Jump to content

Ryan Whitney (ice hockey)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ryan Whitney
Whitney with the Edmonton Oilers in 2010
Born (1983-02-19) February 19, 1983 (age 41)
Scituate, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Weight 209 lb (95 kg; 14 st 13 lb)
Position Defense
Shot Left
Played for Pittsburgh Penguins
Anaheim Ducks
Edmonton Oilers
Florida Panthers
HC Sochi
Modo Hockey
National team  United States
NHL draft 5th overall, 2002
Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career 2004–2015

Ryan Whitney (born February 19, 1983) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He is an analyst on NHL Network and a co-host of the Barstool Sports hockey podcast Spittin' Chiclets with former NHL enforcer Paul Bissonnette. In 2019, New Amsterdam Vodka collaborated with Whitney to create a pink lemonade-flavored vodka called Pink Whitney.[1]

Whitney represented the United States in international competitions, winning a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Upon completing his freshman year at Boston University, Whitney was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins fifth overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Following three seasons with the Penguins' minor league affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Whitney played his NHL rookie season in 2005–06. Whitney remained in Pittsburgh for three-and-a-half seasons, helping the club to the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. During the 2008-09 season, Whitney was traded mid-season to the Anaheim Ducks and played 1 1/2 seasons. During the 2009-10 season, Whitney was traded again mid-season to the Edmonton Oilers. Whitney completed 3 1/2 seasons with Edmonton and joined the Florida Panthers for one season 2013-14, his last NHL season. On September 20, 2015, Whitney announced his retirement from professional hockey.[2]

Playing career

[edit]

Early years

[edit]

As a youth, Whitney played in the 1997 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from the South Shore.[3]

Whitney enrolled at Thayer Academy, a college-prep school in Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1998, and logged significant playing time with their hockey team. Head Coach Jack Foley often paired Whitney, a freshman, with senior Brooks Orpik, his future rival in college (being on separate ends of the Boston College-Boston University Rivalry), and later his teammate on the Pittsburgh Penguins.[4] Whitney's size and skill drew the attention of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. After initially resisting the programs invitations, he left Thayer Academy for the program, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his senior year of high school.[citation needed]

After graduating from high school, Whitney accepted a full scholarship to play for Boston University under Jack Parker. He recorded 21 points in 35 games in his freshman year and was named to the 2002 Hockey East All-Rookie Team. He was then selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins, as the fifth overall pick in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Upon completing his third year with Boston, he opted to forgo his senior year of college eligibility to turn professional. He was subsequently assigned by Pittsburgh to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, for the 2004 Calder Cup Playoffs. He played in 20 games, recording 10 points, however, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was defeated by the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.[citation needed]

Following his professional debut in the AHL playoffs, Whitney joined Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for the 2004–05 season. Under head coach Michel Therrien, Whitney played in 80 games in 2004–05, recording 41 points and 101 penalty minutes.[citation needed]

Pittsburgh Penguins

[edit]
Whitney with the Penguins

Whitney made his NHL debut with Pittsburgh in the 2005–06 NHL season, playing in 68 games. He was called up on October 31, 2005, to replace injured defenseman Dick Tärnström and remained on the team until the season ended. His first NHL goal came on December 1, 2005, against Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.[5] Whitney finished the season with six goals and 32 assists.[citation needed]

In his second NHL season, Whitney emerged as a top offensive defenseman in the league with 59 points in 2006–07. Under the guidance of new general manager Ray Shero, the Penguins improved from a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference the year before, to a playoff berth, with Whitney part of the youth movement in Pittsburgh that included forwards Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and goaltender Marc-André Fleury.[6]

During the 2007 off-season, Whitney signed a six-year, $24 million contract with a no-trade clause, avoiding his pending restricted free agency.[7] His offensive production dropped in the subsequent 2007–08 season, posting 40 points in 76 games. However, the Penguins finished second in the Eastern Conference and Whitney contributed six points in the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, as Pittsburgh made it to the Finals against the Detroit Red Wings. Pittsburgh was defeated in Game 6 of the series on June 4, 2008.[8]

In the 2008 off-season, it was revealed that Whitney had been suffering from a chronic foot injury throughout the season. It was later discovered Whitney was born with abnormally high arches (hollow foot) in both of his feet. After an attempt using orthopedic inserts in his skates failed, Whitney underwent osteotomy, a surgical procedure to realign the bones in his left foot, on August 15, 2008. It was expected Whitney would miss five months of the 2008–09 season. After playing one game with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, as part of a conditioning stint, Whitney made his return to Pittsburgh, in a 2–0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, on December 23, 2008.[9]

Anaheim Ducks

[edit]

On February 26, 2009, Whitney was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Chris Kunitz and Eric Tangradi.[10] He scored one goal and five assists during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs, as the Ducks made it to Game 7 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, losing to the Detroit Red Wings.[11]

Edmonton Oilers

[edit]

On March 3, 2010, Whitney was traded along with a 2010 sixth round draft pick (Brandon Davidson) to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Ľubomír Višňovský.[12] The deal marked the second time that Whitney had been traded within a year, even though he had a no-trade clause in his contract.[7]

Whitney made his Oilers debut at Rexall Place on March 5, against the Minnesota Wild. His first goal for his new team would come later in the month, as the Oilers defeated the Detroit Red Wings on March 19. Whitney flourished in his new surroundings, as he finished the 2009–10 season in Edmonton with 11 points in 19 games, one of those goals coming against former team, Anaheim. He also tied with injured winger, Aleš Hemský, as the Oilers team leader for plus-minus totals, with +7.[13]

Whitney underwent a second osteotomy in May 2010, this time to realign the bones in his right foot.[14]

On December 28, 2010, in a game against the Buffalo Sabres, Whitney suffered from a right ankle injury.[15] It was later announced that Whitney would miss the remainder of the 2010–11 season, needing surgery.[16]

On April 28, 2013, it was announced Whitney would not be returning to the Oilers for a fifth season.[17]

Florida Panthers

[edit]

On September 29, 2013, Whitney signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers.[18] Whitney appeared scoreless in seven games with the Panthers to begin the 2013–14 season before on November 8, 2013, he was placed on waivers. Unclaimed, Whitney was assigned to the Panthers' AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, for the remainder of the season.[19]

Abroad

[edit]

Whitney was an unrestricted free agent following the 2013–14 season. After failing to sign a contract with an NHL team, Whitney made a move to the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and on October 16, 2014, he signed a contract with HC Sochi.[20] In the 2014–15 season, Whitney scored 19 points in 42 games in the inaugural season for Sochi.[21] As a free agent, Whitney left Russia after one season and signed a one-year contract with Swedish club Modo Hockey of the SHL on June 24, 2015.[22] Whitney announced his retirement on September 20, 2015 via Twitter.[2]

International play

[edit]
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  United States
Winter Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2010 Vancouver

Whitney first represented USA Hockey at the 2000 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. He played six games, and scored his first international goal. The United States finished the tournament in fourth place.

A year later, he would play in the 2001 IIHF U18 Championships. Whitney picked up a single assist, in six games, as the United States finished in sixth place.

The next year, he moved onto the United States' U20 team at the 2002 World Juniors. It was here Whitney picked up his first international goal. He posted 3 points (one goals and two assists) in seven games, as the United States finished in fifth place.

He would also play the following year in the 2003 World Juniors. Whitney posted better numbers than the year previous, picking up five points (one goal and four assists) in seven games, as the United States finished in fourth place.

With injuries to fellow defensemen Paul Martin and Mike Komisarek, Whitney was selected as a replacement to represent the United States in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, held in Vancouver, British Columbia. This marked Whitney's first time as an Olympic competitor.[23] He and his team were runners-up and won the Silver Medal. It was Whitney's former teammate, Sidney Crosby, who scored the game-winning goal, which saw Canada defeat the United States 3–2, in overtime.[24] Whitney played in all six games, not collecting any points.

During this time, Whitney also wrote a blog and hosted a podcast on Barstool Sports throughout the games, sharing his thoughts, feelings and experiences.[25]

Personal life

[edit]

Whitney's younger brother Sean played collegiate hockey at Cornell University from the 2008–09 season to the 2011–12 season.[26]

In June 2022, Whitney went viral on social media for posting a video on Twitter about his frustrations during his time at Toronto Pearson International Airport.[27]

Career statistics

[edit]

Regular season and playoffs

[edit]
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1999–00 Thayer Academy HS–Prep 22 5 33 38 — — — — — —
2000–01 U.S. NTDP U18 USDP 40 7 23 30 64 — — — — —
2000–01 U.S. NTDP Juniors USHL 20 2 8 10 22 — — — — —
2001–02 Boston University HE 35 4 17 21 46 — — — — —
2002–03 Boston University HE 34 3 10 13 48 — — — — —
2003–04 Boston University HE 38 9 16 25 56 — — — — —
2003–04 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL — — — — — 20 1 9 10 0
2004–05 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 80 6 35 41 101 11 2 7 9 12
2005–06 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 9 5 9 14 6 11 1 4 5 8
2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 68 6 32 38 85 — — — — —
2006–07 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 81 14 45 59 77 5 1 1 2 6
2007–08 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 76 12 28 40 45 20 1 5 6 25
2008–09 Wilkes–Barre/Scranton Penguins AHL 1 0 1 1 2 — — — — —
2008–09 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 28 2 11 13 16 — — — — —
2008–09 Anaheim Ducks NHL 20 0 10 10 12 13 1 5 6 9
2009–10 Anaheim Ducks NHL 62 4 24 28 48 — — — — —
2009–10 Edmonton Oilers NHL 19 3 8 11 22 — — — — —
2010–11 Edmonton Oilers NHL 35 2 25 27 33 — — — — —
2011–12 Edmonton Oilers NHL 51 3 17 20 16 — — — — —
2012–13 Edmonton Oilers NHL 34 4 9 13 23 — — — — —
2013–14 Florida Panthers NHL 7 0 0 0 6 — — — — —
2013–14 San Antonio Rampage AHL 45 7 16 23 52 — — — — —
2014–15 HC Sochi KHL 42 6 13 19 23 4 0 1 1 0
2015–16 Modo Hockey SHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
NHL totals 481 50 209 259 383 38 3 11 14 40

International

[edit]
Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2000 United States U17 4th 6 1 0 1 2
2001 United States WJC18 6th 6 0 1 1 8
2002 United States WJC 5th 7 1 2 3 20
2003 United States WJC 4th 7 1 4 5 14
2010 United States OG 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 6 0 0 0 0
Junior totals 26 3 7 10 44
Senior totals 6 0 0 0 0

Awards and honors

[edit]
Award Year
All-Hockey East Rookie Team 2001–02 [28]
2007 NHL YoungStars Team 2007 [29]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Schram, Carol (December 18, 2019). "Pink Whitney scores for Spittin' Chiclets, Barstool Sports and New Amsterdam Vodka". Forbes. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Former Penguin, US Olympian Ryan Whitney retires at 32". CBS Sports. September 20, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  3. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 6, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  4. ^ Olympic Spirit | News | USA Hockey
  5. ^ Podell, Ira (December 2, 2005). "Rangers run winning streak to six". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2008.
  6. ^ Pittsburgh Penguins – Team
  7. ^ a b "NHL Salary Calculator". CapGeek.com. May 20, 2010. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  8. ^ Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins – Recap – June 4, 2008
  9. ^ "Lightning shutout Penguins 2-0 in Ryan Whitney's return". pensburgh.com. December 24, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  10. ^ Roarke, Shawn P. (February 26, 2009). "Penguins deal Whitney to Ducks for Kunitz, prospect". NHL.com. Retrieved February 26, 2009.
  11. ^ Ducks at Red Wings – May 14, 2009
  12. ^ Oilers acquire Ryan Whitney
  13. ^ Edmonton Oilers Statistics – NHL Hockey
  14. ^ Whitney steps towards better future
  15. ^ Sabres vs. Oilers December 28, 2010 Archived January 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Oilers Whitney needs surgery on injured ankle
  17. ^ "Ryan Whitney's days as an Edmonton Oiler over". Edmonton Journal. April 28, 2013. Retrieved April 28, 2013.
  18. ^ "Panthers sign Ryan Whitney". NHL.com. September 29, 2013. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  19. ^ "OKC defeats Rampage". Mysa. March 12, 2014.
  20. ^ Mahiban, Dhiren (October 16, 2014). "Whitney signs in KHL". Pro Hockey Talk. NBC Sports.
  21. ^ Whitney, Ryan (January 11, 2016). "Tales From Abroad: Russia". The Players Tribune. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  22. ^ "Ryan Whitney ready for play in Modo". Modo Hockey (in Swedish). June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
  23. ^ LeBrun, Pierre (February 4, 2010). "Whitney, Gleason chosen". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "Men's Gold Medal Game : Schedule and Results : Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics". Archived from the original on April 8, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  25. ^ "Ryan Whitney's blog: First game 'unbelievable'". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010.
  26. ^ "Sean Whitney". Elite Prospects. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
  27. ^ "Former NHL player slams Toronto Pearson, Air Canada in video after chaotic night stuck at airport". June 6, 2022.
  28. ^ HockeyEastOnline.com – Hockey East All-Stars Archived February 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ "NHL YoungStars Game Historical Summaries – 2007". National Hockey League. February 15, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by Pittsburgh Penguins first round draft pick
2002 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ryan_Whitney_(ice_hockey)&oldid=1250985841"