SIMILARITIES TO RYDER
Habs' Toffoli a throwback
Every time I see Tyler Toffoli on the ice with the Canadiens, for a brief second I think he's Michael Ryder.
The two players have a lot in common. Toffoli is 6-foot and 198 pounds, while Ryder was listed as 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds when he played for the Canadiens from 2003-08. Ryder returned to Montreal for the 2012-13 season after helping the Boston Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 2011 and then spending two seasons with the Dallas Stars.
Toffoli and Ryder both shoot right and can score goals — a lot of them — with a quick release on a wicked shot.
Toffoli's first goal as a Canadien in Wednesday night's 6-5 shootout loss to the Canucks in Vancouver was a goal-scorer's goal, as he broke in alone on goalie Braden Holtby after taking a nice pass from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and snapped a quick shot high to, the glove side that went in off the post. It sounded like one of thee many goals my teenage son scores against me when he kicks my butt playing the NHL 21 video game he got for Christmas.
Toffoli added two more goals on the night for his fourth career NHL hat-trick after joining the Canadiens as a free agent during the off-season.
The main thing that makes me think Toffoli is Ryder is that he wears the same No. 73. Toffoli is only the third player in Canadiens history to wear that number — I'll let you know who the other one was a little later.
Toffoli wore No. 16 with the junior Ottawa 67s, posting 52-48100 totals in 65 games during his fourth and final season there in 2011-12 after being selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the second round (47th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft.
When Toffoli joined the AHL'S Manchester Monarchs for the 2012-13 season, he wore No. 26 and was named the league's rookie of the year after posting 28-2351 totals in 58 games. When he joined the Kings for their final 10 games that season, Toffoli was given No. 73.
The next season, Toffoli helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup while playing on what was dubbed the “That 70s Line” because Toffoli and linemates Tanner Pearson (70) and Jeff Carter (77) all had numbers in the 70s. After that, Toffoli decided to keep No. 73.
The only other player in Kings history to wear No. 73 was forward John Zeiler during the 2007-08 season. When Toffoli was dealt to Vancouver at last season's NHL trade deadline, he became the first player in Canucks history to wear No. 73.
Claude Julien coached Ryder during the right winger's first two seasons with the Canadiens and again with the Boston Bruins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2011 with Ryder wearing his No. 73. Ryder produced backto-back 30-goal seasons with the Canadiens in 2005-06 and 2006-07 and scored a career high 35 goals with the Stars in 2011-12. Toffoli scored a career-high 31 goals with the Kings in 2015-16.
During a video conference call on Thursday afternoon, I asked Julien if Toffoli reminds him of Ryder.
“It's funny that you say that because you're not the first person that's brought that to my attention,” the Canadiens' head coach said. “Somebody else said that, and I don't remember who, but they said: `You know, does he remind you of Michael Ryder a little bit?' Yeah, there are some similarities there. Obviously, he's got a dangerous shot and any time the puck's on his stick, there's a good chance he's going to create a scoring chance of some sort. So there is a little bit of a resemblance there.”
When the Stars traded Ryder back to the Canadiens during the 2012-13 season, Brendan Gallagher became one of his teammates. I also asked Gallagher Thursday if he sees similarities to Ryder.
“They're definitely very similar,” Gallagher said. “The way they play the game, even their skating stride, their shots. It's kind of eerie. I definitely see the similarities, for sure.”
Which brings us back to the third player to wear No. 73 for the Canadiens — and it's a good trivia question to ask your friends.
The answer: Brendan Gallagher.
Gallagher wore No. 11 in junior with the Vancouver Giants and remains that franchise's all-time leading scorer with 136-144-280 totals in 244 games. When he first joined the Canadiens for the 2012-13 season after being selected in the fifth round (147th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft, Gallagher was given No. 73.
When Ryder returned to the Canadiens, Gallagher gave him No. 73 and went back to wearing No. 11, which became available after Scott Gomez left the team.
“I've worn 73 my whole career and that's nice of him to do that,” Ryder said at the time. “I'll probably give him a little something.”
Gallagher said back then that it was no big deal and he was happy to go back to No. 11.
“It's not like 73 meant that much to me,” Gallagher said after switching numbers. “I just feel sorry for the three people who bought (No.) 73 Gallagher jerseys.”
He's got a dangerous shot and any time the puck's on his stick, there's a good chance he's going to create a scoring chance.