Ryan Whitney is an American hockey player who plays as a defender. Spent ten seasons in the NHL. Then he moved to the KHL, where he played for the Sochi club. He gained scandalous fame in Russia after an interview in which he compared Russian women with "three-eyed monsters, as after the Chernobyl explosion."
Biography: early years
Ryan Whitney was born February 19, 1983 in the capital of the US state of Massachusetts - Boston. As a child, he became interested in hockey, and his parents identified him at the prestigious private sports academy Thayer Academy. It was located in Braintree, 20 km from Boston.
In 1998, Ryan graduated from the Academy. He was only 15 years old. Even then, the coaches saw the potential in Whitney, so they put it in the links with experienced players. Whitney often played alongside Brooks Orpick, the future two-time Stanley Cup winner at the time. He was three years older than Ryan. Despite the age difference, future teammates interacted well on ice. At that time, the academy team was coached by Jack Foley. Subsequently, it was he who would call Whitney to the Pittsburgh Penguins when he stood at the helm of this club.
In 1999, Ryan entered Boston University for higher education. There he began to play in his hockey team. In the first season, Ryan went on the ice in 21 matches, gaining 35 points. Thanks to this, Whitney was recognized as the team's best rookie. Two years later, Ryan was remembered by his former trainer, Jack Foley, who by then had already been training the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, not only he liked the game of the young hockey player. On Whitney showered great offers from other clubs.
Career
In the 2002 NHL draft, Whitney was selected in the first round under the fifth overall number of the Pittsburgh Penguins club. The main part of Ryan began to play only in 2005. In the debut season, he was able to score 38 points in 68 games. For the NHL rookie, acting as a defender, very good performance. He scored his first goal in a game with the New York Rangers. In the first season, Ryan chalked up 6 goals and 32 assists.
The following season, Whitney improved his performance. He scored 14 goals and made 45 assists. Such statistics allowed him to become the most successful NHL defender in the 2007/2008 season. However, in general, for the “Pittsburgh Penguins” season can hardly be called successful. The club lost the Detroit Red Wings Stanley Cup.
Whitney played for the "penguins" for four seasons. At the end of 2008, he received severe damage to the ankle joint of his left leg. Despite qualified treatment, the injury became chronic and periodically made itself felt. Whitney was forced to interrupt the training process, which affected his game. Despite this, he decided to continue his hockey career. That's just the leadership of the "penguins" hastened to get rid of the problem player. The contract with Ryan was not extended.
Whitney spent 10 seasons in the NHL. After the “penguins” he played in three more clubs:
- Anaheim Ducks;
- Edmonton Oilers;
- Florida Panthers.
In 2009, Whitney became an Anaheim Ducks player. He was immediately included in the starting lineup. The season turned out to be very successful for the “ducks”. They reached the playoffs, although in the final they still lost to the Detroit Red Wings club.
As part of Anaheim Ducks, he stayed for two seasons. Already in 2010, he changed his residence permit to Canada, becoming a player at Edmonton Oilers. Whitney played for this club for four seasons. Even then, his career began to decline. Raina had sad statistics in this club:
- in the 09/10 season: 19 games, 3 goals, 8 assists;
- in the 10/11 season: 35 games, 2 goals, 25 assists;
- in the season 11/12: 51 games, 3 goals, 18 assists;
- in the 12/13 season: 34 games, 4 goals, 9 assists.
In 2010, Ryan participated in the Vancouver Olympics as part of the national team. Then the Americans became silver medalists. Ryan did not distinguish himself at the Olympics: he played in 6 matches, but did not score a single goal and did not make a single assist.
In 2013, Ryan returned to the States and transferred to the Florida Panthers club. However, he did not stay long in it. Already in the next season, he left the NHL. According to the hockey player himself, he then realized that with his old injury in the North American League did not belong. However, Ryan did not want to end his career. He decided to try himself in a less strong KHL.
In 2014, Whitney became a player in the Russian club Sochi. Protecting his colors, he could not show anything impressive on the ice. During the season he spent 42 games, scored 6 goals and gave 13 assists.
The following season, Ryan joined the Swedish club MODO.
Scandal
In 2016, in a column for the popular North American hockey website The Players Tribune, Ryan shared his impressions of life in Russia. So, the American first noted that in Sochi he had no one to speak English with. Then he “walked” through Russian cuisine and medicine. However, the greatest resonance in Russian society was made by Whitney's statement about local women. The hockey player noted that the Russians are either chic or full of blemishes, there is no middle ground: "they are either Anna Kournikova, or the three-eyed monster, as after the Chernobyl explosion."
The last phrase was circulated by the media, which angered the Russian public. Well-known sports commentators, presenters and journalists were quick to respond to the American. All of them came to the conclusion that Ryan was a “downed pilot” who could not leave vivid memories of himself in the KHL, and therefore decided to take revenge by giving a scandalous interview.
