FRISCO, Texas – After finishing his collegiate career at Brown University in the spring of 2009, Ryan Garbutt wasn’t through playing hockey – not by a longshot. Armed with a Sociology degree with a minor in Economics, the 23-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba put off entering the workforce so he could continue to pursue his dream of playing in the National Hockey League.
Ryan Garbutt
On Friday afternoon, Garbutt came one step closer to that dream when he signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Dallas Stars. The 6’1″, 195 lb. center split last season with the Chicago Wolves (AHL) and the Gwinnett Gladiators (ECHL), registering a combined 54 points (29 G, 25 A) and 142 penalty minutes in 75 games played. Armed with an agressive mentality, an effective scoring touch and a strong work ethic, Garbutt was pursued by a number of teams on the first day of free agency, but Dallas stood out to Garbutt, perhaps due to his rookie season with the Central Hockey League’s Corpus Christi IceRays. After attending training camp with the Manitoba Moose (AHL), Garbutt was directed to the IceRays by GM Craig Heisinger, a longtime friend of Corpus Christi head coach Brent Hughes. Garbutt distinguished himself at the IceRays camp, earned a spot on the roster, and began the 2009-10 season on the third line. Garbutt worked hard at the outset of his rookie season, focusing on doing all the little things right while establishing his contentious, straight-forward style of play. He tallied his first professional goal as well as an assist on November 7th on the road against the Allen Americans, contributing to a 4-1 win as the IceRays spoiled the inaugural game at the newly opened Allen Events Center. Quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s leading rookie scorers, Garbutt earned a spot on a line centered by team captain Justin Quenneville. After playing all 64 games, Garbutt finished the regular season as the league’s number one rookie scorer with 50 points (22 G, 28 A).
Garbutt scores on the Texas Brahmas%27 Joe Palmer
He was also first among all rookies in games played (three-way tie), goals (22), +/- (+24), penalty minutes (204), short-handed goals (tied with Allen’s Tobias Whelan with three), game-winning goals (4) and shots (246). He also finished a strong second in the Central Hockey League’s rookie of the year balloting. In July of 2010, Garbutt attended the Atlanta Thrashers Prospect Development Camp and signed with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Gwinnett Gladiators, in September. Once again, Garbutt quickly established himself as a standout player and was named the ECHL Player of the Week for the first week of November after tallying seven points (5 G, 2 A), including three on the power play and one short-handed. On November 10th, t he Thrashers’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, signed Garbutt to a Professional Tryout Contract. His work ethic and devotion to play every shift as though it were his last paid off as he notched six goals and 10 points in his first 20 games with the Wolves. His numbers, along with other attributes, convinced General Manager Wendell Young to sign Garbutt to a Standard Player’s Contract on December 21st. Garbutt finished the season with 37 points (19 G, 18 A), 118 PIM and a team-leading +27 rating. Garbutt will attend the Dallas Stars’ training camp in September and will likely be placed with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, for the 2011-12 season. Given his track record and prowess for standout performances on the ice, Garbutt may very well see his dream of making the NHL realized. Contact the writer/photographer at
robert.keith@prohockeynews.comRelated
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