The accolades for Mike Ribeiro are glowing.
Great playmaker, great teammate, great citizen.
Most teams welcome an opportunity to grab a player of Ribeiro’s caliber and, over this past offseason, the Phoenix Coyotes won the lottery.
Once the Ribeiro and the Washington Capitals could not agree on a contact for the 2013-14 season, the Coyotes stepped forward and made an aggressive pitch.
For Ribeiro, the prospect of reuniting with former coach Dave Tippett and a return to the NHL’s Western Conference were both appealing. Once talks with the Capitals collapsed, Ribeiro quickly signed with Phoenix and relocated to the desert.
His offense credentials are well documented.
Last season, the 33-year-old center led the league in power play points and finished fifth in assists.
Yet, Ribeiro thrived under Tippett for the three years they were together with the Dallas Stars. Enjoying his best season in 2007-08, Ribeiro recorded 27 goals, assisted on 56 others for 83 points and had plus-minus of plus-21, all career highs.
After talks with the Capitals went nowhere, Ribeiro’s 2013-14 destination was pretty much a given.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Brown
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