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Ryder Ritchie

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Ryder Ritchie
Ritchie with the Prince Albert Raiders in 2024
Born (2006-08-03) August 3, 2006 (age 18)
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 174 lb (79 kg; 12 st 6 lb)
Position Forward
Shoots Right
WHL team Medicine Hat Tigers
NHL draft 45th overall, 2024
Minnesota Wild

Ryder Ritchie (born August 3, 2006) is a Swedish-Canadian junior ice hockey forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the Minnesota Wild in the 2024 NHL entry draft.

Playing career

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Ritchie was selected 14th overall in the 2021 Western Hockey League (WHL) prospects draft.[1] In his rookie season in the WHL, the 2022–23 season, Ritchie scored 20 goals and 55 points in 61 games, and won the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL's rookie of the year.[2] The Raiders would not qualify for the playoffs that year.[3]

Ritchie was selected as one of 40 draft-eligible prospects to compete in the 2024 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.[4] He suffered a hematoma in his quadriceps following a knee-on-knee collision in a December 15, 2023 game against the Kelowna Rockets and missed ten weeks of play, returning in February.[5][6] He finished the regular season with 44 points in 47 games, a similar per-game rate to his rookie season.[7] Prince Albert qualified to the WHL playoffs, claiming the final available berth, but lost to the Saskatoon Blades in five games in the first round.[8][9]

At the 2024 NHL entry draft, Ritchie was selected in the second round, 45th overall, by the Minnesota Wild.[6] On August 26, 2024, before the start of the 2024–25 season, his WHL rights were traded to the Medicine Hat Tigers in exchange for Tomas Mrsic and draft picks.[10]

International play

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Medal record
Representing  Canada
Men's ice hockey
World U18 Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Finland
Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Gold medal – first place 2023 Czechia/Slovakia

Ritchie skated for Team Canada White at the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge, recording four goals in six games. In the summer of 2023, he joined the national under-18 team for the first time at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, where he scored three goals and nine points en route to a gold medal.[2] The following spring, he again played with Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships. Team Canada reached the championship final against the United States, where Ritchie scored the team's first goal of the game to tie it, before the United States retook the lead. Midway through the third period, American forward Trevor Connelly was assessed a five-minute major penalty for delivering an illegal hit to Ritchie's head. Team Canada scored three goals on the ensuing power play to take the lead for the first time, and would ultimately win the game 6–4.[11] Ritchie called the tournament "definitely one of the highlights of my life and something that I'll remember forever."[12]

Personal life

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Ritchie is the son of former NHL player Byron Ritchie, who played for the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks in his eight season, 300+ game career. Although he was born in Canada, he is also a citizen of Sweden and spent parts of his childhood in Europe while his father played there. His uncle, Andreas Johansson, also played in the NHL.[13]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2022–23 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 61 20 35 55 20 — — — — —
2023–24 Prince Albert Raiders WHL 47 19 25 44 24 5 3 4 7 0
WHL totals 108 39 60 99 44 5 3 4 7 0

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2022 Canada White U17 6th 6 4 0 4 4
2023 Canada HG18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 5 3 6 9 0
2024 Canada U18 1st place, gold medalist(s) 7 4 4 8 2
Junior totals 18 11 10 21 6

Awards and honours

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Award Year Ref
WHL
Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy 2023 [2]

References

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  1. ^ Steinke, Darren (January 25, 2023). "Young Ritchie gives hope Raiders fans look for". Prince Albert Daily Herald. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Kepke, Cami (January 7, 2024). "'A'-rated NHL prospect Ryder Ritchie builds on Rookie of the Year season ahead of Kubota CHL / NHL Top Prospects Game". chl.ca. Canadian Hockey League. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  3. ^ Kowal, Nolan (September 21, 2023). "Top rookie Ritchie riding high heading into new season". northeastnow.com. North East Now. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  4. ^ "Ryder Ritchie named to Top Prospects Game". panow.com. Prince Albert Now. December 19, 2023. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  5. ^ Kowal, Nolan (December 28, 2023). "Raiders fall to Blades in topsy turvy affair". sasknow.com. Saskatoon Now. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  6. ^ a b McLellan, Sarah (June 29, 2024). "Wild load up on defensemen with six picks in 2024 NHL draft". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 1, 2024.
  7. ^ Horn, Logan (April 11, 2024). "Ryder Ritchie – 2024 NHL Draft Prospect Profile". thehockeywriters.com. The Hockey Writers. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
  8. ^ Kierszenblat, Adam (March 23, 2024). "Prince Albert Raiders clinch final postseason spit ahead of 2024 WHL playoffs". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  9. ^ "Prince Albert's season comes to an end after game five loss in Saskatoon". chl.ca. Canadian Hockey League. April 5, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  10. ^ Loucks, Dylan (August 26, 2024). "Wild Prospect Ryder Ritchie Traded to Medicine Hat". The Hockey News. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Ferrari, Tony (May 5, 2024). "U-18 World Championship: Canada Beats USA for Gold in Dramatic Affair, Sweden Takes Bronze". The Hockey News. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  12. ^ Kowal, Nolan (May 8, 2024). "Ritchie reminisces about U18 gold, upcoming NHL draft". Prince Albert Daily Herald. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "Ryder Ritchie On Growing Up In a Pro Hockey Player Family". Retrieved August 1, 2024.
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