Ritchie grateful to be drafted by Wild, determined to prove teams that passed on him wrong
Let the chips fall where they may. A saying when, in Las Vegas, might seem a little ironic. A couple of chips, however, fell right onto the shoulders of Ryder Ritchie after Friday and Saturday’s NHL Draft from the Sphere.
The Prince Albert Raider winger, who many analysts had projected to be a late first round pick, didn’t hear his name called by an NHL club until midway through the second round. The team that hit the jackpot: the Minnesota Wild.
“It was an awesome moment,” Ritchie said. “Getting to go to Minnesota, it’s the hockey state for a reason, and they have such a great organization. Getting to meet all their scouting staff, the general manager, and the development people that work for them was unreal. They’re great people and such a first class organization. Getting to be there with my billets and my family was awesome. It was a lot of fun and something I’ll cherish forever.”
While he praises the Wild organization and the opportunity to be drafted by such a recognized hockey club, the thought of 32 picks going by in the first round without his name next to one of them left a sour taste in his mouth. Whether it’s his competitive edge or just sheer confidence in his abilities, he wasn’t shy to voice his opinion on being passed on during the opening night of the draft.
“The draft, day one was really stressful. I thought I was going to go, to be honest, but everything happens for a reason. I’m pumped I got to go to Minnesota, a place that wants me, and I’m looking forward to proving all the teams that passed on me wrong.
Coming on the heels of a WHL Rookie of the Year season in 2022-23, Ritchie was sidelined for two months of his sophomore campaign. Still, in 47 regular season games, the Kelowna, BC product was able to produce at nearly a point per game clip, scoring 44 points (19G-25A) in 47 contests. He took his game to another level in the playoffs, leading the Raiders in scoring with seven points in five games. One his season in Prince Albert came to an end, he jumped on a plane to Finland to represent Team Canada at the U18 World Hockey Championship, where he notched eight points on his way to winning a gold medal.
Still, his postseason surge and international play didn’t seem to garner the first round interest from NHL clubs, ultimately seeing his draft stock dip into the second round. It’s something Ritchie hopes he can make those clubs regret, and he believes his game will be able to speak for itself.
“In my opinion I believe I should be a first rounder, and those other teams didn’t think so. I’m just pumped to be a part of the Wild organization, and it definitely lights a fire under my belly. I’m looking forward to having a big year and proving a lot of people wrong.”
When he wasn’t eagerly waiting for his name to be called, Ritchie had a little fun on the town, as much fun as a 17-year-old kid can have on the streets of Vegas. From attending a Bauer event to spending time with some of his 2024 draft class, his time in Vegas was one he will not be forgetting anytime soon.
“It was a fun trip. I got to Vegas on Wednesday and had a little Bauer event with a meet and greet dinner. On Thursday I had a meeting with an NHL team and later we went to Tiger Woods’ mini golf course with a couple of the guys, Berkly Catton from Spokane, Liam Greentree and a couple other guys. That was a lot of fun. On Friday we had an NHL breakfast where Gary Bettman gave us a speech and welcomed us into the NHL. I knew a lot of people there, so it was a good time. Just getting to meet new players was a lot of fun, and a moment I enjoyed.”
Once day two of the draft came around, it was only a matter of time before Ritchie would hear his name called. Once that pick was made, it was like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders, now that he knew he had a home.
“They announced the pick, and right after I went down and got my jersey and hat and I got to meet all the scouts and GM. They seemed really happy to have me, and to get me in the spot they got me.”
“I’m looking forward to it for sure,” he added about the chance at making a spot on the Wild roster in the future. “They have a lot of talent over there, guys like Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Faber. They have some big names in a big hockey market, and I’m really excited to keep working on my game and keep getting better and hopefully eventually earning my spot in the NHL. It would be awesome to be around some guys like that.”
