Stars Sign John Ryder

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CEDAR PARK, TX – The Texas Stars, proud American Hockey League affiliate of the Dallas Stars, announced Friday the signing of former University of Denver defenseman John Ryder to a standard AHL contract.

Ryder, (6’1”, 200 lbs.), joins the Stars after completing his senior season at the University of Denver of the WCHA where he tallied four assists and 32 penalty minutes in 30 games played. He led the Pioneers last year with 209 hits and registered 33 blocked shots in spite of missing 13 games mid-season due to a broken kneecap. In his five-year collegiate career Ryder posted 22 points (1 goal, 21 assists) and 180 penalty minutes in 142 NCAA games; he also made four consecutive appearances for Denver in the NCAA Tournament (2009-2012). The Colorado Springs, Colo. native led the Pioneers in hits each of the last three seasons, racking up 802 hits in 102 games from 2009-2012; he recorded over 1,000 hits during his college career.

Ryder’s true freshman year (2007-08) was abruptly cut short when he suffered a right hand injury that required season-ending surgery after only eight games played and he was granted a medical redshirt. The 23-year old, who majored in finance and management, was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team for four consecutive years (2008-2012).