47-year-old ex-pro suits up, gets in fight for Leafs' minor league team
The Toronto Maple Leafs might not have had the most memorable game on Sunday night, but the same can’t be said for one of their minor league affiliates.
While the Leafs were suffering through a second consecutive loss on home ice in as many nights on Sunday, the ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers were making history on the other side of the country.
With a shorthanded roster of players, the Growlers called upon 47-year-old ex-pro Terry Ryan. A native of Mount Pearl, Newfoundland, and someone who happened to be in town and available to play, Ryan got a call while at a local bar and was “five or six pints” deep celebrating his birthday.
“I drank four litres of water, had a bite to eat. And just I went to sleep. I tried to, it was broken sleep,” Ryan told reporters postgame after a 6-2 loss to the Adirondack Thunder.
Midway through the third period, Ryan mixed it up in a fight with Zach Walker, some 22 years younger than him.
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“I wasn’t planning on fighting. Obviously, I know that it’s not a big part of the game anymore. I’m fine with that. But still, I don’t know. I turn around and my buddy, my teammate. He’s got his helmet off. I did a minor bit of homework on players. I knew that Walker mixes it up a bit. What do I have to lose? I’m supposed to lose that fight. Right? It’s like when I fought Tie Domi when I was 18,” Ryan said of the fight.
While he said he’s still on the ice four to five times a week, Ryan had not played a pro game since playing for the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones in the 2002-23 season.
Ryan was drafted eighth overall by the Montreal Canadiens back in 1995, but suited up for just eight NHL games throughout his career.
Recently, though, he’s kept his name in the public eye through his film work, appearing as Ted Hitchcock onĀ Shoresy as well as working on multiple other projects.
Ryan was awarded the Player of the Game for his efforts.
Postgame, Ryan spoke for approximately 15 minutes about his journey for his first pro game in two decades, which included his 15-year-old daughter getting the chance to see him play pro hockey for the first time.
A passionate Terry Ryan postgame on Sunday evening following his š¶ debut#ChapterV pic.twitter.com/yA4JmMKFls
— Newfoundland Growlers (@NLGrowlers) January 14, 2024
“To be honest, I didn’t know what would happen… It’s a real honour to be my age and get to go out and you know, just be part of it at all,” he said.
And while he’s probably not getting signed to a contract by the Leafs anytime soon, he’ll have a story to share for the rest of his life.
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