Nicholas Ritchie —
League: OHL Team: Peterborough Petes
Position: LW Shoots: Left
DOB: Dec. 5, 1995 Birthplace: Orangeville, ON
Height: 6’3 Weight: 230
2012-13 Stats: Games: 41 G: 18 A: 17 Pts: 35 PIM: 50 Plus/Minus: -10
2013-14 Stats: Games: 61 G: 39 A: 35 Pts: 74 PIM: 136 Plus/Minus: -4
Nicholas Ritchie plays in the Ontario Hockey League for the Peterborough Petes.
Winnipeg Hockey Talk’s evaluations of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft top prospects continue today with our featured prospect Nick Ritchie.
Offensive Buzzwords
Nick Ritchie is the complete package of toughness, skating, play-making and scoring. Ritchie is a strong fore-checker that uses his size and strength to force his will in the high traffic, grinding areas of the ice. He is a very dominant physical player that easily holds off defenders and while driving to the net. One of Ritchie’s biggest assets is his size and he uses it well. He is very aggressive and a is a punishing hitter. Nick Ritchie is an extremely hard player to play against.
Skating
I’m going to resist the temptation to say “he’s a good skater for a big man”. I’ve heard that phrase countless times in my years of scouting and I still don’t know what that means. Nicholas Ritchie is a good skater with good mobility and agility. He uses his strength and powerful skating stride to overwhelm smaller defenders.
Defensive Buzzwords
His defensive game is a work in progress and he is committed to becoming a solid two-way player.
Nick Ritchie Video: 1:09
Nick Ritchie vs Mitchell Theoret Fight: 0:49
Prospect Analysis
Nicholas Ritchie is your prototypical power forward. Right now he is physically dominant at the Junior Hockey Level but, the question is can his game transition to the NHL game when he is playing against men? The consensus is YES. At 6′ 3, 230 lbs, his blend of size and offensive skill project him a solid first-round selection. IMO he is already a “Top 15” pick and rising!
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