NHL-ers go home again

In two separate NHL trades on Tuesday, February 26, a couple of NHL veterans and Stanley Cup winners returned to the clubs which drafted them.

Michael Ryder

The Dallas Stars traded right-winger Micheal Ryder and a third round pick in the 2013 draft to the Montreal Canadiens for power forward Erik Cole. Ryder played his first 314 NHL games with Montreal between 2003-08, where he amassed 99 goals and 108 assists.

Ryder signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins in the summer 2008, and after winning a Stanley Cup with the club in 2011, the Newfoundlander signed with Dallas. In 650 total NHL games, he has tallied 203 goals and 207 assists.

Simon Gagné

In the other transaction on Tuesday, Philadelphia Flyers acquired left winger Simon Gagné from the defending Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings for a conditional 4th-round draft pick.

The native of Saint-Foy, Quebec spent ten seasons in Philadelphia starting in 1999-2000 before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightening for Matt Walker in 2010. Gagné then signing with the Kings as a free agent in 2011 and won a Stanley Cup last season. A winner of an Olympic gold medal in 2002 and a World Cup in 2004 as a member of Team Canada, Gagné has collected 283 goals and 303 assists in 772 NHL games.

Both Gagné and Ryder were 1998 NHL draft picks, Gagné was the 22nd pick of the first round, while Ryder was selected in 8th round, 216th overall.