#5 Mike Ridley
Mike Ridley battled injury setbacks which caused him to get undrafted. Despite this he later fulfilled his NHL dream by signing as a free agent with the New York Rangers. Halfway through his second season, he was traded to the Washington Capitals.
He made a name for himself with the Caps. He finished that 1986-87 season with 15 goals and 19 assists for 34 points in 40 games. In Ridley’s first full season with the Caps he potted 28 goals and added 31 assists for 59 points. In 1988-89, he broke out with 41 goals and 48 assists for 89 points.
The next year his numbers dipped. Ridley scored 30 goals and 43 assists for 73 points. The next year he scored 23 goals and 48 assists for 89 points before rebounding the next year with 29 goals and 40 assists for a nice 69 points.
Ridley’s final two seasons with the Capitals saw him score back to back 26 goal seasons. That included 56 assists for 82 points in 1992-93 and 44 assists for 70 points in 1993-94.
On June 28, 1994, Ridley was traded by the Capitals to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He would finish out his career both there and with the Vancouver Canucks. In Ridley’s eight years with the Caps he recorded 218 goals and 329 assists for 547 points.
Ridley’s story is proof of how far you can go if you never give up.