Ryan Walter

Last updated

Ryan Walter
Ryan Walter.JPG
Walter in 2011
Born (1958-04-23) April 23, 1958 (age 67)
New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position Centre
Shot Left
Played for Washington Capitals
Montreal Canadiens
Vancouver Canucks
National teamFlag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
NHL draft 2nd overall, 1978
Washington Capitals
Playing career 19781993
Medal record
Representing Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1982 Finland

Ryan William Walter (born April 23, 1958) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who played 15 seasons in the National Hockey League. He won the 1986 Stanley Cup with the Montreal Canadiens.

Contents

He was also an assistant coach with the Vancouver Canucks, head coach of the Canadian National Women's hockey team, a hockey broadcaster and president of the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League.

Early life

Walter was born in New Westminster, British Columbia, but grew up in Burnaby, British Columbia. As a youth, he played in the 1971 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Burnaby. [1]

NHL career

Walter was drafted second overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft. At the time the Capitals named him as team captain in his second season, he was the youngest player in the history of the NHL to hold that position.

In September 1982, Walter and Rick Green were traded to the Montreal Canadiens as part of a six-player blockbuster deal in exchange for Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis, Rod Langway and Craig Laughlin. [2] Walter's name is engraved on the Stanley Cup, which the Canadiens won in 1986 though Walter was injured for most of the playoffs. In the 1989 Stanley Cup Finals, he scored in the second overtime period of game three to give the Canadiens a 2–1 series lead. However, the Calgary Flames came back to win the series and the Cup. In 1991, he signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks, where he played the final two seasons of his career and won the Budweiser NHL Man of the Year Award in 1992. He was known as a tough, hard-working player who was excellent in the face-off circle. Walter also served as vice president of the NHLPA. [3]

Broadcasting career

From 1993–94 until 1997–98, he worked for TSN as the network's secondary hockey colour commentator. In this role, he worked on NHL, CHL, and IIHF broadcasts. He worked five Memorial Cups, one World Junior Hockey Championship, and four World Hockey Championships. From 1996–97 until 2001–02, he was the colour commentator on Vancouver Canucks television broadcasts on BCTV, Rogers Sportsnet and VTV. He also occasionally filled in on radio when Tom Larscheid had football duties. In these roles, he was teamed up with, at various times, Jim Robson, Jim Hughson and John Shorthouse.

Coaching career

On June 17, 2008, Walter was named an assistant coach to Alain Vigneault of the Vancouver Canucks. He was relieved of his duties after the 2009–10 season. On September 21, 2010, Walter was named head coach of Canada's women's hockey team which won the gold medal at the 2010 Four Nations Cup.

Front office

Walter served as the president of the Abbotsford Heat of the American Hockey League, which was the minor-league affiliate of the Calgary Flames from 2011 to 2014. [4] [5]

Personal life

Walter is a motivational speaker, author and leadership expert, using his experiences in hockey to relate to business and success.

Walter also had a cameo appearance in the movie Miracle , playing the referee in the game between the US and USSR in Lake Placid and was hired by Disney to be a hockey expert for the movie. He was also hired as a hockey expert for both seasons of Making the Cut: Last Man Standing , a Nike hockey commercial, and played himself on an episode of the Canadian animated television series Being Ian .

Walter and his wife, Jennifer have three sons who are also hockey players. His oldest son, Ben, was drafted by the Boston Bruins and played 24 games in the NHL. Joey played with the Langley Chiefs of the BCHL and the Trinity Western University Spartans, and his other son, Ryan Jr., played for the TWU Titans in 2006-07 and 2007–08 as well as the Liberty University club hockey team.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

   Regular season   Playoffs
Season TeamLeagueGP G A Pts PIM GPGAPtsPIM
1973–74Langley Lords BCHL 624062102
1973–74 Kamloops Chiefs WCHL 20000
1974–75Langley LordsBCHL52326092111
1974–75 Kamloops ChiefsWCHL98412221122
1975–76 Kamloops ChiefsWCHL723549849612391210
1976–77 Kamloops ChiefsWCHL71415899100513411
1977–78 Seattle Breakers WCHL625471125148
1978–79 Calgary Wranglers WHL20110
1978–79 Washington Capitals NHL 6928275570
1979–80 Washington CapitalsNHL80244266106
1980–81 Washington CapitalsNHL80244569150
1981–82 Washington CapitalsNHL78384987142
1982–83 Montreal Canadiens NHL8029467540300011
1983–84 Montreal CanadiensNHL7320294983152134
1984–85 Montreal CanadiensNHL72191938591227913
1985–86 Montreal CanadiensNHL691534494550112
1986–87 Montreal CanadiensNHL7623234634177121910
1987–88 Montreal CanadiensNHL6113233639112466
1988–89 Montreal CanadiensNHL7814173148213586
1989–90 Montreal CanadiensNHL708162459110220
1990–91 Montreal CanadiensNHL250111250002
1991–92 Vancouver Canucks NHL676111749130338
1992–93 Vancouver CanucksNHL2530310
NHL totals1,00326438264694611316355162

International

YearTeamEvent GPGAPtsPIM
1978 Canada WJC 65384
1979 Canada WC 84154
1981 CanadaWC80112
1982 CanadaWC41340
Junior totals65384
Senior totals2055106

Awards

See also

References

  1. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-06. Retrieved 2019-01-10.
  2. Fisher, Red (September 11, 1978). "Canadiens make blockbuster trade". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  3. "Ryan Walter". keynotespeakerscanada.ca. Archived from the original on 2020-12-02. Retrieved 2020-10-08.
  4. "Heat name Ryan Walter club president". NHL.com. August 2, 2011.
  5. "Abbotsford Heat leave city with $12M in losses". CBC.ca. April 15, 2014.
Preceded by Washington Capitals first round draft pick
1978
Succeeded by
Preceded by Washington Capitals captain
197982
Succeeded by