Iced Up Youngsters: Bobby Ryan

Bobby Ryan brings some old school toughness out to the West Coast and the Anaheim Ducks. He’s not a thug though, as he can definitely put the biscuit in the basket.

Career Stats (Game – Goals – Assists)

2007-2008: 23 – 5 -5

2008-2009: 64 – 31 – 26

2009-2010: 81 – 35 – 29

He’s not exactly a top notch playmaker, but you can rely on him to score some big goals. In his lone playoff appearance, he chipped in 5 goals and 2 assists in 13 games.

Profile: Ryan had a pretty accomplished resume before he hit the NHL. In 2006, the Jersey boy was part of the USA team that finished 4th in the World Junior Championships. The Owen Sound Attackof the OHL convinced him to play major junior in Canada after he’d committed to the US National U-18 program. Turned into a pretty good career move for him, as he significantly improved throughout his 4 seasons there. He went from 22 goals and 39 points in his first season, to 43 goals and 102 points in his final season. The Ducksdrafted him in 2005, after his first 2 OHL seasons. When he’d finally finished up in the OHL, Anaheim assigned him to the AHL for the final 8 games of the 2007-2008 season. He was impressive, netting 3 goals to go along with 6 assists. The following season, he was at a point per game pace through 48 games when it became clear that he was ready for the NHL. As you can see in the stats above, he has become a solid NHL player. He was the first rookie in Ducks history to get a hat trick, and he set a franchise record for points by a rookie. He was name a finalist for the Calder Trophy. Also, in the 2010 Winter Olympics, he once again wore red, white and blue for the team that lost the gold medal to Team Canada.

What makes him special?: Oh man, where do I begin with this guy. First, as you’ll see in the highlights below, he can score a few different ways. He’s got a tricky shot and some solid accuracy. That alone is enough to light the lamp quite a few times. Unfortunately for opposing goalies, he’s got some sick stick handlingability as well. If he decides to cut or dangle, good luck taking the puck away. He’s fairly tall (6’2″), but plays lower to the ground, making his center of gravity low, which of course makes him hard to knock off of the puck. It’s a good trait to have for a guy the plays on the edge, who goes into corners, and likes throwing his weight around. He’s a bit of a pest, throwing a late shove here and there to get under people’s skin. They become more concerned with rendering him unconscious, rather than trying to win hockey games. And while doing all of this, he doesn’t sit in the penalty box thatoften. On a team that’s always near the top in fighting majors, he’s also not too shy to fight his own battle. He’s the perfect mix of skill and toughness than every GM dreams of.

Hate Factor: Pretty damn high actually. Talk to any fans of teams he plays against on a regular basis, and they pretty much hate him. He gets away with some late hits, and a few punches from time to time. It’s all a part of his game, but it’s annoying is shit to anyone he faces.

Jersey Worthy: He’s a great player to cheer for, but I’m not sure how much longer he’ll be a Duck. There were rumors this summer that the Flyers wanted him, and I’m sure other teams as well. He might turn into a Bill Guerin type gun for hire, that floats to different teams every few years, bringing a mean stream and consistent offensive ability to whoever wants him. He strongly wants to remain in Anaheim, but is in the midst of a contract negotiation that’s gone nowhere. If he does sign, go ahead and buy the jersey.

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