HabsWorld.net -- 

Michael Ryder’s contribution to the recent success of the Habs has not gone unnoticed. In fact, today the star rookie received one of the best awards a first year player can take home during the season, as the NHL named him as their Rookie of the Month.

Not long ago, your best bet at tracking down the hard-working sniper would have been on a run-down bus driving across the United States. Now, however, all it takes is one glance and you’ll see those curly, golden locks flying quickly as the Habs’ newest fan favourite digs hard in the corners and bangs pucks by goaltenders from in tight.

After posting 12 points in 13 games during the month of February, a statistic that has seen him position himself alone in second on the CH in terms of point scoring and second when it comes to goals scored, Ryder will need to continue his production down the stretch. With 49 points so far, he looks to become the first Montreal rookie to hit the 50 point plateau since Claude Lemieux did it back when the Smurfs were your favourite TV show.

And, after seeing how he has performed after being hooked up with his new linemate Mike Ribeiro, there’s no reason to believe that young Ryder’s name will not get more than a few mentions when it comes time to choose the winner for the Calder Trophy at season’s end. Together, R and R have been very strong, and the chemistry between the two bodes well not only for the present day Montreal Canadiens, but for the future, too.

On behalf of the fans, congratulations to Michael Ryder, the cream of the crop when it comes to NHL Rookies for the month of February. A few more Ryder-izing performances would be welcomed dearly. But, don’t worry, even when a rookie scoring drought does hit #73, you’ll always know he’s working his very hardest.