International Hockey RoundtableCanadian right winger Brett
Ritchie, 32, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the
2025-26 season with the Sheffield Steelers, the English-based EIHL
club announced recently.
For
the former NHLer, this marks his fifth team in five different
European countries over the past three years.
“Brett is a big,
physical power forward who brings a wealth of experience, and a
strong net-front presence to our lineup,” said
Steelers head coach Adam Fox. “He plays a hard, north-south
game, skates well for his size and isn’t afraid to do the dirty
work and is willing to get to the hard areas. Brett adds size,
leadership, and a veteran presence that will be huge for our group
both on the ice and in the room.”
Sheffield currently
sits fourth the 10-team EIHL with 19 wins in 29 games. The team’s
roster currently includes long-time British national team captain
Robert Dowd and former Buffalo
Sabres prospect Cliff Pu.
Originally
from Orangeville, Ont., Ritchie played junior hockey for the OHL’s
Barrie Colts and Niagra Ice Dogs. He was a second-round draft pick of
the Dallas
Stars in
2011 and played 391 NHL regular-season games with the Stars, Boston
Bruins, Calgary
Flames and Arizona
Coyotes between
2014 and 2023, recording 85 points and 255 penalty minutes. He also
played 10 playoff games, scoring two goals – both in 2022 with the
Flames.
Since
2023, Ritchie has played in Belarus for Dinamo Minsk, in Slovakia
for HK Nitra, in Germany for the Schwenninger Wild Wings and in
Austria for Villacher EV, where he started this season, recording
three points in eight ICEHL games.
Internationally,
Ritchie represented Canada at the 2010 Ivan Hlinka Memorial, the 2011
IIHF U18 World Championship and the 2013 World Junior Championship.
While
in Slovakia, Brett played against younger
brother Nick Ritchie, who is a former first-round pick of the
Anaheim Ducks. Nick currently
plays in Romania for
SC
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