Former Top-10 Pick Hits Rock Bottom as Team Refuses to Re-Sign Him

A former top 10 NHL draft pick has found himself on the unemployment line once again, and it seems it may be the end of his professional career. The player in question was released from another team earlier this season.

Nick Ritchie signed in the Finnish Elite League for the 2023-24 season, his first time playing outside the NHL system since 2015-16. He was dropped from his contract with Karpat following a an incident in late December of 2023 where he forced a player to the ice and repeatedly hit him in the back of the head after losing a puck battle in the corner.

Ritchie was then signed by the Iserlohn Roosters of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany. The season just ended for the Roosters, with the team finishing in 13th place overall and failing to make the playoffs. Head coach Doug Shedden has since announced that Ritchie, as well as a few other players, won't be back next season.

Ritchie played a total of 8 games with the Roosters, scoring 1 goals, 2 points and was a minus-4. Where his career takes him next is anyone's guess, although it's doubtful his phone will be ringing off the hook.

Ritchie was drafted 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014. After several seasons in California, he was traded to the Boston Bruins in 2020. After parts of two seasons there, Ritchie signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent in 2021. He was expected to replace Zach Hyman, who had been lost in free agency, as a gritty and aggressive winger playing on the top line with star Austin Matthews. It didn't work out.

Ritchie then found himself part of a trade sending him to the Arizona Coyotes. In 2023, after a bit of a resurgence in the desert, Ritchie was traded to the Calgary Flames. That was the last NHL teams he played for, signing with Karpat in November.

Ritchie has played a total of 481 regular season games in the NHL, collecting 84 goals, 186 points, and 483 PIM.

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