Ex-Flames Brett and Nick Ritchie land PTOs with new teams
The NHL careers for ex-Calgary Flames brothers Brett and Nick Ritchie may not be over just yet.
Both brothers were unable to find homes over the summer as free agents, but were signed to PTOs on Thursday morning. Brett’s is with the Florida Panthers, while Nick was picked up by the St. Louis Blues.
For Brett, entering training camp on a PTO is nothing new. The 30-year-old joined the Flames ahead of the 2020-21 season in the same situation. He was not only able to sign a one-year deal off of it, but also earned himself two separate one-year extensions. He suited up for 34 games with the Flames last season, scoring six goals and eight points, before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes in a deal that saw his brother Nick head the other way. In 16 games with the Coyotes to close out the season, he registered two goals and five points.
While Brett is familiar with this situation, it is entirely new territory for Nick. The 27-year-old has shown glimpses of what he is capable of but has failed to live up to the expectations placed on him when he was selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014. He scored nine goals and 21 points in 58 games with the Coyotes before being traded, and was able to find the back of the net an additional four times while adding a lone assist in 16 games with the Flames.
When the Flames chose to deal Brett and defenceman Connor Mackey to the Coyotes in exchange for Nick and Troy Stecher, it marked the first time in NHL history that two brothers had been traded for one another. Unfortunately for Nick, his time in Calgary didn’t go as planned, as he is best remembered for being used in a shootout of a do-or-die game for the Flames and failing to convert, while others such as Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm, and Andrew Mangiapane remained on the bench.
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