Born on June 12, 1977 in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan, Redden, who is Métis, grew up in Hillmond, Saskatchewan. Redden went to school at Hillmond, where he completed kindergarten to grade nine.[citation needed] He went to Lloydminster comprehensive school for grade ten. He then completed his 11th and 12th year in Brandon, Manitoba at Crocus Plains Regional High School while playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Redden has an older sister Nikki, and an older brother, Bart making him the youngest of three.\n', '

Redden played minor hockey with the teams at Hillmond High School, and the Mid West Red Wings, which were from the rural area. After that, he played one year with the Lloydminster Blazers, before joining the Western Hockey League (WHL)\'s Brandon Wheat Kings for the 1993–94 season. In his first year of major junior hockey with Brandon, he was awarded the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy for WHL rookie of the year honours. The Wheat Kings made it to two Memorial Cup appearances, in 1995 and 1996, whilst Redden was a member of the team. He was also a member of the 1995 and 1996 Canadian teams at the World Junior Hockey Championships, both teams winning gold medals.\n', '

Redden was originally selected second overall by the New York Islanders in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, but never played for the team — he was traded to the Ottawa Senators, along with Damian Rhodes, in exchange for Don Beaupre, Martin Straka and the rights to Bryan Berard on January 23, 1996. The trade had become necessary when the Senators\' efforts to sign Berard, whom they had selected first overall in the same draft, had become futile.\n', '

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