It seemed like a normal year for the Senators, they were expected to finish near the bottom of the league, that's what they hoped for at least. It was halfway through practice when Senators Left Winger, Bobby Ryan, made a decision that would affect the rest of his season, and maybe his life, for the better.
Ryan was battling alcohol addiction and had reached the point where he knew he needed to get help. Ryan admitted himself into the NHL’s substance abuse program on November 20th, 2019 in hopes of getting the better of his battle with addiction.
Ryan returned to the Senators lineup in a road game against the Nashville Predators on February 25th, 2020. It had been more than 100 days since he had last played in the NHL, but he stepped on the ice with no nerves. The Predators game was rather uneventful, in part because the anticipation was all on Ottawa’s next game against Vancouver. A game that would mark Bobby Ryan’s first home game of 2020.
In Ryan’s first game back at the Canadian Tire Centre he scored not one, not two, but three goals! There is little more that can describe Ottawa’s 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks than this tweet.
The fans, the media, the team, and the city were there to support Bobby Ryan on this special night. Little more could have made his spectacular return to the NHL more special.
Welcome back Bobby Ryan.
Information on the story is courtesy from TSN and CBC.