Brad Stuart
A durable and dependable defenseman, he anchored blue lines for six NHL teams across a 1,000-game career defined by quiet consistency.
Born 1979 (age 47)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: November 6·Generation X
Biography
Brad Stuart carved out a long and steady NHL existence not with flashy offensive numbers, but with a reliable, physical presence that coaches trusted. Hailing from Alberta, he was drafted third overall by San Jose in 1998, a pick that came with expectations he met through sheer durability rather than stardom. His journey saw him wear the sweaters of the Sharks, Bruins, Flames, Kings, Red Wings, and Avalanche, becoming a valued piece wherever he landed. In Detroit, he found his deepest team success, hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2008 as a key, hard-hitting component of their defense. Stuart’s career is a testament to the value of the stay-at-home defender, a player whose game was built on simple, effective decisions that allowed more celebrated teammates to shine.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brad was born in 1979, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1979
#1 Movie
Kramer vs. Kramer
Best Picture
Kramer vs. Kramer
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1979Born
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1984Started school
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1992Became a teenager
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1995Could drive
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1997Could vote
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2000Turned 21
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2009Turned 30
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 40
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 47 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played in over 1,000 regular-season games in the National Hockey League.
- Won the Stanley Cup in 2008 as a member of the Detroit Red Wings.
- Was selected third overall by the San Jose Sharks in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft.
Did You Know?
He scored his first NHL goal in his very first game with the San Jose Sharks.
His younger brother, Mike Stuart, also played professional hockey.
He was traded from Boston to Calgary in the massive 2005 deal that sent Joe Thornton to the Bruins.
“I just tried to be steady and reliable every single night.”
