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| 1978 NHL DRAFT PICK |
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Ryan Walter
Selected in first round
No.
2 overall by Washington Capitals
Born April 23, 1958
 | Position:
Center / Left Wing
Height: 6-0 Weight: 195
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| BEFORE THE DRAFT |
Last Team:
Seattle (WCHL)
Birthplace: New Westminster, B.C. (Canada)
Hometown:
Burnaby, British Columbia |
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| PRE-DRAFT
STATISTICS | | Year |
Team | League |
GP | G |
A | TP |
PIM | | 1973-74 |
Langley | BCJHL | 62 |
40 | 62 |
102 | -- | | |
Kamloops | WCHL | 2 |
0 | 0 |
0 | 0 | | 1974-75 |
Langley | BCJHL | 52 |
32 | 60 |
92 | 111 | | |
Kamloops | WCHL | 9 |
8 | 4 |
12 | 2 |
| 1975-76 |
Kamloops | WCHL |
72 | 35 |
49 | 84 |
96 | | 1976-77 |
Kamloops | WCHL |
71 | 41 |
58 | 99 |
100 | | 1977-78 |
Seattle | WCHL |
62 | 54 |
71 | 125 |
148 |
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PRE-DRAFT AWARDS AND HONORS
World Junior Championships: 1978 (bronze medal)
WCHL MVP:
1977-78 (Seattle)
CCM WCHL Player of Year: 1977-78 (Seattle)
WCHL All-Star First Team: 1977-78 (Seattle)
World Junior Championships Team Canada Captain: 1978
Seattle Captain: 1977-78
Miscellaneous: Rated in The Hockey News draft preview issue as
the No. 2 overall prospect for the 1978 NHL draft. ... Served as captain of WCHL All-Star team that played Soviet
Union junior team in 1977. ... Was on Kamloops (WCHL) team that relocated to Seattle prior
to 1977-78 season. ... Attended Cariboo Hill Senior Secondary school in
Burnaby, British Columbia. |
| NHL CAREER |
Debut: October 25, 1978 (Washington at
Chicago)
Numbers: 9 (Washington); 11 (Montreal); 9
(Vancouver)
Stanley Cup: 1986.
Playing Status: Retired 1993 |
| CAREER NHL STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1978-1993 | Washington, Montreal, Van. |
1,003 | 264 |
382 | 646 | 946 |
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| CAREER NHL PLAYOFF STATISTICS |
| Years | Teams |
GP | G | A | TP | PIM |
| 1983-1992 | Montreal, Vancouver |
113 | 16 |
35 | 51 | 62 |
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NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
NHL Bud Man of the Year: 1991-92 (Vancouver)
All-Star Game: 1983 (Montreal)
Stanley Cup Finals (Lost): 1989 (Montreal)
Washington MVP:
1980-81
Washington Players' Player:
1980-81
Washington Rookie of Year: 1978-79
Washington Most
Popular Player: 1981-82 (first winner)
Washington Fans'
Favorite: 1981-82
Washington Captain: October 1979 until Sept. 9, 1982
Montreal Playoffs Penalty-Minutes Leader: 1983 (11)
Broadcasting Career: Worked as hockey analyst for TSN from 1993 to
1998. ... Named Vancouver TV color commentator prior to 1998-99 season and
remained in that position through 2001-02 season.
Miscellaneous: Signed first NHL contract with Washington on same day
that Capitals drafted him. ... Missed Washington's 1978 training camp and
start of 1978-79 season while recovering from off-season knee surgery. He had
torn cartilage in his left knee while playing lacrosse with his 12-year-old
brother during the summer of 1978. ... Had
assist in his first NHL game. ... Was runner-up in voting for 1978-79 Calder
Trophy. ... Became youngest team captain in NHL history (record since broken)
when he was named Washington captain at start of 1979-80 season. ... Set
Washington single-season record (since broken) with 12 power-play goals in
1979-80. ... Set Washington record (since broken) for consecutive games with
at least one assist (8 in 1980-81). ... Missed part of 1983-84 season with
groin injury suffered in November 1983. ... Missed part of 1984-85 season with
concussion and knee injury suffered when he was checked by Andy Brickley
during Montreal's Oct. 27, 1984, game at Pittsburgh. ... Missed parts of
1985-86 season with severely lacerated left eyebrow, an injury suffered during
Montreal's Dec. 18, 1985, game vs. Quebec, and with back spasms suffered
during Montreal's March 8, 1986, game vs. Boston. ... Missed end of 1985-86
season and most of 1986 playoffs with broken ankle, an injury suffered in
March 1986. ... Missed part of 1987-88 season with bruised ribs suffered in
October 1987, and back spasms suffered in November 1987. ... Missed part of
1989-90 season with concussion suffered during Montreal's Dec. 9, 1989, game
at Toronto. ... Missed most of 1990-91 season with broken right wrist, an
injury suffered during Montreal's Oct. 13, 1990, game vs. Hartford. ... Was
Vancouver's nominee for 1991-92 Masterton Trophy. ... Served as a vice
president of NHLPA during his playing days. ... Was
not offered a contract by Vancouver for 1993-94 and chose to retire. |
| NON-NHL CAREER |
Post-Draft Teams: None
World Championships: 1979
(fourth), 1981 (fourth), 1982 (bronze)
NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORS
Miscellaneous: Was on Montreal team
that joined Minnesota to compete in the 1990 NHL Friendship Tour in Soviet
Union. ... Ran HMI Hockey School in Switzerland for one week during summer of
1991. ... Was active in charitable causes throughout his NHL career, serving
as a spokesperson for World Vision, Athletes for Kids and Hockey Ministries
International. ... Worked as instructor at Christian hockey camps and became
minor hockey coach after retirement. ... Authored Off the Bench and Into the Game,
a book in which he applies
insights from hockey to other areas in life. ... Worked as
motivational speaker after his retirement. ... Started website at www.ryanwalter.com. The site chronicles his career and includes his thoughts on
hockey. ... Developed hockey program for coachesplanner.com website, which is part
of hotsportsnetworks.com, a company he co-founded in 2001. ... Served as
honorary captain at 2001 WHL All-Star Game. ... Was technical advisor to the
producers and director of the 2004 film Miracle, helping to
choreograph the movie's hockey scenes.
Personal: Full name is Ryan William
Walter. ... Older brother of former major junior player George Walter. ...
Father of college hockey player Ben Walter. |
| HOW HE GOT AWAY |
| TRADE: Washington traded Walter and Rick
Green to Montreal in exchange for Rod Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and
Craig Laughlin on September 10, 1982. |
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|
SNAPSHOT '78 | | Total Selected: |
234 | | Forwards: |
143 | | Defense: |
67 | | Goaltenders: |
24 | | Major Junior: |
127 | | College Players: |
80 |
| Canadian: |
170 |
| Euro-Canadian: |
0 | | USA Citizens: |
47 | | U.S.-Born: |
47 |
| European: |
17 |
| Reached NHL: |
95 |
| Won Stanley Cup: |
16 | | Hall of Fame: |
1 |
| All-Star Game: |
18 |
| Year-end All-Star: |
1 |
| Olympians: |
16 |
| Picks Traded: |
46 |
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