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David Rittich took Flames' plane to Toronto after being traded to Maple Leafs

arun srinivasan
Contributing Writer
·2 min read

The NHL trade deadline can always be delicate for players, but few had a more unusual experience than new Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender David Rittich.

Rittich was dealt by the Calgary Flames to the Maple Leafs in exchange for a 2022 third-round pick on Sunday night, providing Toronto with a solid backup and an insurance plan if Frederik Andersen is unable to return.

It wasn't a clean break for Rittich, as he took the Flames' plane to Toronto to join the Maple Leafs, as both Canadian teams are slated to square off Tuesday evening.

CALGARY, AB - APRIL 04: Calgary Flames Goalie David Rittich (33) catches the puck during the first period of an NHL game where the Calgary Flames hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 4, 2021, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB. (Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
David Rittich had to take the Calgary Flames plane to join his new Toronto Maple Leafs teammates. (Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

"There was definitely some fun happening there as far as pokes and jabs," Flames forward Milan Lucic told reporters. "It was kind of nice and cool to have him around for a little bit (longer).”

It's all fun and games for now but Rittich is expected to start for the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and his relationship with his former team could certainly become a lot less pleasant, because by the sounds of it he will be letting them hear it if he picks up the win.

Rittich is already experiencing part of the byproduct of Toronto's round-the-clock media coverage, being shadowed by Amazon's cameras for the upcoming series "All or Nothing," which promises unprecedented access to the 2021 Maple Leafs.

The 28-year-old Czech is 4-7-1 on the season with a 2.90 goals-against average and .904 save percentage.

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