'I Couldn't Be More Excited To Get Back On The Ice': Sharks' Bret Hedican Joins Ducks In Player Development Role

San Jose Sharks broadcaster Bret Hedican will join the Anaheim Ducks organization in a Player and Skill Development role.

THN first learned of Hedican's departure last Wednesday and has confirmed that he is returning to the ice in Southern California. Hedican told THN that he would start with the San Diego AHL club.

Related: REPORT: Bret Hedican Leaving Sharks Broadcast Team

"It does feel great to get back on the ice with the players. The role for me is going to be player development. It gives me a chance to take all the things I've learned in the game through my trials and tribulations, or ups and downs of learning how to stay in the NHL for as long as I did, to play as long as I did," Hedican said. "I think with that, I always took an attitude to never stop learning through my career, and because of that, it allowed me to have that longevity, and it eventually helped me win a Stanley Cup."

Hedican won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006.

The 10th-round pick in 1988 played 1,039 career games in the NHL with the Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks, Florida Panthers, and Anaheim Ducks.

"I can remember that moment when you are given the Cup for the first time. It's like that emotion that floods through you that says, wow, I was right to keep going. I was right to never give up on a dream. I was right to believe in the people around me and who I leaned on to help me get there," Hedican said. "[A] real wave of humility comes through, yet there is also an appreciation for always going back to the drawing board and looking for other ways of improving."

Hedican was never the most offensive defenseman. His career high in points was 29, which he set with the Canucks in 1995-96. Getting to 1,000 games in the NHL is no small feat, and Hedican constantly improved to stay in the game.

Hedican has been part of the Sharks broadcast team since 2009. He began by doing minor hits during pre- and postgame and eventually became a color commentator. Hedican is known for his truthful analysis while still providing all the colorful details to the viewer.

"I didn't really know I'd want to get into broadcasting, to be honest with you. I think when you finally retire after a long time, you don't want to look at a pair of skates, a stick, and a puck and talk about it any longer," Hedican explained.

"When the dust settled of retirement, I got the call from Comcast SportsNet, Devin Fox; she said, 'Hey, would you want to do this? We think you can do it.' I said I don't know if I can do this. I said I'll come down and tell you what? If you don't think I can, after a couple of times, just kick me to the curb, and I'm good, you know? After a bunch of sessions of being down there, doing pre-game and postgame, and working with some great broadcasters, Brodie Brazil and Scott Reiss, I was able to find my footing kind of, and they were able to work with me."

Hedican said that as he improved, the Sharks began to notice and offered him the opportunity to be inside the glass during some TV broadcasts. Like the NHL, Hedican continued to improve his craft and became part of the full-time broadcast crew for a long time.

Hedican's success grew beyond the Sharks as he was part of the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi and called Stanley Cup Playoff games on a national level with NBC Sports and, currently, TNT.

"It's just been an unbelievable journey. I think the Sharks, to me, mean a lot. The organization, the people, the fans, it's been an incredible run to be a part of this organization. I watch Randy Hahn and Dan Rusanowsky, and these guys bleed teal like you would not believe," Hedican said about his broadcast partners. "They feel every loss as much as the players and I, and I'm not bullshitting. They are guys that bleed teal. They love this organization. Rightfully so, I do, too. Not only did I appreciate the opportunity but also working with great broadcasters, Hall of Famers, which was pretty amazing."

Hedican said he almost feels obligated to pass on what he's learned from the NHL to the next generation of young players, just like veterans did for him when he first entered the league.

"I mean, you become a guy that helps mentor others, younger guys. I think for me, when I came into the game, I don't think I had a lot of defensemen that were really trying to help me become better because, well, you're trying to take their job," Hedican said. "I really looked at that way, about that attitude, and I said, I'll never be that way. When I get to that level of being in this game, for as long as maybe I have the opportunity to stay in it, I'm going to do everything I can to help the younger guy take my job. Having that mindset of making the guy beside you better eventually comes back to you and makes you better personally."

Hedican said he always wanted this opportunity with the Sharks but never could due to his broadcasting commitments. He told THN that he would sometimes hold back if he spoke to a player, but that didn't stop him on the air from voicing his thoughts of the Sharks, no matter if the results were good or bad.

Hedican begins his third career in hockey and will use his knowledge of the game, gained from playing and watching it from the broadcast booth, to help sculpt the next group of NHL stars.

Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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