Brothers Nick, Brett Ritchie Swapped in Historic Flames-Coyotes Deadline Trade

The Ritchie brothers have been included in a trade between the Calgary Flames and Arizona Coyotes ahead of Friday's deadline.

The Flames are acquiring defenseman Troy Stecher and forward Nick Ritchie from the Coyotes in exchange for defenseman Connor Mackey and forward Brett Ritchie.

Nick Ritchie was selected 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2014 draft. He spent four-and-a-half seasons with the franchise, tallying 43 goals and 66 assists, before being traded to the Boston Bruins during the 2019-20 season.

Following his season-and-a-half with the Bruins, Nick Ritchie joined the Toronto Maple Leafs and was traded to the Coyotes during the 2021-22 season. The depth forward has notched 80 goals and 101 assists in 465 games across eight seasons, failing to live up to his draft status.

The Dallas Stars selected Brett Ritchie in the second round of the 2011 draft. He spent the first five seasons of his career in Dallas, notching 33 goals and 21 assists in 241 games, before joining the Bruins, alongside his brother, for the 2019-20 season.

Brett Ritchie has spent the last three seasons of his career in Calgary. In 375 games across nine seasons, he has notched 48 goals and 32 assists. Like his brother, he is also considered a depth forward who can play in the bottom six.

Stecher, meanwhile, played for the Vancouver Canucks for the first four seasons of his career, tallying 11 goals and 64 assists in 286 games. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings before joining the Coyotes this season.

The 28-year-old has notched seven assists in 61 games with the Coyotes this year.

Mackey, 26, made his NHL debut with the Flames during the 2020-21 season. In 19 games across three seasons, he has tallied three goals and four assists.

This is primarily a depth move for both teams that allows players on both sides an opportunity to try to get going with a new franchise for the remainder of the season.

While the Coyotes are out of a playoff spot with a 21-31-9 record, seventh in the Central Division, the Flames are battling for a wild-card spot with a 27-22-13 record that leaves them five points away from the Winnipeg Jets for the last berth.