Hulk — Nick Ritchie
This comparison comes as no surprise. Nick Ritchie would be the perfect player to represent the Incredible Hulk, and not always necessarily in the best way. Nevertheless, there are still positive qualities that Ritchie shares with Hulk and Bruce Banner.
Despite only playing 60 games this season, Nick Ritchie led the entire team in PIM (penalties in minutes), with 82 minutes total spent in the sin bin. While there are moments when penalties are unavoidable or not done purposefully, he often lets his temper and hot-headedness get the best of him, which is very reminiscent of Bruce Banner when Hulk takes over.
However, much like Hulk, Nick Ritchie can be misunderstood by the Anaheim Ducks fans. The fact that he was a Top 10 first round selection is often held over his head, and although his anger did get the best of him at certain points this season, he still took great strides to improve himself over the summer and is, in my opinion, in a constant state of trying to improve and prove himself.
He is known as a power forward and isn’t afraid to use his body and his power when he is on the ice. Ritchie is also incredibly durable. While he may not be a consistent goal scorer, Ritchie still managed to slot into the top five in points this season for the Anaheim Ducks.
NR37 was still a great asset to his team despite the areas he needs to work on. He seems to have the ability to be in the right place at the right time to set up his teammates for victory. While many are still calling for Ritchie to be traded, it is important to note that he is willing to try, and while he may not always succeed, at least he’s willing to improve himself and not stay stuck in a temper fueled rage. As the seasons go on, and if he remains a Duck, it is safe to assume that he will continue to develop and improve himself until he can control that part of himself.