| Round | Overall |
| 2 | 28 |
 |
 |
Left-hand catcher
Pre-Draft Statistics
| Year | Team | League | GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | ||
| 1969-70 | Portage | MJHL | 23 | -- | 3.86 | 0 | n/a | ||
| 1970-71 | Portage | MJHL | 45 | -- | 3.31 | 5 | n/a | ||
| Brandon | WCHL | 5 | -- | 2.81 | 0 | n/a |
Pre-Draft Notes
Played in one 1971 WCHL playof game for Brandon. ... Entered MJHL in 1968.
Career Vitals
| First contract: | September 10, 1971 |
| Debut: | December 19, 1974 (N.Y. Rangers at Boston) |
| Final NHL game: | November 28, 1980 (Toronto at Washington) |
| Retired: | 1982 |
| Stanley Cup: | Never won |
| Numbers worn: | 35 (N.Y. Rangers); 35 (Vancouver); 1, 33, 35 (Toronto) |
Career NHL Statistics
Team:
N.Y. Rangers, Vancouver, Toronto
Years: 1974-1980. Playoffs: 1976
| Regular Season | |||||
| GP | W-L-T | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 6 years | 104 | 27-47-16 | 3.87 | 1 | n/a |
| Stanley Cup Playoffs | |||||
| GP | W-L | GAA | SO | SV% | |
| 1 year | 2 | 0-2 | 4.00 | 0 | n/a |
| Complete statistics available at NHL.com | |||||
Pre-Draft Highlights
Led MJHL in shutouts (5) and goals-against average (3.31) with Portage
Terriers in 1970-71. .... Named to MJHL All-Star First Team with Portage
Terriers in 1970-71.
Career Highlights
Led IHL with 2.70 goals-against average for Dayton in 1972-73. ... Played on 1974-75 Providence team that won AHL regular-season title. ... Led AHL in games played by a goaltender (57), wins (32), and minutes (3,311) with Providence in 1974-75. ... Played on 1975-76 Tulsa team that won CHL regular-season and playoff titles, but was traded away midway through season and was not with team during postseason. ... Led CHL with a 2.66 goals-against average in 30 games for Tulsa in 1975-76 but did not play in enough games to officially qualify as league leader. ... Recorded his lone NHL shutout in Vancouver's 5-0 win on April 2, 1976, at California. ... Went 6-0-2 in his nine games with Vancouver in 1975-76. ... Made 25 saves for Vancouver to shut out visiting Moscow Spartak 2-0 in an exhibition game on Dec. 28, 1977, becoming the first NHL goalie to shut out a touring Russian team. ... Was runner-up to Cesare Maniago in Vancouver's 1977-78 Molson Cup standings for most three-stars selections at home games. ... Won CHL Adams Cup with Dallas in 1979. ... Led CHL playoffs in games played by a goaltender (9), wins (8), minutes (520), and goals-against average (3.00) in 1979. ... Won CHL Max McNab Trophy as MVP of playoffs in 1979. ... Stopped 30 shots for Vancouver in 6-2 victory over visiting Moscow Dynamo on Dec. 26, 1979.
Transaction History
June 13, 1973 -- Claimed by Providence (AHL, N.Y. Rangers affiliate) from Boston in Reverse Draft. Sept. 9, 1975 -- Traded by N.Y. Rangers to Atlanta in exchange for Jerry Byers. Jan. 20, 1976 -- Traded by Atlanta to Vancouver in exchange for 1976 first-round pick (Dave Shand). Feb. 10, 1980 -- Rights sold by Vancouver to Toronto.
Life Outside the NHL
Full Name: Charles
Curtis Ridley
Other Post-Draft Teams: Oklahoma City (CHL); Dayton (IHL); Boston, Providence (AHL); Tulsa (CHL); Dallas (CHL); New Brunswick (AHL); Cincinnati (CHL)
Career Beyond Hockey: Returned to
Winnipeg and worked for MTS selling telephone systems for several years
after his retirement in 1982. He later relocated to the Dallas area and
became a local sales representative for KLINGSPOR Abrasives, which
markets products for the autobody industry.
•
Ridley on LinkedIn
Significant Injuries
Missed start of 1972-73 season with strained ligaments in right knee, suffered during Boston's 1972 training camp. He did not make his 1972-73 season debut until Dayton's Oct. 21, 1972, IHL game vs. Flint .... Missed part of 1975-76 season with broken finger on left hand, suffered while reaching to stop a shot by Tracy Pratt during Vancouver's Feb. 16, 1976, practice. The injury took place just two days after he had won in his first start with the Canucks. He did not return until Vancouver's March 13, 1976, game vs. N.Y. Rangers. ... Was hit in throat by an Eric Vail slap shot during Vancouver's Dec. 20, 1977, game vs. Atlanta and swallowed his tongue, nearly choking to death. ... Missed remainder of 1977-78 season with strained ligaments in knee, suffered during Vancouver's March 29, 1978, game at St. Louis. ... Missed start of 1978-79 season with strained ligaments in both knees, suffered in a goal-mouth pileup during Vancouver's Sept. 28, 1978, preseason game at Los Angeles. He was assigned to Dallas (CHL) in late November and spent rest of season there ... Missed part of 1979-80 season with broken bone in left hand, suffered stopping a Bernie Johnston shot in Toronto's Feb. 16, 1980, game vs. Hartford. He did not return until Toronto's March 25, 1980, game at Minnesota.
Miscellaneous:
| Selected by New York Raiders in 1972 WHA Draft -- the first-ever WHA Draft -- in February 1972. | Grew up in numerous cities while his father was serving in Royal Canadian Air Force. | Did not begin playing goal until he was 12 years old, having been a defenseman. | Made Medicine Hat (WCHL) roster for 1970-71 but left team for personal reasons. |
| Was known throughout his career for willingness to swing stick at ankles to protect his crease. | Failed to make Atlanta's 1975-76 roster after reporting to camp nearly 30 pounds overweight. | Wore No. 1 for Vancouver at team's 1976 training camp before goin g back to No. 35. | A painted crossed-sticks design on his mask became iconic in Vancouver during the 1970s. |
| SNAPSHOT '71 | |
| Total Selected: | 117 |
| Forwards: | 63 |
| Defense: | 45 |
| Goaltenders: | 9 |
| Major Junior: | 84 |
| College Players: | 19 |
| Canadian: | 107 |
| Euro-Canadian: | 2 |
| American: | 8 |
| European: | 0 |
| Reached NHL: | 50 |
| Won Stanley Cup: | 5 |
| Hall of Fame: | 3 |
| All-Star Game: | 10 |
| Year-end All-Star: | 5 |
| Olympians: | 4 |
| Picks Traded: | 18 |
| 1971 PICKS BY TEAM | ||
| Boston | Buffalo | California |
| Chicago | Detroit | Los Angeles |
| Minnesota | Montreal | New York |
| Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | St. Louis |
| Toronto | Vancouver | |
OTHERS DRAFTED IN 1971