Best hockey player from each state

Jan 26, 2014; New York City, NY, USA; NHL former player Jeremy Roenick skates with youngsters on a miniature rink before the Stadium Series hockey game between the New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports /

New Jersey – Bobby Ryan

Of New Jersey’s 17 NHL players, 11 of them have been born post-1980, suggesting perhaps it’s becoming an underrated factory for hockey players. There are quite a few solid choices, but the best player from the state is Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan.

Ryan is fourth among all New Jersey players in games played with 627. His career points per game of 0.726 (as of Nov. 28, 2016) ranks second only to Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau. While Gaudreau might well claim the throne from Ryan one day, for now the Senators wing is the best hockey player from New Jersey.

He leads all players from the state in goals (213), assists (242), points (455), and goals per game (0.340). Moreover, Ryan has represented the United States internationally on several occasions, including 2005 World Juniors and the 2010 Winter Olympics. A native of Cherry Hill, he was drafted with the second overall pick of the 2005 NHL Draft. This gave New Jersey a lot more respectability on the ice.

In 2013, he was traded to the Ottawa Senators. With the Ducks, Ryan had 289 points in 378 games, including 147 goals and 142 assists. Meanwhile, with the Senators, as of Nov. 28, 2016, he has 66 goals and 100 assists in 249 games. Ryan is regarded as one of the better power forwards in the NHL. While Gaudreau has a great chance of surpassing him, Ryan has set a pretty impressive bar.

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