Byron Ritchie
Encyclopedia
Byron Ritchie is a Canadian
professional ice hockey
forward
playing for Modo Hockey
of the Swedish
Elitserien
.
in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft
. His rights transferred to the Carolina Hurricanes
when the Whalers franchise relocated in 1997. On December 21, 1998, Ritchie made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes against the Buffalo Sabres
. On January 16, 2002, he was traded to the Florida Panthers
with Sandis Ozolinsh
for Bret Hedican
, Tomas Malec
, Kevyn Adams
and a conditional 2nd round selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
. On July 4, 2004, he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Calgary Flames. On July 2, 2007, Ritchie signed with the Vancouver Canucks, where he played for one season.
After the Canucks chose not to re-sign him, he signed as a free agent to play in Europe for Geneve-Servette HC
of the NLA and signed a one-year contract. After a very good season in Switzerland during which he earned 60 points and took the 5th place of the overall top-scorer rankings, Ritchie, again a free agent, decided to sign with the Dinamo Minsk of the Russian KHL
. In the 2009–10 season, Bryon was hampered by injury and played in just 12 games posting 3 goals for Minsk.
On June 14, 2010, Ritchie remained in Europe and signed a one-year contract to return to Sweden with Modo of the SEL.
Byron is now playing in the Elite League in Berne, Switzerland.(2011)
refereed by a Francophone from Quebec he was caught by an RDS (the French version of TSN
) camera yelling: "Fuck you, you fucking Frogs! Fuck them all!"" He apologized the next day at practice stating "Whether the camera was on me or not doesn't make it right." For the remainder of the tournament, he was booed mercilessly by the fans in Hull, Quebec
, where the tournament was taking place.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward
Forward (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a forward is a player position on the ice whose primary responsibility is to score goals. Generally, the forwards try to stay in three different lanes, also known as thirds, of the ice going from goal to goal. It is not mandatory however, to stay in a lane. Staying in a lane aids in...
playing for Modo Hockey
MODO Hockey
Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006...
of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Elitserien
Elitserien
Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden...
.
Playing career
Ritchie was drafted in the 7th round (165th overall) by the Hartford WhalersHartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft
1995 NHL Entry Draft
The 1995 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Edmonton Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta. The drafting order was now set partially by a lottery system whereby teams would not be guaranteed first pick if they finished last. Instead, a draft lottery was instituted in which the winner of the lottery could move...
. His rights transferred to the Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
when the Whalers franchise relocated in 1997. On December 21, 1998, Ritchie made his NHL debut with the Hurricanes against the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. On January 16, 2002, he was traded to the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
with Sandis Ozolinsh
Sandis Ozolinsh
Sandis Ozoliņš , commonly known as Sandis Ozolinsh in North America, is a Latvian ice hockey player and captain of Dinamo Riga in the Kontinental Hockey League. During his career in North America, Ozoliņš was a seven-time NHL All-Star, Stanley Cup champion, and Norris Trophy finalist...
for Bret Hedican
Bret Hedican
Bret Michael Hedican is a retired American professional ice hockey player and a two-time US Olympian.-Playing career:Hedican was drafted 198th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. A product of St. Cloud State University, Hedican made his NHL debut in the 1991–92 season with...
, Tomas Malec
Tomas Malec
Tomáš Malec is a Slovakian professional ice hockey player. Malec plays for HC Oceláři Třinec in the Czech Republic.-Playing career:...
, Kevyn Adams
Kevyn Adams
Kevyn W. Adams is a retired professional ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Phoenix Coyotes and the Chicago Blackhawks, and is currently the Associate Coach for the Buffalo Sabres...
and a conditional 2nd round selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft
2003 NHL Entry Draft
The 2003 NHL Entry Draft was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21, 2003.Marc-Andre Fleury was selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, only the third goalie in NHL history selected as the first overall draft choice...
. On July 4, 2004, he was signed as an unrestricted free agent by the Calgary Flames. On July 2, 2007, Ritchie signed with the Vancouver Canucks, where he played for one season.
After the Canucks chose not to re-sign him, he signed as a free agent to play in Europe for Geneve-Servette HC
Genève-Servette HC
Genève-Servette HC, is a professional ice hockey team based in Geneva, Switzerland and compete in National League A.-History:* 1905 : Foundation of Servette FC's ice hockey section....
of the NLA and signed a one-year contract. After a very good season in Switzerland during which he earned 60 points and took the 5th place of the overall top-scorer rankings, Ritchie, again a free agent, decided to sign with the Dinamo Minsk of the Russian KHL
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League is an international professional ice hockey league in Eurasia founded in 2008. As of 2009, it is ranked as the strongest hockey league in Europe....
. In the 2009–10 season, Bryon was hampered by injury and played in just 12 games posting 3 goals for Minsk.
On June 14, 2010, Ritchie remained in Europe and signed a one-year contract to return to Sweden with Modo of the SEL.
Byron is now playing in the Elite League in Berne, Switzerland.(2011)
Awards
- Named to the WHLWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
- East Second All-Star Team in 1996 - Named to the WHLWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
- East Second All-Star Team in 1997 - Named the American Hockey LeagueAmerican Hockey LeagueThe American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
Player of the Week on October 29, 2001
Records
- Set Lowell Lock Monsters franchise record for points in a game with 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) on October 26, 2001 against the Portland PiratesPortland PiratesThe Portland Pirates is a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They are the top affiliate of the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League. They play in the Cumberland County Civic Center in downtown Portland, Maine. The franchise was previously known as the...
Controversial remarks
On Tuesday May 13, 1997 after a game in the Memorial CupMemorial Cup
The Memorial Cup is a junior ice hockey club championship trophy awarded annually to the Canadian Hockey League champion. It is awarded following a four-team, round robin tournament between a host team and the champions of the CHL's three member leagues: the Ontario Hockey League , Quebec Major...
refereed by a Francophone from Quebec he was caught by an RDS (the French version of TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
) camera yelling: "Fuck you, you fucking Frogs! Fuck them all!"" He apologized the next day at practice stating "Whether the camera was on me or not doesn't make it right." For the remainder of the tournament, he was booed mercilessly by the fans in Hull, Quebec
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
, where the tournament was taking place.
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1993–94 | Lethbridge Hurricanes Lethbridge Hurricanes The Lethbridge Hurricanes are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Conference of the Western Hockey League in Lethbridge, Alberta. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centre.-History:... |
WHL Western Hockey League The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada... |
44 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | ||
| 1994–95 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 58 | 22 | 28 | 50 | 132 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1995–96 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 66 | 55 | 51 | 106 | 163 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| 1995–96 1995–96 AHL season The 1995–96 AHL season was the 60th season of the American Hockey League. The AHL expands by two teams and realigns into two conferences, and four divisions. The Northern Conference includes the North and Atlantic Divisions... |
Springfield Falcons Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center and are the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The Falcons' two main rivals are the Connecticut Whale and the... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Lethbridge Hurricanes | WHL | 63 | 50 | 76 | 126 | 115 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 28 | ||
| 1997–98 1997–98 AHL season The 1997–98 AHL season was the 62nd season of the American Hockey League. The AHL shifts teams in their divisions, and the Canadian division reverts to being named Atlantic division. The Northern conference is renamed the Eastern conference, and the Southern conference renamed the Western... |
New-Haven Beast | AHL | 65 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 97 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 | Carolina Hurricanes Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1998–99 1998–99 AHL season The 1998–99 AHL season was the 63rd season of the American Hockey League. Nineteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Providence Bruins finished first overall in the regular season, and won their first Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:... |
New-Haven Beast | AHL | 66 | 24 | 33 | 57 | 139 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999–00 | Cincinnati Cyclones Cincinnati Cyclones The Cincinnati Cyclones are a professional hockey team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. The team is a member of the ECHL. Founded in 1990, the team first played their games in the Cincinnati Gardens and now play at U.S. Bank Arena.... |
IHL | 34 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 81 | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 32 | ||
| 1999–00 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 26 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2000–01 | Cincinnati Cyclones | IHL | 77 | 31 | 35 | 66 | 166 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 | ||
| 2001–02 | Carolina Hurricanes | NHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 2001–02 AHL season The 2001–02 AHL season was the 66th season of the American Hockey League. It was the season of the biggest growth in the AHL's history, as it accepted eight new teams. The demise of the International Hockey League brought six teams transferring from the defunct league, in addition to two expansion... |
Lowell Lock Monsters | AHL | 43 | 25 | 30 | 55 | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2001–02 | Florida Panthers Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the... |
NHL | 31 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2002–03 2002–03 AHL season The 2002–03 AHL season was the 67th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hamilton Bulldogs finished first overall in the regular season... |
San Antonio Rampage San Antonio Rampage The San Antonio Rampage are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. They are the top affiliate of the Florida Panthers of the NHL. Their home arena is the AT&T Center.-History:... |
AHL | 26 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 68 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 30 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2003–04 | Florida Panthers | NHL | 50 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2004–05 | Rögle BK Rögle BK Rögle Bandyklubb is a Swedish professional ice hockey club. They currently play in HockeyAllsvenskan, the second highest league in Sweden. The team has previously played four seasons in Elitserien between 1992–93 and 1995–96 and between 2008–09 and 2009–10.... |
Swe-1 Allsvenskan (hockey) HockeyAllsvenskan, before the 2005–06 season called Allsvenskan and SuperAllsvenskan, is the name of the second highest-level Swedish ice hockey league... |
30 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2005–06 | Calgary Flames Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the... |
NHL | 45 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 69 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Calgary Flames | NHL | 64 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 68 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08 | Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,... |
NHL | 71 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2008–09 | Geneve-Servette HC Genève-Servette HC Genève-Servette HC, is a professional ice hockey team based in Geneva, Switzerland and compete in National League A.-History:* 1905 : Foundation of Servette FC's ice hockey section.... |
NLA | 45 | 22 | 38 | 60 | 64 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2009–10 | Dinamo Minsk | KHL | 12 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010–11 2010–11 Elitserien season - HV71 vs. AIK:- Färjestads BK vs. Brynäs IF:- Skellefteå AIK vs. Linköpings HC:- Luleå HF vs. Djurgårdens IF:*Note: Game 6 was played in the Ericsson Globe.- Färjestads BK vs. AIK:... |
Modo Hockey MODO Hockey Modo Hockey is a professional ice hockey club in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden. The club plays in Sweden's premier ice hockey league, the Elitserien. They were founded in 1921 and have won two Elitserien championships; in 1979 and 2007. The team's home arena is the Fjällräven Center since 2006... |
SEL Elitserien Elitserien, is a professional ice hockey league composed of twelve teams in Sweden... |
53 | 23 | 21 | 44 | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 324 | 25 | 33 | 58 | 373 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | ||||