Brett Ritchie
Canadian forward who debuted in the NHL with Dallas.
Brett Ritchie is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for Vlci Žilina in the Slovak Extraliga. He has also appeared in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Dallas Stars chose him with the 44th overall pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft.
Ritchie attended The Hill Academy. He began his junior career with the Sarnia Sting in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) during the 2009–10 season, scoring 13 goals and 16 assists in 65 games. The following season, he missed about a month due to mononucleosis but still improved his totals to 21 goals and 20 assists in 49 games. The illness also cost him a spot in the 2011 CHL Top Prospects Game. On January 5, 2012, Sarnia traded him to the Niagara Icedogs in exchange for a 2012 second-round pick from Guelph, a 2014 second-round pick from Peterborough, and Niagara’s own 2013 second- and fifth-round picks; Sarnia immediately flipped those picks to Mississauga for goaltender JP Anderson.
Turning professional, Ritchie signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars on July 11, 2012. After attending their training camp, he returned to the OHL for the 2012–13 season. When that season ended, he joined the Stars’ AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, for the remainder of the 2012–13 AHL campaign. He made his professional debut on April 5, 2013, scoring his first professional goal against the Oklahoma City Barons. Texas qualified for the 2013 Calder Cup playoffs, and Ritchie netted the game-winner in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinal against the Milwaukee Admirals on April 27, 2013.
In September 2013, Ritchie participated in the NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, and played in preseason games for Dallas, even seeing time on the second power-play unit. A lower-body injury then sidelined him for several preseason contests. After recovering, he was reassigned to Texas for the 2013–14 season. He started strong, tallying two goals and seven assists to tie for ninth among AHL rookies in scoring by early November. By the end of that month, he ranked seventh among rookies with 15 points through 20 games. He entered January tied for 11th in rookie scoring with 23 points in 36 games, then boosted his production with seven goals in 13 games that month. In early April, he set a franchise record by scoring four goals in a 5–1 win over the Lake Erie Monsters.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1993-07-01
- Birth Place
- Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 4
- Weight Lb
- 220
- Position
- Right wing
- Shoots
- Right
- League
- Slovak
- Team
- Vlci Žilina
- Former Teams
- Dallas Stars / Boston Bruins / Calgary Flames / Arizona Coyotes / HC Dinamo Minsk / HK Nitra / Schwenninger Wild Wings / Villacher SV / Sheffield Steelers
- Draft
- 44th overall
- Draft Year
- 2011
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Ritchie played junior hockey in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Sarnia Sting, scoring 13 goals and 16 assists in 65 games during his first season. In his second season, he missed about a month due to mononucleosis but improved to 21 goals and 20 assists in 49 games. He was traded to the Niagara Icedogs in January 2012. After signing a three-year entry-level contract with the Dallas Stars in July 2012, he returned to the OHL for the 2012–13 season before being reassigned to the Texas Stars of the American Hockey League (AHL). He made his professional debut on April 5, 2013, scoring his first professional goal against the Oklahoma City Barons. Ritchie helped the Texas Stars win the Calder Cup in 2014, scoring seven goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games, including the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. He made his NHL debut on January 1, 2015, scoring the game-winning goal in a 6–0 shutout of the Arizona Coyotes, becoming the first Stars player to score his first NHL goal in his first NHL game since Antoine Roussel in 2013. He also scored in his second game, becoming the first Stars player to do so since Mike Modano in 1989–90. Ritchie played parts of several seasons with Dallas, including a full season in 2016–17 where he ranked fourth on the team with 16 goals. He signed a two-year, $3.5-million contract extension with the Stars in July 2017.
Reader's Guide
Brett Ritchie's significance lies in his journey from a junior player affected by mononucleosis to a professional who contributed to a Calder Cup championship and made an immediate impact in his NHL debut. His first NHL game, in which he scored the game-winning goal against the Arizona Coyotes, marked a notable start that tied franchise history. Ritchie's ability to produce in the AHL, including a four-goal game that set a Texas Stars franchise record, and his role in the 2014 Calder Cup run—where he scored key goals in elimination games—demonstrate his offensive capabilities. His time with the Dallas Stars included playing on lines with top forwards like Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, though injuries and reassignments limited his consistency. Ritchie's career reflects the challenges of transitioning from the AHL to the NHL, with multiple recalls and assignments, and his eventual move to the Slovak Extraliga marks a later phase of his professional career. His legacy is tied to his brief but memorable NHL debut and his contributions to Texas's championship.
Did You Know?
- Ritchie missed the 2011 CHL Top Prospects Game due to mononucleosis.
- He scored the game-winning goal in his NHL debut on January 1, 2015, against the Arizona Coyotes.
- He scored the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the 2014 Western Conference Finals to advance the Texas Stars to the Calder Cup Finals.
More in Arizona Coyotes Players 1-24
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