A TENACIOUS COMPETITOR WHO SUITED UP FOR MORE THAN 1000 NHL GAMES, RYAN WALTER SAVORED THE ONLY STANLEY CUP OF HIS CAREER WITH THE CANADIENS IN 1986.

A sturdy forward who represented the Canadiens at the 1983 All-Star Game, Ryan Walter played over 1,000 NHL games in his career, spending the majority of his time in a Montreal sweater. Drafted second overall by Washington in 1978, Montreal acquired the rugged forward in a blockbuster trade prior to the 1982-83 season.

In four years with the Caps, Walter went from raw recruit to one of the most coveted young stars in the NHL. After a 28-goal, 55-point rookie campaign in 1978-79, Walter was named team captain prior to the start of his sophomore year, a title he would keep for the rest of his time in Washington. He upped his offensive numbers annually while playing a tough, physical style that often saw him sent to the box for more than 100 penalty minutes each season.

Asked to use his 6-foot, 200-pound frame in a defensive capacity, Walter accepted the assignment and accomplished the task for the next nine seasons, also managing to significantly reduce his time in the penalty box as he matured.

Using positioning, anticipation and dogged determination to stymie his opponents, Walter was a formidable adversary on the ice. He established a reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the league and became an essential ingredient on a team bound for bigger things.

Emerging as a complete player, Walter still managed to let his offensive skills shine from time to time. He recorded three 20-goal campaigns and finished among the team’s top five scorers in three different seasons.

A broken ankle suffered in the spring of 1986 kept him off the ice to finish off the season, but he came back in time to suit up for five playoff tilts en route to claiming the lone Stanley Cup of his career. The following year, he picked up 19 postseason points, more than doubling his previous career summit.

After nine years with the Canadiens, the British Columbia native signed as a free agent with the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 1991 and retired after the 1992-93 season.

Walter worked as a broadcaster after hanging up his skates and has become a sought-after motivational speaker. His son, Ben, made his NHL debut with Boston in 2005-06.

In the summer of 2008, Walter was hired by the Vancouver Canucks as an assistant coach.