The Next Ones – Brett Ritchie
Article by Brendan Ross, The Hockey Writers
Brett Ritchie
Date of Birth: July 1, 1993
Place of Birth: Orangeville, Ontario, Canada
Ht: 6-3 Wt: 210
Shoots: Right
Position: Right Wing
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2011
The Orangeville native had expectations set extremely high entering the 2010-11 OHL season as most people predicted a break-out season for the budding power forward. Unfortunately, Ritchie struggled to gain consistency in his game as he experienced several interruptions throughout the season. Ritchie missed a month of OHL action because of a bout with mononucleosis and his absence occurred at one of the worst times as Ritchie was forced to miss the CHL Top Prospects game. Before the unexpected illness came about, Ritchie was on pace to score 30-plus goals which is what scouts were hoping for entering the season.
Like most young power forwards, Ritchie will need to learn to utilize his size and engage himself physically to dominate the opposition and reach his full potential. The large winger added about 15-20 pounds of muscle last summer and it was noticeable during puck battles along the half-boards. His skating stride is sufficient and he could stand to improve his first couple of steps but once Ritchie gets moving he has good speed and is difficult to contain. Ritchie has all of the attributes professional scouts like in a power forward with the size, shot, soft hands and a strong skating stride to work in the dirty areas of the rink. The biggest attraction with Ritchie is his ability to absolutely dominate along the boards and in the corners and if he is fully engaged physically, he is a tank to move.
