Raiders forward Ryder Ritchie is the East Division's Rookie of the Year. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Ritchie Rookie of Year

Raiders’ rookie Ritchie named East Division Rookie of the Year

Apr 6, 2023 | 3:00 PM

In a rookie season that saw him write his name next to some all-time greats in the Prince Albert Raiders’ record book, Ryder Ritchie was one of the best stories of the season for a young, up-and-coming squad with plenty of stories to tell. That story is now getting attention and recognition from the WHL.

Ritchie was named the East Division’s Rookie of the Year for 2022-23. As such, he’s one of four finalists for the Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy for league wide rookie of the year.

While his rookie season started out impressively enough, it was in the second half where Ritchie truly took off. With 37 points in 34 games from January 1 to the end of the regular season, he finished with an impressive total of 55 points in just 61 games played.

Ritchie’s 20 goals and 55 points were all the more impressive considering he was 16 years old from the start of the season right through to the end. The last time a 16-year-old Raider had a more productive season than Ritchie was the 1988-89 season when Jeff Nelson put up 87 points. Ritchie’s season was more offensively productive than those of players like Ozzy Wiesblatt and Scott Hartnell at the same age.

Away from the Raiders, Ritchie represented Canada at the World-U17 challenge. In six games for Canada White, Ritchie tied for the team lead with four goals.

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Choosing a top rookie from the East Division wouldn’t have been easy. Ritchie’s competition in that department included Regina Pats sniper Alexander Suzdalev, who posted 86 points in 66 games. But Suzdalev, born in 2004, is two years older than Ritchie and played junior in Sweden for two full seasons prior to joining the Pats.

Other nominees include Berkly Catton of the Spokane Chiefs (who was the first overall pick in the 2021 prospects draft and tied with Ritchie’s 55 points in two more games played), Cayden Lindstrom of the Medicine Hat Tigers, and Samuel Honzek of the Vancouver Giants. Honzek is born in 2004, while Lindstrom and Catton are 2006-born skaters.

The WHL will announce the winner of Jim Piggot Memorial Trophy on May 9. Other WHL award winners will be announced from May 2 to 10.

Ritchie was the Raiders second of two first-round selections, 14^th overall, in the 2021 prospects draft. He will not turn 17 until August 3.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP