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Terry Ryan celebrates 47th birthday with fist-flying return to pro hockey

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland (AP) 鈥 Former NHL player Terry Ryan celebrated his 47th birthday with a fist-flying return to professional hockey, dropping the gloves and fighting Sunday for the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland (AP) 鈥 Former NHL player Terry Ryan celebrated his 47th birthday with a fist-flying return to professional hockey, Sunday for the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.

Playing professionally for the first time in 20 years, Ryan traded punches with the Adirondack Thunder's Zach Walker, a 25-year-old former Boston College player who got the upper hand at the end after Ryan lost his balance.

Ryan fought Walker midway through the third period in the Growlers鈥 6-2 loss, also drawing an instigator penalty.

鈥淚 wasn't planning on fighting ... but I turn around and my teammate, my buddy's got his helmet off,鈥 Ryan said in a . 鈥淲hat do I have to lose? I'm supposed to lose that fight like when I fought Tie Domi when I was 18.鈥

Ryan appears in the Canadian television comedy series 鈥淪horesy鈥 as Ted Hitchcock and has a popular hockey podcast. His book, 鈥淭ales of a First-Round Nothing: My Life as an NHL Footnote鈥 was published in 2014.

He was at a bar 鈥 鈥淚 was probably five or six pints in,鈥 Ryan recounted 鈥 celebrating his birthday late Saturday night when he got the call from the Growlers to join the short-handed squad.

鈥淚 still skate 4-5 times a week and I play a lot of ball hockey,鈥 Ryan said. 鈥淚 just figured if I had the cardio, at least a fraction of it, that I wouldn鈥檛 embarrass.鈥

Drafted eighth overall by Montreal in 1995, Ryan got on the ice for only eight NHL games over three seasons with the Canadiens. He sustained a serious ankle injury in 2001 and last played professionally for the ECHL鈥檚 Cincinnati Cyclones in 2002-03.

鈥淚 was joking with the guys, 鈥榊ou get sent down for two weeks, but two decades is a little much,鈥欌 Ryan said.

His 13-year-old daughter watched him play for the first time Sunday.

鈥淚 didn't want to embarrass them," Ryan said. 鈥淏efore the game she gave me an extra long hug.鈥

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The Associated Press

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