach for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He spent two seasons with the Blackhawks before being named head coach of the Cleveland Monsters, the AHL affiliate of the Blue Jackets, in 2018. Larsen led the Monsters to a 37-29-8 record in his first season as head coach.
Overall, Larsen had a successful career as both a player and coach in professional hockey. He won a Stanley Cup as a player and has continued to have success as a coach in the AHL.
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