RYAN
HUDDY
Bemidji State
Sr. | F | Stony Plain, Alberta
Huddy's
father, Charlie, has five Stanley Cup rings.
Key
Statistics: Huddy had nine goals and 15 assists
last season, placing him fifth on the team’s points
list. Each of the four players sitting above him took at least
23 more shots than Huddy (81). Huddy also was the least-penalized
Beavers regular, getting whistled for just five minors all
season. His three game-winning goals were good for third on
the squad.
What
He Does: Well, for one thing, he wears a famous name
on his back. Huddy is the son of 16-year NHL stalwart Charlie
Huddy, who was a defenseman for Edmonton throughout the ‘80s
and later played for the Kings, Sabres and Blues. Ryan Huddy
says he was never inclined to be a defenseman, partly because
of his size (5-9, 190) and partly because he’s measurably
better skating forward and sideways than he is backward. At
BSU, Huddy’s primary goal at the start of a shift is
to penetrate offensively and “get something going.”
Defensively, he’s average – which is an improvement
over his early career.
The
Bigger Picture: With the departure of Bemidji’s
top two scoring threats, Andrew Murray and Brendan Cook, Huddy
is one of a handful of forwards coach Tom Serratore would
like to fill the void. Huddy’s personal goal is to finish
his college career with 100 points, which would take a 38-point
effort this season. It seems like a lot, considering his career
high is 27 as a sophomore, but Huddy believes it’s reachable.
If he reaches No. 100, it will be while wearing a different
jersey number than when he started at BSU. Huddy was No. 24
until the school retired the jersey in honor of Joel Otto
two seasons ago. He’s now No. 26, which he likes because
the “6" comes from his junior number (16) and the
“2" comes from his father (22).
Huddy, on replacing Murray and Cook: “They
were our go-to guys. When we needed a goal, they’d be
on the ice, and a lot of times, they came through. They were
dominant players. They’d either score or set up the
next line to score against a tired line from the other team.
If I can have half the season (Murray) had last year, I’d
be pretty good.”
