Michael Ryder

Michael Ryder
Born	(1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey right winger (retired)
Years active	1998–2015
Known for	Playing in the NHL for Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils; 2011 Stanley Cup champion with Boston Bruins

Michael Ryder (born March 31, 1980) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey right winger who competed in the NHL for 12 seasons, representing the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and New Jersey Devils.

Ryder played an integral role in the Boston Bruins' 2011 Stanley Cup triumph, contributing eight goals throughout the playoffs and helping secure the franchise’s first championship since 1972.

Early life

Hailing from Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, Ryder was raised alongside his younger brother Daniel, who also pursued a career in ice hockey.

Junior

Ryder honed his talents with the Hull Olympiques in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

Montreal Canadiens

Selected 216th overall by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, Ryder signed with the team after engaging agent Thayne Campbell.

On May 30, 2003, he netted the decisive goal in the longest game ever recorded in American Hockey League history, propelling the Hamilton Bulldogs to a Calder Cup Finals victory against the Houston Aeros.

During the 2003–04 NHL season, Ryder participated in the NHL YoungStars Game and earned NHL Rookie of the Month honors for February. He led all rookies in points, power-play points, shots on goal, and goals scored. Amid the 2004–05 NHL lockout, he competed for Leksands IF in Sweden’s second-tier league and subsequently posted back-to-back 30-goal campaigns following the lockout’s conclusion.

On April 7, 2007, Ryder recorded a natural hat-trick versus the Toronto Maple Leafs in a crucial contest for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth; despite his efforts, Montreal fell 6–5. Additionally, on February 19, 2008, he was instrumental in an unprecedented comeback against the New York Rangers by tallying two goals and one assist during a 6–5 victory after trailing 5–0—a feat marking Montreal’s sole win after such a deficit in franchise history.

After his contract expired on June 30, 2008, Montreal opted not to renew his deal following a season where he registered career-low statistics with 14 goals and 31 points and appeared in only four playoff contests.

Boston Bruins

On July 1, 2008, Ryder inked a three-year agreement with the Boston Bruins, reportedly worth around $4 million annually. A significant influence on his decision was his previous experience under Bruins head coach Claude Julien, having spent six seasons under his guidance across junior hockey, AHL play, and during his tenure with Montreal.

Ryder opened his Boston scoring account on October 9, 2008—his first goal for the Bruins came during the season opener against the Colorado Avalanche and marked his milestone 100th career goal. He concluded that campaign with 27 goals as Boston finished atop the Eastern Conference standings. In postseason play, Ryder contributed four goals during a first-round sweep of his former club Montreal but managed just one goal in Boston’s seven-game defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference semifinals.

Throughout the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Ryder was again crucial against Montreal by scoring an overtime winner in Game 4 and executing an important glove save in Game 5 while goalie Tim Thomas was out of position. Bruins Director of Health, Fitness & Wellness John Whitesides later highlighted this save as vital to Boston’s eventual Stanley Cup success.

Ryder earned his sole Stanley Cup championship on June 15, 2011, when Boston defeated the Vancouver Canucks 4-0 in Game 7 of the Finals. He became only the second player native to Newfoundland and Labrador to capture a Stanley Cup following Daniel Cleary, with Alex Newhook joining this distinction after winning with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022.

Dallas Stars

Ryder joined the Dallas Stars on July 1, 2011, signing a contract worth $7 million over two years.

During the 2011–12 campaign, Ryder reached a personal best by netting 35 goals, highlighted by the Stars' 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on March 28, 2012.

Return to Montreal

In the lockout-affected 2012–13 season, Ryder was traded back to the Montreal Canadiens. The deal also included a third-round draft pick in exchange for Erik Cole.

New Jersey Devils

Ryder agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract with the New Jersey Devils on July 5, 2013. Due to Lou Lamoriello's team policy restricting jersey numbers above 40, Ryder changed his number from 73 to 17.

After a promising start in the 2013–14 season with 16 goals, Ryder's scoring output dropped significantly, managing only two goals after January 11, 2014.

On January 16, 2015, Ryder reached the milestone of playing his 800th NHL game during a 5-1 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks while with the Devils.

End of career

Ryder holds provincial records for Newfoundland and Labrador with 237 goals and a total of 484 NHL points, establishing him as the region’s most accomplished hockey player. He was inducted into Hockey NL's Hall of Fame on June 10, 2017.

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1996–97	Tri-Pen Osprey AAA	Midget		23	31	17	48	—		—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		69	34	28	62	41		10	4	2	6	4
1998–99	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		69	44	43	87	65		23	20	16	36	39
1999–00	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		63	50	58	108	50		15	11	17	28	28
2000–01	Tallahassee Tiger Sharks	ECHL		5	4	5	9	6		—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Quebec Citadelles	AHL		61	6	9	15	14		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Mississippi Sea Wolves	ECHL		20	14	13	27	2		—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Quebec Citadelles	AHL		50	11	17	28	9		3	0	1	1	2
2002–03	Hamilton Bulldogs	AHL		69	34	33	67	43		23	6	11	17	8
2003–04	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		81	25	38	63	26		11	1	2	3	4
2004–05	Leksands IF	SWE.2		32	27	21	48	32		10	7	6	13	0
2005–06	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		81	30	25	55	40		6	2	3	5	0
2006–07	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		82	30	28	58	60
2007–08	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		70	14	17	31	30		4	0	0	0	2
2008–09	Boston Bruins	NHL		74	27	26	53	26		11	5	8	13	8
2009–10	Boston Bruins	NHL		82	18	15	33	35		13	4	1	5	2
2010–11	Boston Bruins	NHL		79	18	23	41	26		25	8	9	17	8
2011–12	Dallas Stars	NHL		82	35	27	62	46
2012–13	Dallas Stars	NHL		19	6	8	14	8
2012–13	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		27	10	11	21	8		5	1	1	2	2
2013–14 NHL season	New Jersey Devils	NHL		82	18	16	34	18
2014–15 NHL season	New Jersey Devils	NHL		47	6	13	19	30
NHL totals				806	237	247	484	353		75	21	24	45	26

International

Year	Team	Tournament	Outcome		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2000	Canada	WJC	Template:Bronze3		7	1	3	4	6
Junior career totals					7	1	3	4	6