Ottawa Senators forward Bobby Ryan was spotted practicing with his Senators teammates Wednesday morning. It was his first time back skating with the team since he stepped away back on November 20th and entered into the NHL's Players Assistance program. The Players assistance program, which was started back in 1996 by the League and the NHLPA, is a confidential program that assists players with mental health, substance abuse, and other matters.
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Despite many rumours circulating online back when Ryan first stepped away, there has been no confirmed reports on what his reasoning was. A former second overall pick, Ryan has slowed down the past few seasons and is a shell of the player he once was. Until he stepped away, he had played in 16 games this season, registering just one goal and three assists. This is a far cry from the numbers the American-born 32-year-old was putting up just a few years ago, numbers that at the time earned him a seven-year, $50.75 million extension back in 2014.
Regardless of his current offensive output or contract situation, it is great to see that Ryan appears to be doing better with whatever struggles he was going through. It sometimes seems easy to forget that despite the money and the fame, these athletes are just regular people like all of us. Who knows, maybe after getting the help he needed, Ryan can regain his form and become the player he once was.
