July 30, 2024

The San Diego Gulls announced today that the American Hockey League (AHL) club Bret Hedican as a player development analyst.

Hedican retired in September 2009 after a 17-year NHL career and spent the past 15 seasons as an announcer with the San Jose Sharks, most recently as the club’s Color Analyst for their local television broadcasts. Before joining the Sharks’ broadcast team full-time in 2014, he spent five seasons as a pre-game and post-game analyst for NBC Sports California (2009-14). He provided color radio commentary for Westwood One’s coverage of men’s and women’s hockey at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Hedican played in 1,039 NHL games from 1991 to 2009, going 55-239=294 points and 893 penalty minutes (PIM) with Anaheim, St. Louis, Vancouver, Florida and Carolina. Originally a 10th round selection (198th overall) by the Blues in the 1988 NHL Draft, Hedican spent the final year of his NHL career with the Ducks in 2008-09, going 1-5=6 points in 51 games. He helped the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006 as part of three trips to the Stanley Cup Finals (also 1992 and 2002), going 2-9=11 points, 42 PIM and a +6 rating in 25 playoff games. Hedican played 108 games in the Stanley Cup Playoff and achieved 4-22=26 points, 108 PIM and a +10 rating.

Born in St. Paul, Minn., Hedican attended St. Cloud State University from 1988 to 1991, earning WCHA First All-Star Team honors in 1990-91 after setting NCAA career highs in points (19-30=49), goals, assists, PIM (52) and games played (41). He also represented the United States at two Olympic Games (1992, 2006) and three World Championships (1997, 1999, 2001). Hedican helped Team USA to a gold medal at the 2013 Women’s World Championships as a video coach.