Michael Ryder
Newfoundland-born right winger won Stanley Cup with Bruins in 2011.
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Michael Ryder, a right winger from Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils. He helped the Bruins capture the Stanley Cup in 2011, scoring eight goals in that year’s playoffs—Boston’s first championship since 1972.
Early life
Born on March 31, 1980, to Wayne and Debbie Ryder, he grew up with his younger brother Daniel, who also played hockey. Ryder began his junior career with the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL. The Canadiens selected him in the eighth round, 216th overall, of the 1998 NHL draft. He later hired agent Thayne Campbell before signing with Montreal.
Montreal Canadiens
On May 30, 2003, Ryder ended the longest game in AHL history with a winning goal at 14:56 of the fourth overtime, giving the Hamilton Bulldogs a 2–1 victory over the Houston Aeros in Game 2 of the Calder Cup Finals. In the 2003–04 NHL season, he played in the YoungStars Game, was named NHL Rookie of the Month for February 2004, and led all rookies in goals, points, power-play points, and shots. During the 2004–05 lockout, he played for Leksands IF in Sweden’s second division. After the lockout, he posted back-to-back 30-goal seasons.
On April 7, 2007, Ryder scored a natural hat trick in the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs, erasing a 3–1 deficit in a game that decided the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. The Canadiens still lost 6–5. On February 19, 2008, he scored two goals and added an assist in a 6–5 comeback win over the New York Rangers after Montreal trailed 5–0—the only time in the team’s 99-year history they won from that deficit. His would-be hat trick goal was later credited to teammate Mark Streit.
Boston Bruins
Ryder’s contract expired on June 30, 2008, and the Canadiens did not re-sign him after he posted career lows of 14 goals and 31 points, playing in only four of Montreal’s 12 playoff games. On July 1, 2008, he signed a three-year, $4 million-per-season deal with the Boston Bruins, reuniting with former coach Claude Julien.
He scored his first Bruins goal—his 100th career goal—in a 5–4 season-opening win over the Colorado Avalanche on October 9, 2008. That season, he scored 27 goals as Boston finished first in the Eastern Conference. In the first round, he scored four goals as the Bruins swept his former team, the Canadiens.
Lore & Background
Ryder was born in Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, to parents Wayne and Debbie Ryder, and grew up alongside his younger brother Daniel, who also played ice hockey. He played junior hockey for the Hull Olympiques of the QMJHL before being drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL entry draft, 8th round, 216th overall. He hired hockey agent Thayne Campbell before signing with Montreal.
During the 2003–04 NHL season, Ryder played in the NHL YoungStars Game and was named NHL Rookie of the Month for February 2004, finishing the season leading all rookies in points, powerplay points, shots, and goals. After the 2004–05 lockout, he reached 30 goals in back-to-back seasons. On April 7, 2007, he scored a natural hat-trick in the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs when the Canadiens were down 3–1, though Montreal eventually lost 6–5. On February 19, 2008, Ryder scored two goals and added an assist in a 6–5 win after the Canadiens trailed 5–0; he was initially credited with a hat trick, but his last goal was later changed as it was determined his shot went off teammate Mark Streit's leg.
Ryder signed with the Boston Bruins on July 1, 2008, for three years at approximately $4 million per season. He scored his first goal as a Bruin in the season opener, which was also his 100th career goal. In the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he scored the game-winning goal in overtime of game four against the Canadiens and made a glove save that was later highlighted by Bruins staff as crucial to the Cup run. He won the Stanley Cup on June 15, 2011, becoming the second native of Newfoundland and Labrador to do so.
Reader's Guide
Michael Ryder's significance lies in his status as the most successful NHL player ever born in Newfoundland and Labrador, holding provincial records with 237 goals and 484 points. His career spanned 12 seasons across four NHL teams, with his most notable achievement being a key contributor to the Boston Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup championship, scoring eight goals in the playoffs. Ryder's tenure with the New Jersey Devils began on July 5, 2013, with a two-year, $7 million contract; due to the Devils' policy under Lou Lamoriello of numbers above 40 being prohibited, he switched from wearing sweater 73 to 17. He started the 2013–14 season strongly with 16 goals but struggled in the second half, scoring only 2 goals after January 11, 2014.
On January 16, 2015, he played his 800th NHL game. Ryder was inducted into Hockey NL's Hall of Fame on June 10, 2017. His legacy includes being part of the longest game in American Hockey League history on May 30, 2003, when he scored the winning goal at 14:56 of the fourth overtime period for the Hamilton Bulldogs in the Calder Cup Finals.
Career statistics and honours
Medals
- Bronze 2000 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1996–97 | Tri-Pen Osprey AAA | Midget | 23 | 31 | 17 | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1997–98 | Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 69 | 34 | 28 | 62 | 41 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 4 |
| 1998–99 | Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 69 | 44 | 43 | 87 | 65 | 23 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 39 |
| 1999–00 | Hull Olympiques | QMJHL | 63 | 50 | 58 | 108 | 50 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 28 |
| 2000–01 | Tallahassee Tiger Sharks | ECHL | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2000–01 | Quebec Citadelles | AHL | 61 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Mississippi Sea Wolves | ECHL | 20 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2001–02 | Quebec Citadelles | AHL | 50 | 11 | 17 | 28 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2002–03 | Hamilton Bulldogs | AHL | 69 | 34 | 33 | 67 | 43 | 23 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 8 |
| 2003–04 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 81 | 25 | 38 | 63 | 26 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2004–05 | Leksands IF | SWE.2 | 32 | 27 | 21 | 48 | 32 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 81 | 30 | 25 | 55 | 40 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 82 | 30 | 28 | 58 | 60 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2007–08 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 70 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2008–09 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 74 | 27 | 26 | 53 | 26 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 |
| 2009–10 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 82 | 18 | 15 | 33 | 35 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 2010–11 | Boston Bruins | NHL | 79 | 18 | 23 | 41 | 26 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 8 |
| 2011–12 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 82 | 35 | 27 | 62 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Dallas Stars | NHL | 19 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2012–13 | Montreal Canadiens | NHL | 27 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 2013–14 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 18 | 16 | 34 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2014–15 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 47 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 30 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | 806 | 237 | 247 | 484 | 353 | 75 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 26 | ||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Canada | WJC | Bronze | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Junior totals | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |||
Tables copied from the source article, totals included as the source gives them: Wikipedia: Michael Ryder (CC BY-SA 4.0). Wide tables scroll sideways.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Michael Ryder (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Statistics, medals and awards: the tables of the source article.
- Word definitions: the Codexery glossary, each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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