Right Wing
6’0/174
Right
Prince Albert Raiders/WHL
Related: Cayden Lindstrom
Last year’s OHL Rookie of the Year, Ryder Ritchie of the Prince Albert Raiders, has grown a few more inches to almost six foot and this should aid him as he played bigger than he was last year. Ryder Ritchie tallied 20 goals and 55 points in 61 games in the 2022-23 season. His 2023-24 campaign got off to a great start at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup when he recorded 3 goals and 9 points in 5 games to help Canada win the Gold Medal and is currently at a point-per-game
pace so far this season. Ritchie comes from a hockey family; his father is former NHLer Byron Ritchie, and his Uncle is Andreas Johnsson, a former NHL player as well. Ryder plays with an edge to his game, is an elusive skater, and can score from a distance with his quick shot. He is a natural scorer who is a natural sniper and underrated as a cerebral playmaker, as well as a slippery puck handler who can weave through traffic easily to find open teammates. Make no mistake about it, Ryder Ritchie is a game-breaker, who doesn’t need a lot of chances to light the lamp. Ryder Ritchie has the potential to be a top-6 playmaking Winger at the NHL level and should be a top-10 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Size/Strength Average
Skating Great
Shot/Scoring Good
Puckhandling Great
Physical Play Great
Offensive Play Great
Defensive Play Good
Hockey Sense Good
Competitiveness Excellent
Strengths
1. Ritchie has very quick feet and hands with excellent puckhandling posture, making him an excellent puck carrier.
2. Ritchie’s a shifty playmaking winger who can make highlight-reel skill plays with the puck. His puck protection skills are extremely good.
3. Effective positionally-focused player, using great puck spacing and support in all three zones and prioritizing strong body positioning before establishing puck possession.
Areas of Improvement
1. The next steps for Ritchie will be improving his standstill explosiveness and checking lanes (which hinders his ability to win puck battles) and adding more layers of deception to his playmaking.
2. Ritchie has a good read of where his options are but too often telegraphs his intentions, making many of his passes unnecessarily risky.
Scouting Report
Ryder Ritchie looks to be the third WHL player off the board this year. Ryder has been playing for the Prince Albert Raiders since he joined the WHL in 2022, and has since been a reliable source of offensive production; he has 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points in 25 games, scoring at a point-per-game pace, so far this season. Ritchie has very quick feet and hands with excellent puckhandling posture, making him an excellent puck carrier. When given time and space to attack downhill, Ritchie thrives using those hands to find the middle of the ice for high-quality chances. Ritchie is also an effective positionally-focused player, using great puck spacing and support in all three zones and prioritizing strong body positioning before establishing puck possession. Ritchie had an impact on every shift from puck drop until the final whistle through his tenacious work ethic and forechecking ability. He was never disengaged and never stopped moving somewhere meaningful, even when the game’s score got out of hand. Ritchie is also incredibly quick and a beautiful skater. His stride is smooth and strong and he generates a lot of power from his inside edges which allowed him in this game to circle the offensive zone with ease while waiting for a shooting opportunity. Once that shooting opportunity presented itself, Ritchie released the puck quickly with speed and accuracy. Ritchie stood out at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup for a loaded team Canada, full of 2024 Draft prospects, finished the tournament with 3 goals and 9 points in 5 games. The next steps for Ritchie will be improving his standstill explosiveness and checking lanes and adding more layers of deception to his playmaking. Ritchie has a good read of where his options are but makes many of his passes unnecessarily risky. If Ritchie can improve in these areas and continue to develop, he could challenge Catton and Lindstrom for a top WHL draft-eligible. The NHL Comparable for Ryder Ritchie is a Travis Konecny/Lucas Raymond Hybrid; he has the elite puck skills and playmaking ability of Lucas Raymond, as well as the three-zone play and the puck pursuit of Travis Konecny. Ritchie is certainly a first-round pick in 2024 for me at this point, and I could see him rising quite high on my board if he showcases a more dynamic offensive game. He projects to be an incredibly versatile player at the NHL level; a player who can play power play, penalty kill, be a top-six complimentary scorer, and could be moved up and down the lineup, if need be.
Skill: Ritchie is a skilled and shifty playmaking winger, with excellent puck skills and an excellent shot
NHL Comparable: Travis Konecny/Lucas Raymond
NHL Potential: Top 6 Playmaking Winger
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | PTS |
| 2022-23 | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 61 | 20 | 55 |
| 2023-24 | Canada U18 | Hlinka Gretzky Cup | 5 | 3 | 9 |
| Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | 25 | 12 | 25 |
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