Former NHL Player Terry Ryan Returns to Pro Hockey on His 47th Birthday and Kenan Thompson Celebrates 30th Anniversary of 'D2: The Mighty Ducks'

Former NHL player Terry Ryan celebrated his 47th birthday by returning to professional hockey and fighting in a game for the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL. Ryan, who hadn't played professionally in 20 years, traded punches with Zach Walker of the Adirondack Thunder. Ryan fought Walker in the third period of the Growlers' 6-2 loss and also received an instigator penalty. Ryan, known for his role in the Canadian television comedy series 'Shoresy' and his popular hockey podcast, last played professionally for the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones in 2002-03. He was drafted eighth overall by the Montreal Canadiens in 1995 but only played eight NHL games over three seasons due to injuries. Ryan's book, 'Tales of a First-Round Nothing: My Life as an NHL Footnote,' was published in 2014. Ryan received the call to join the Growlers while celebrating his birthday at a bar and decided to play to avoid embarrassing himself. His 13-year-old daughter watched him play for the first time and gave him an extra long hug before the game. [d012d4f7]

Kenan Thompson, best known for his role on SNL, celebrated the 30th anniversary of his movie debut in 'D2: The Mighty Ducks'. Thompson shared photos and images from the 1994 film and reminisced about his time filming the sequel. He played the character Russ Tyler, who coined the term 'knuckle puck'. Thompson did not appear in the original 'Mighty Ducks' film but joined the cast for the sequel. The three 'Mighty Ducks' movies follow the story of Gordon Bombay, played by Emilio Estevez, who coaches a youth hockey team. Thompson credited the films with sparking his interest in hockey. He appeared in the third and final 'Mighty Ducks' movie released in the '90s. Thompson expressed gratitude for the love and support he has received from fans of the films over the years. [f45f025b]