Ryder found not guilty of robbery

[dh1333]

He was once touted to be a better hockey prospect than his older brother, a six-year NHL veteran. He is former 80-point scorer in junior hockey, an Ontario Hockey League playoff MVP and winner of the Wayne Gretzky Award.

He was among a select group of players invited to try out for Canada's national junior team just three years ago.

In 2005, the Calgary Flames made him the 74th pick in the NHL Draft (Los Angeles Kings goalie Jonathan Quick, named to the U.S. Olympic team, went 72nd).

Today, however, the story surrounding troubled hockey star Daniel Ryder takes a new twist when the 22-year-old from Bonavista is to be charged with armed robbery.

RCMP Sgt. Wayne Newell would neither confirm nor deny Wednesday evening Ryder is the male suspect in custody, but sources say it is indeed the younger brother of Boston Bruins forward Michael Ryder.

Ryder reportedly turned himself into the Bonavista RCMP detachment Wednesday afternoon. The crime occurred Tuesday night.

According to an RCMP news release, a male entered a Red Circle convenience store in Bonavista Tuesday evening, carrying a white shopping bag. He informed the lone cashier he had a gun.

The suspect had his face partially covered by a black scarf, and was wearing what appeared to be several layers of clothing, including a grey hooded sweater and a blue Ultramar jacket.

The suspect demanded cigarettes, al though Newell could not confirm the amount.

Ryder came to prominence at the AAA midget level as a 14-year-old star with the Tri-Pen Frost and the province's 2003 Canada Winter Games team.

Two years later, and a first-round OHL draft pick, he was a starter on the Peterborough Petes and went on to become one of the top 10 scorers in the storied franchise's history.

The first red flag on Ryder's career came in 2006 when he reported to the national junior team's summer evaluation camp in poor shape.

Despite a sizzling start to the 2006-07 season that saw him score 24 goals and assist on 35 others through 29 games, Ryder was not invited back to the junior squad's final camp prior to Christmas. When he turned pro in 2007-08 with the AHL's Quad City Flames, after signing a three-year entry level contract that called for a $225,000 signing bonus, Ryder walked out on the team after just six games and was subsequently suspended by Calgary.

"He has to make the decision," Flames GM Darryl Sutter said at the time, "if he wants to make the commitment and the sacrifice to be a hockey player ... a professional hockey player. He hasn't done that yet."

Last season, Ryder started the season with the AHL Flames, and had nine points through 19 games. Still, Calgary optioned him to Las Vegas of the ECHL.

That stint lasted but four games, with rumours of damage to a hotel circulating.

Loaned to the Boston organization, Ryder closed out the season appearing in 20 games for the AHL's Providence Bruins.

He hasn't skated since.

http://www.thetelegram.com/Hockey/2010-01-07/article-1437418/Daniel-Ryder-expected-to-be-charged-in-robbery/1

Former Calgary Flames prospect Daniel Ryder, the brother of Dallas Stars forward Michael Ryder, was found not guilty Wednesday of robbery.

At a court in Clarenville, Nfld., Ryder was found not guilty of three charges -- theft, robbery with violence and wearing a disguise -- stemming from an armed holdup of a convenience store in his hometown of Bonavista, Nfld., in January 2010.

Judge Patrick Kennedy, who took nearly two hours to read his decision, said the burden of proof was not met and, while there was circumstantial evidence, "it does not draw the net tightly enough around the accused," according to The Packet newspaper.

Ryder, 24, was diagnosed with severe mental illness after turning himself in to face the charges. He was initially found unfit to stand trial but his condition improved through psychiatric treatment.

At one time, Ryder was considered a solid NHL prospect.

He played four years in the OHL with Peterborough and Plymouth -- he was the OHL playoff MVP in 2006 -- and was a third-round pick of the Flames in 2005. But he played just 45 pro games, none in the NHL, before walking away from hockey at the end of the 2008-09 season.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/08/24/nhl-notes-ryder-not-guilty-of-robbery

Damn.

Any sort of mental illness aside you would think if he needed a bit of cash he could have just asked his brother.

 

[germany00]

Wow, confusing why a NHL player would rob someone eh

 

[The Guid]

A little late though, he was found not guilty.

 

[LeafsFan4Life]

A little late though, he was found not guilty.

Really late. This article is from a year and half ago...

 

[dh1333]

Sorry meant to post two articles and the title was a mistake lol

 

[germany00]

changed the title

 

[LeafsFan4Life]

Any sort of mental illness aside you would think if he needed a bit of cash he could have just asked his brother.

Sure it's easy to say that he should have just asked his brother for money but people with severe mental illness don't always do the logical thing.