• HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • Site Index
  • NHL Salary Caps
  • Hockey 101: A Beginner’s Guide
  • Join Our Team
  • Free Newsletter
  • Store
  • Log in
The Hockey Writers
  • HOME
  • NHL Teams
    • North Division
      • Calgary Flames
      • Edmonton Oilers
      • Montreal Canadiens
      • Ottawa Senators
      • Toronto Maple Leafs
      • Vancouver Canucks
      • Winnipeg Jets
    • East Division
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
      • Washington Capitals
    • Central Division
      • Carolina Hurricanes
      • Chicago Blackhawks
      • Columbus Blue Jackets
      • Dallas Stars
      • Detroit Red Wings
      • Florida Panthers
      • Nashville Predators
      • Tampa Bay Lightning
    • West Division
      • Anaheim Ducks
      • Arizona Coyotes
      • Colorado Avalanche
      • Los Angeles Kings
      • Minnesota Wild
      • San Jose Sharks
      • Seattle Kraken
      • St. Louis Blues
      • Vegas Golden Knights
  • Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • NHL Prospects
  • World Juniors
  • Archives
  • Podcast Network
  • More…
    • CHL
      • Ontario Hockey League
      • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
      • Western Hockey League
    • Columns
    • Women’s Hockey
    • Other Leagues
    • NHL Entry Draft
    • Books
    • NHL History
Home
Uncategorized

The Next Ones – Brett Ritchie – NHL 2011 Draft Prospect Profile: Power Forward looking to Sting

By Brendan Ross May 24th, 2011

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Please “Click Here” for “Notes Up Front” and the “Legend” for various topics covered below in my “Live Updated” NHL 2011 Draft Preview article. 

 

Brett Ritchie

Date of Birth:  July 1, 1993

Place of Birth:  Orangeville, Ontario, Canada

Ht:  6-3  Wt:  210

Shoots:  Right

Position:  Right Wing

NHL Draft Eligibility:  2011

  

(Aaron Bell/CHL Images)

 

One-Timer:

The Orangeville native had expectations set extremely high entering the 2010-11 OHL season as most people predicted a break-out season for the budding power forward.  Unfortunately, Ritchie struggled to gain consistency in his game as he experienced several interruptions throughout the season.  Ritchie missed a month of OHL action because of a bout with mononucleosis and his absence occurred at one of the worst times as Ritchie was forced to miss the CHL Top Prospects game.  Before the unexpected illness came about, Ritchie was on pace to score 30-plus goals which is what scouts were hoping for entering the season. 

Like most young power forwards, Ritchie will need to learn to utilize his size and engage himself physically to dominate the opposition and reach his full potential.  The large winger added about 15-20 pounds of muscle last summer and it was noticeable during puck battles along the half-boards.  His skating stride is sufficient and he could stand to improve his first couple of steps but once Ritchie gets moving he has good speed and is difficult to contain.  Ritchie has all of the attributes professional scouts like in a power forward with the size, shot, soft hands and a strong skating stride to work in the dirty areas of the rink.  The biggest attraction with Ritchie is his ability to absolutely dominate along the boards and in the corners and if he is fully engaged physically  he is a tank to move.

Scouts would love to see Brett utilize his size on a more consistent basis and develop a bit of a mean streak as well especially after seeing some of the fights he has been involved in.  Ritchie possesses all of the qualities to become one of the bigger steals of the 2011 NHL Draft.  If  he puts in the work ethic to maximize his offensive skills then the kid has a lot to offer at the NHL level.  It is not too often that a player owns the size, hands, shot and puck protection skills like Ritchie that could possibly slip into the second round.  Brett admits that he likes to model his game after Anaheim’s Ryan Getzlaf (19th overall in 2003) and NHL teams would be thrilled if they selected a player who has the ability to dominate games physically similar to the Ducks’ star power forward.

Brett Ritchie is coming off an extremely successful World Under-18 Championship Tournament last month and after a disappointing season he is trending in the right direction. Ritchie notched 7 points in 7 games and was fantastic during the USA-Canada Semi-final game scoring two goals and an assist in the 4-3 overtime loss.  Internationally, Ritchie has a lot of experience and seems to always step it up a notch in big games.  Ritchie was also an instrumental player in his Canada winning the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Tournament. 

Next season, Ritchie will return to the Sarnia Sting to join his emerging superstar teammates Nail Yakupov and Alex Galchenyuk and he will be looking to prove that last season was an anomaly and not the norm.   If history dictates anything, NHL scouts have a soft spot for drafting power forwards and Brett Ritchie is one of the better ones available in this draft class.  It is quite possible that Ritchie could “sting” a few teams if they decide to let him slide too far.

Top Prospects Game:  Ritchie was forced to miss the 2011 Top Prospects game as he battled with mononucleosis. 

 

Statistics: 

  

 

 

Scout’s Honour:

– Briuns  2011 Draft Watch’s Kirk Luedeke

“Big power forward prospect didn’t take the steps NHL scouts were hoping for, but is an intriguing project player because he does have a good deal of potential given his impressive size and good stick. He battled a slow start and a bout of mononucleosis in January, which forced him through a middle stretch of being less than 100 percent. Like many big men, his first step is sluggish and he doesn’t have quick turning ability or lateral agility in abundance. Once he gets going, his speed is fine enough, and with his size, he can be a load to contain. Ritchie is pretty strong on his skates, and like most power forwards, is a horse along the wall and down low. He protects the puck well and bulls his way to the net when he’s on his game. When not firing on all cylinders, Ritchie is out on the perimeter and not using his natural size and strength to grind it out and wear down defenses. The 6-3, 200-pounder scored 21 goals and 41 points in 49 games with the Sting this season. He’s not a huge thumper, but does use his body effectively enough to create some space for himself and his linemates. There’s a lot of raw untapped potential with Ritchie and our guess is that NHL clubs are hoping he slides in the draft to where he can be a steal.”

– Independent Scout Dan Sallows

“The first round pick (12th overall), in last years OHL Priority Selection, is a prototypical power forward. Which was perfect for a Sting club that was looking to get bigger. He is a physical right-winger, who skates well, dominates the boards, competes hard, and has decent hands to boot. Last season, while playing with the Toronto Marlboros minor midget team, Ritchie put up 36 goals and 69 points to go along with 67 penalty minutes in 71 games.”

– Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards

“He’s a big man who skates well … he has deceptive speed,” Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards said. “He’ll protect the puck and fight through checks. I’ve seen him score a few goals while coming in off the wing and letting go a great wrist shot. He’s most effective when he plays a physical game and is battling hard in front. He’s scored some goals by banging in rebounds in the low slot.”

– HockeyProspect.com’s 2011 NHL Draft Guide

 

Bio/Interview(s)/Link(s):

NHL.com – Top 10 Right Wingers

DanSallows.com – Q and A with Sarnia Sting Power Forward Brett Ritchie 

 

International Tournaments:

2010 World U-17 Hockey Challenge

2010 Ivan Hlinka Tournament

2011 IIHF World U-18 Championships

 

ETA = 2-3 years

 

Risk-Reward Analysis:

Risk= 2.0-2.5/5  Reward = 3.5/5

 

NHL Potential:

Top-6 Scoring Winger

 

Strengths:

*See “One-Timer” section above

Puck Protection Skills

Professional Size

Hard, accurate wrist shot

 Fights (if needed)

Defensively responsible

Coachable

Intangibles

 

Flaws/Aspects He Needs To Work On:

Skating – Needs to improve first step and skating agility

Game-to-game consistency

Engaging himself physically more often


Fantasy Hockey Potential: 
Offensive = 7.5/10 Defensive = 7/10

NHL Player Comparison: 

At his best:

–         Ryan Getzlaf (lower upside) 

More likely to develop into: 

–         Ryane Clowe, Todd Bertuzzi 

Video(s):

–         Brett Ritchie squares off with Trevor Morbeck

 –         Ritchie scores first of 2010-11 season

 –         Brett Ritchie scores against Russia at World Under -18 (Bronze Medal Game)

 

Off The Iron (Interesting Notes):

–         Brett’s younger brother, Nicholas, was selected second overall by the OHL’s Peterborough Petes in the 2011 OHL Priority Selection Draft

–         Brett’s father, Paul Ritchie, played for the London Knights, Belleville Bulls and Guelph Platers of the Ontario Hockey League from 1980-1983 and was teammates with some great former NHLers – Kirk Muller, Marty McSorley, Basil McRae and Steve Smith.

 

Brendan Ross is THW’s Detroit Red Wings’ writer and also specializes in prospect and fantasy writings

  

THW’s The Next Ones prospect profile template design architect: Chris Ralph 

 

This document is the intellectual property of Brendan Ross and cannot be used or duplicated in any way without expressed written consent. Any use of this document without the expressed written consent of Brendan Ross will result in public exposure and legal prosecution.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp

Get theScore App Now!
Recent Posts
Jan 19th 5:15 PM
New York Rangers

Rangers News & Rumors: Essential Workers Night, DeAngelo, Trouba & More

Jan 19th 5:05 PM
Calgary Flames

Flames Should Add Forward Oliver Okuliar to Prospect Pool

Jan 19th 4:55 PM
Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens: 3 Takeaways from Week 1

Jan 19th 4:45 PM
Hockey History

Top 3 Penguins Trades Under Jim Rutherford

Jan 19th 3:45 PM
St Louis Blues

Blues Weekly: Up and Down Start to the 2020-21 Campaign

Jan 19th 3:35 PM
Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes’ Goalie Prospects Are a Mixed Bag

Jan 19th 3:05 PM
Vegas Golden Knights

Prospects News & Rumors: Hughes, Powell & Dorofeyev

Jan 19th 2:55 PM
Edmonton Oilers

Oilers Goaltending Issues Rest Squarely on Holland’s Shoulders

Jan 19th 1:20 PM
Boston Bruins

Bruins Rookie Spotlight: Jakub Zboril

Jan 19th 1:10 PM
Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche Defense Boosted by Returns of Johnson & Byram

Editor’s Picks
World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

World Junior Championship All-Time Leading Scorers

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

2021 Guide To the World Junior Championship

Masthead

Newsletters

RSS Feeds

Privacy Statement

Contact Us

About THW…

Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Updated daily with news and features from over 130 writers worldwide. Over 2 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix.

© The Hockey Writers 2020. All rights reserved.
logo
  • HOME
  • Hockey Headlines
  • NHL Rumors
  • North Division
    • Calgary Flames
    • Edmonton Oilers
    • Montreal Canadiens
    • Ottawa Senators
    • Toronto Maple Leafs
    • Vancouver Canucks
    • Winnipeg Jets
  • East Division
    • Boston Bruins
    • Buffalo Sabres
    • New Jersey Devils
    • New York Islanders
    • New York Rangers
    • Philadelphia Flyers
    • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Washington Capitals
  • Central Division
    • Carolina Hurricanes
    • Chicago Blackhawks
    • Columbus Blue Jackets
    • Dallas Stars
    • Detroit Red Wings
    • Florida Panthers
    • Nashville Predators
    • Tampa Bay Lightning
  • West Division
    • Anaheim Ducks
    • Arizona Coyotes
    • Colorado Avalanche
    • Los Angeles Kings
    • Minnesota Wild
    • San Jose Sharks
    • Seattle Kraken
    • St Louis Blues
    • Vegas Golden Knights
  • World Juniors
  • CHL
    • Ontario Hockey League
    • Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
    • Western Hockey League
  • THW Podcast Network
  • Store
  • FREE Newsletter
  • Search THW
  • More…
    • Join Our Team
    • The THW Archives
    • Prospects
    • The Goalie Page
    • NHL Salary Cap Information