Roy Radke Explained

Roy Radke
Birth Date:10 December 1996
Birth Place:Chicago, Illinois, USA
Height Ft:6
Height In:3
Weight Lb:205
Position:Right wing
Shoots:Right
Played For:SaiPa
Draft:164th overall
Draft Year:2015
Draft Team:Chicago Blackhawks
Career Start:2017
Career End:2019

Roy Radke (born December 10, 1996) is an American former professional ice hockey winger who last played for SaiPa in the Finnish top tier league Liiga. He was drafted 164th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life

Although Radke grew up in Logan Square, Chicago, his family moved to St. Charles while he was young. He stayed in St. Charles and was educated at Lincoln Elementary School until the fourth grade when his family moved to Geneva. Radke attended Geneva Middle School North before playing prep hockey in Indiana at Culver Military Academy.[1] Radke later transferred to Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota where he played prep school hockey with the Shattuck St. Mary's Midget Prep.[2]

Playing career

Major junior

Radke was drafted by the Barrie Colts in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League Draft[3] and by the Indiana Ice in the 2013 USHL Draft. After the Ice temporarily withdrew from the USHL before the 2014–15 season, Radke's playing rights were sent to the Dubuque Fighting Saints.[4] On August 12, 2014, Radke committed to play in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Colts after concluding the 2013–14 season at Shattuck St. Mary's with a National Championship title.[3]

Leading up to the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Radke was ranked 104th for North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.[5] He was eventually drafted 164th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks.[6] Without a contract from the Blackhawks, Radke returned for one more season of major junior hockey before signing an amateur tryout agreement (ATO) with the Blackhawks American Hockey League affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs.[7] However, a few days after signing his ATO, Radke underwent season ending surgery, cutting his final OHL season short.[8] [9]

Professional

Although he was given the option to join the IceHogs in the AHL after his rehab, on August 21, 2017, Radke left North America to play with SaiPa in the Finnish Liiga on a tryout contract.[10] His tryout was extended in early October, and he eventually signed a one-year contract with the team in November.[11] His contract was extended to the 2018–19 season on March 10, 2018.[12]

Early on in the 2018–19 season, Radke suffered a head injury and was out for the remainder of the season.[13] On April 3, 2019, the team announced Radke would be healthy for the following season.[14] However, he was unable to be medically cleared to play and officially retired.[15]

Career statistics

Regular seasonPlayoffs
SeasonTeamLeagueGPGAPtsPIMGPGAPtsPIM
2013–14Shattuck-Saint Mary'sUSHS49 19 21 40 46
2014–15Barrie ColtsOHL64 9 9 18 299 4 0 4 2
2015–16Barrie ColtsOHL66 19 20 39 4315 0 0 0 0
2016–17Barrie ColtsOHL45 23 13 36 30
2017–18SaiPaLiiga4675123470004
2018–19SaiPaLiiga10100
Liiga totals4776133470004

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Druley . Kevin . Blackhawks draft pick finishes school in Geneva . kcchronicle.com . February 19, 2019 . June 30, 2015.
  2. Web site: Four Shattuck-St. Mary's Skaters Selected in 2015 NHL Draft. . ssmathletics.org . February 19, 2019 . June 26, 2015.
  3. Web site: Roy Radke commits to Colts . barriecolts.com . February 18, 2019 . August 12, 2014.
  4. Web site: USHL Completes Dispersal Draft . USHL.com . March 26, 2019 . May 23, 2014.
  5. Web site: NHL Central Scouting's 2015 final rankings . NHL.com . February 18, 2019 . April 8, 2015.
  6. Web site: Chicago native Roy Radke selected by Blackhawks . barriecolts.com . February 18, 2019 . June 27, 2015.
  7. Web site: RADKE SIGNS ATO . icehogs.com . February 18, 2019 . March 21, 2017.
  8. Web site: Power . Scott . Blackhawks prospect Roy Radke will have season-ending surgery. subscription. theathletic.com . February 19, 2019 . March 26, 2017.
  9. Web site: Brandon M. Cain . Blackhawks prospect Roy Radke to have season-ending shoulder surgery . secondcityhockey.com . February 19, 2019 . March 21, 2017.
  10. Web site: SaiPa vahvistuu Roy Radkella - "NHL on edelleen tavoitteeni" . jatkoaika.com . February 18, 2019 . Finnish . August 21, 2017.
  11. Web site: Radke jatkaa SaiPassa loppukauden . jatkoaika.com . February 20, 2019 . Finnish . November 8, 2017.
  12. Web site: SaiPa solmi jatkosopimuksen kuuden pelaajan kanssa . saipa.fi . February 18, 2019 . Finnish . March 10, 2018.
  13. Web site: SaiPalla on Liigan pahin loukkaantumissuma — Tuomenoksan mukaan aiheuttajina ovat maila, kiekko tai taklaus, mutta ei harjoittelu tai liian iso peliaika . esaimaa.fi . February 20, 2019 . Finnish.
  14. Web site: SM-liigaseura julkaisi peräti yhdeksän jatkosopimusta – ilmoitti samalla "selkeästi suuremmasta vaihtuvuudesta" . mtvuutiset.fi . April 21, 2019 . Finnish . April 3, 2019.
  15. News: Eminian . Dave . Roy Radke’s journey from NHL draft pick to Bradley golfer . October 15, 2020 . . September 24, 2020.