Ryan Walter(I)
- Actor
Ryan Walter was born on April 23, 1958 in New Westminster, British
Columbia. He played 3 full seasons with the Kamloops (British Columbia)
Chiefs and the Seattle (Washington) Breakers from 1975-78 of the
Western Canada Hockey League (now Western Hockey League). Many longtime
Seattle Breaker (now Thunderbirds) fans consider Walter to be the best
player to have ever put on a Breaker or Thunderbird jersey. He was
selected by the Washington Capitals in the first round, second overall
in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft. Only Bobby Smith was chosen above Walter,
by the Minnesota North Stars. Walter spent 4 seasons with the Capitals
averaging 28 goals a season and was their team Captain (one of the
youngest Captains selected at the time). Before the 1982-83 season, he
along with Rick Green was traded to the Montreal Canadiens for Rod
Langway, Brian Engblom, Doug Jarvis and Craig Laughlin. Walter spent
the next 9 seasons with Les Canadien and was a member of their Stanley
Cup Championship team in 1986. His last stop was with the Vancouver
Canucks until he retired after the 1992-93 season. In his 15 season
career in the NHL in additon to the above mentioned, he was selected to
play in the 1983 NHL All-Star Game, represented Canada in 4 World
Championship Tournaments, named NHL Man Of the Year in 1992 for his
contributions on and off the ice and was selected by his teammates as
team representative and by his peers as Vice-President of the National
Hockey League Player's Association and he reached the milestone of of
playing in his 1000th NHL game. After he retired from the game in 1993,
he was named as the Vancouver Canucks' 25th Anniversary Ambassador
(1994-95 season), became a color-man for NHL games on TV for TSN (The
Sports Network), is president of hothockey.com and is a Corporate
Motivational Speaker.