Braydon Coburn

Braydon Coburn
Born	February 27, 1985 (1985-02-27) Calgary, AB, CAN
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight	226 lb (103 kg; 16 st 2 lb)
Position	Defence
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Philadelphia Flyers Atlanta Thrashers
National team	Canada
NHL Draft	8th overall, 2003 Atlanta Thrashers
Playing career	2005–present

Braydon Coburn (born February 27, 1985) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Playing career

Coburn was born in Calgary, Alberta but grew up in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan where he played most of his minor hockey. After his Bantam season in 1999-2000, Coburn was selected 1st overall in the WHL Bantam Draft by the Portland Winterhawks. The following season, Coburn played Midget AAA hockey for the Notre Dame, SK Hounds of the Saskatchewan Midget Hockey League.

Coburn played major junior hockey with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was awarded the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year for the 2001–02 season. Although his points total dipped from 37 points to 19 the following year, he remained a top prospect and was drafted 8th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Upon being drafted, he returned to the WHL for two more seasons and was awarded the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy in 2004 as humanitarian of the year. On February 4, 2005, Coburn tied a WHL record for most goals by a defenceman in a game with 4 against the Seattle Thunderbirds in a 7-4 win. He completed his final year with the Winter Hawks in 2004–05 with a junior career-high 44 points.

During Coburn's time in the WHL, he also competed in two World Junior Championships for Team Canada, winning silver in 2004 and gold in 2005. He played a role in the outcome of the 2004 tournament; with the gold medal game between Canada and the United States tied at 3-3 and less than five minutes left to play in regulation, Canadian goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury tried to clear the puck to avert a breakaway by Team USA's Patrick O'Sullivan. However, Fleury's clearing attempt went off Coburn and into his own net, giving the Americans a 4-3 advantage that eventually won them the game and the gold medal.

After several years in the Thrashers organization, splitting time between the NHL and the Thrashers' minor league affiliate, the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), he was dealt on February 24, 2007, at the trade deadline, to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for defenceman Alexei Zhitnik. The trade is often considered one of the more lopsided trades in recent NHL history, as Coburn went on to become one of the Flyers top defenders while Zhitnik was considered a huge disappointment with the Thrashers and was eventually bought out. The following season, in 2007–08, Coburn emerged with a 9-goal, 36-point season with Philadelphia. In the midst of the Flyers' 2008 playoff run, Coburn was injured on May 11, 2008, two minutes into game 2 of the Conference Final against the Pittsburgh Penguins when a deflected puck hit him above the eye. The resulting gash required 50 stitches to be closed; Coburn did not return for the rest of the series.^{[citation needed]}

On July 1, 2010, Coburn signed a two-year contract extension with the Flyers.

Philadelphia extended Coburn on November 9, 2011, at a rate of $18 million US over 4 years ($4.5MM annual cap hit).

Awards

• 2002 - WHL Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy
• 2004 - WHL Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy
• 2004 – WHL West First All-Star Team
• 2005 - WHL West First All-Star Team

Records

• WHL record for most goals in one game by a defenceman - 4 (on February 4, 2005, against the Seattle Thunderbirds; tied with 5 other players)

Transactions

• June 21, 2003 — Drafted in the 1st round, 8th overall by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
• February 24, 2007 — Traded by the Atlanta Thrashers to the Philadelphia Flyers for Alexei Zhitnik

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000–01	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		2	0	1	1	0		14	0	4	4	2
2001–02	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		68	4	33	37	100		7	1	1	2	9
2002–03	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		53	3	16	19	147		7	0	1	1	8
2003–04	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		55	10	20	30	92		5	0	1	1	10
2004–05	Portland Winter Hawks	WHL		60	12	32	44	144		7	1	5	6	6
2004–05	Chicago Wolves	AHL		3	0	1	1	5		18	0	1	1	36
2005–06	Chicago Wolves	AHL		73	6	20	26	136		—	—	—	—	—
2005–06	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		9	0	1	1	4		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Chicago Wolves	AHL		15	1	10	11	36		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Atlanta Thrashers	NHL		29	0	4	4	30		—	—	—	—	—
2006–07	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		20	3	4	7	16		—	—	—	—	—
2007–08	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		78	9	27	36	74		14	0	6	6	14
2008–09	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		80	7	21	28	97		6	0	3	3	7
2009–10	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		81	5	14	19	54		23	1	3	4	22
2010–11	Philadelphia Flyers	NHL		82	2	14	16	53		11	1	2	3	6
NHL totals				379	26	85	111	328		54	2	14	16	49
WHL totals				238	29	102	131	483		40	2	12	14	35
AHL totals				91	7	31	38	77		18	0	1	1	36

International

Medal record
Competitor for Canada
Men's ice hockey
World Junior Championships
Gold	2005 Grand Forks	Ice hockey
Silver	2004 Helsinki	Ice hockey

Year	Team	Event		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002	Canada	8N		5	1	2	3	4
2003	Canada	WJ18		7	0	0	0	12
2004	Canada	WJC		6	2	1	3	2
2005	Canada	WJC		6	0	2	2	8
2009	Canada	WC		5	0	1	1	4
Junior int'l totals				24	3	5	8	26
Senior int'l totals				5	0	1	1	4

External links

• Braydon Coburn's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Braydon Coburn at Hockey-Reference.com
• Braydon Coburn's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Braydon Coburn's NHL player profile

Preceded by Scottie Upshall	Winner of the WHL Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy 2002	Succeeded by Matt Ellison
Preceded by Jim Slater	Atlanta Thrashers first round draft pick 2003	Succeeded by Boris Valabik
Preceded by Ryan Craig	Winner of the WHL Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy 2004	Succeeded by Colin Fraser