ECHL Alum Ryder Is Finalist For NHL Rookie Award
Published on April 22, 2004 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. â The National Hockey League has announced that Montreal
right wing Michael Ryder, who played in the ECHL with both Mississippi and
Tallahassee, has been selected as a finalist for the Calder Memorial
Trophy, awarded annually "to the player selected as the most proficient in
his first year of competition in the National Hockey League", as selected
by the Professional Hockey Writers' Association.
Joining Ryder as finalists are New York Islanders forward Trent Hunter and
Boston Bruins goaltender Andrew Raycroft. All voting is conducted at the
conclusion of the regular season and the results are tabulated by the
accounting firm Ernst & Young. The winners will be announced Thursday, June
10 during the 2004 NHL Awards Television Special in Toronto. The Awards
show will be broadcast nationally in Canada on CBC and in the United States
on ESPN2 from 8:30 - 10 p.m., ET.
Ryder made his NHL debut on October 9 and he led NHL rookies with 63 points
and 38 assists and had 10 power-play goals and a plus-minus rating of +10.
The 6-1 and 195-pound Ryder began his professional career in 2000-01
scoring nine points (4g-5a) in five regular season games with Tallahassee
of the ECHL and 15 points (6g-9a) in 61 regular season games with Quebec of
the American Hockey League. The 24-year-old Ryder returned to the ECHL in
2001-02 and scored 27 points (14g-13a) in 20 games with Mississippi.
Selected in the eighth round (216th overall) by Montreal in the 1998 NHL
Entry Draft, Ryder was selected to the 2002 ECHL All-Star Game, but was
unable to participate after being called up to Quebec of the AHL where he
scored 28 points (11g-17a) in 50 regular season games and one point (0g-1a)
in three playoff games.
There were 108 ECHL players that played in the NHL in 2003-04, including 31 goaltenders, and there were 11 players, including eight goaltenders, who appeared in both the ECHL and the NHL in 2003-04. There have been 255 ECHL players that have played in the NHL, including a record 40 in 2003-04 that made their first NHL appearance after playing in the ECHL.
ECHL Stories from April 22, 2004
- Rivermen Ousted from the Playoffs 3-1 in Game Four of the Northern Division Finals - Peoria Rivermen
- Blades Sweep Stingrays With 8-2 Win, Advance to Eastern Conference Finals - Florida Everblades
- ECHL Alum Ryder Is Finalist For NHL Rookie Award - ECHL
- Ice Dogs Name Malcolm Cameron 4th Head Coach In Team History - Long Beach Ice Dogs
- Ryder Is Finalist For NHL's Calder Trophy - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Today In The ECHL - ECHL
- Steelheads win Pacific Division title - Idaho Steelheads
- Aces suffer bitter 3-2 defeat - Alaska Aces
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