Derek Ryan

The flurry of trades by the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline necessitated some call ups from the Hurricanes American Hockey league affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers. One of those call ups was 29 year old center Derek Ryan. Ryan made his National Hockey League debut against the New Jersey Devils. Ryan has toured the globe playing hockey from Spokane, Washington to Canada, Austria, and Sweden before getting into his first NHL game. He has been a scorer at every stop he has made and was the leading scorer (17 goals and 25 assists) with the Checkers when he was recalled.

You do not hear of too many professional athletes making their professional debuts in any sport at 29 years old. It is probably more common in baseball than in any other sport and even then, it is a rarity. Derek Ryan scored a power play goal in his first NHL game and is the oldest player to score a goal in his debut in Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes franchise history according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

I do not know if hockey has a fictional equivalent like the Natural in baseball but Derek Ryan would have to come very close. The Hurricanes could use a feel good story about now especially after trading long time Hurricane and captain Eric Staal and Ryan is off to an excellent start.

The Smoke Has Cleared

The smoke has cleared on the NHL trade deadline and the Carolina Hurricanes were one of the most active teams out there. Hopes for the playoffs this season began to slip away as the Hurricanes have lost four out of five and economic circumstances dictated that the Hurricanes trade a few of their high priced veterans including Captain Eric Staal. Staal, Kris Versteeg, and John-Michael Liles were all unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Staal was traded to the New York Rangers for Finnish prospect Aleksi Saarela and two draft picks, Versteeg was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for prospect Valentin Zykov and two draft picks, and Liles was traded to the Boston Bruins for prospect Anthony Camara and two draft picks.

The down side to these trades is that the Hurricanes are on the outside looking in at the playoffs for one more season and their fans are waiting for next year one more season. It has been a long playoff drought for the Hurricanes and their fans. The Hurricanes have stockpiled draft picks and payroll so it should make for an interesting next several months.