The Antigonish Bulldogs of the Maritime Junior A Hockey League (MJAHL) in Atlantic Canada have reached out to the Squamish Cougars for another player. Kyle Ritchie has joined the Dogs to add some physical presence and bolster their defence.
After five games in the black and yellow, he has two assists and 15 penalty minutes. Ritchie is skating on the second line and has second line power play and penalty kill duties as well.
Not bad for a player who was playing house league hockey three years ago not even entertaining any thoughts of playing Junior A hockey.How Ritchie got to Antigonish is a story in itself. At the age of 16 and 17 when most hockey players are thinking about what junior league to try out for, Ritchie was representing Canada at the World Mountain Biking Championships in Italy and France. Kyle is still heavily involved in the sport, doing promotional work (and getting paid for it) all over the globe.Last season the opportunity arose to play junior hockey at home for the Cougars and Ritchie made the decision to try out. It wasn't long before he became an important part of the formidable Cougar defence corps.
Ritchie admits he never expected to play junior A but is enjoying playing in the MJAHL. He says the league is faster, has more hitting and the teams are better.
"They're a lot bigger and there is more movement with the puck," he said. "The league is a lot rougher than I expected." Despite that, Ritchie did win his fight in the MJAHL and has made his presence felt with his hard-hitting style. Now playing 20 to 25 minutes a game, he has noted his skills have improved over the years.As for life in Antigonish, Ritchie is rooming with another ex-Cougar, Nick Johnston.
"Having Nick and Russell [LaForest] here made my decision to join the Bulldogs easier" he said. "Nick told me how much fun he was having."
During his short stay there, Ritchie has already had inquiries about his availability despite being a 20-year-old. "The MJAHL is a more serious league, the people are going places," he said when asked if any scouts had approached him.As for playing in front of larger crowds (2,000 plus at a recent game in Halifax), Ritchie called it "cool."
"It's like a mini little NHL," he said. "But it still doesn't beat a playoff game in Squamish."
Ritchie said he expects he and Johnston will be back in time to give the Cats a boost during their playoff run as the Bulldogs have been eliminated from playoff contention. Ritchie said he's looking forward to the West Coast's warmer weather as Nova Scotia winds are colder. "One time walking home from the gym it was -25."
The Cougars coach, Matt Samson, said he's happy for the young men's success. "I think it's great they have this opportunity. This is what the Cougars are about, helping players develop so they can further their hockey careers if they choose."
Up next for Ritchie, he has six games in the next 10 days as the Bulldogs try to generate a few wins before the end of the season in February.
