Ryan Whitney (February 19, 1983, Scituate,
Massachusetts) is an American professional ice
hockey defenseman, drafted by, and currently playing
for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey
League.
Whitney enrolled at Thayer Academy in Braintree,
Massachusetts in 1998, and almost immediately logged
significant playing time. Head coach Jack Foley
often paired Whitney, a freshman, with senior, and
future Penguins teammate, Brooks Orpik.
Whitney's size and skill drew the attention of the
U.S. national team's development program. After
initially resisting the programs invitations, he
left Thayer for the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based
program for his senior year. After his senior
season, Whitney accepted a full scholarship to play
for Jack Parker at Boston University.
After his freshman season at BU, the Pittsburgh
Penguins selected Whitney in the 1st round, 5th
overall, in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. Whitney played
two more years in Boston before beginning his
professional career.
Whitney joined the Penguins American Hockey League
affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins during
the playoffs of the 2003-04 season, where he played
in 20 games and recorded 10 points. Under head coach
Michel Therrien, Whitney played in 80 games in
2004-05, recording 41 points and 101 penalty
minutes.
Whitney was recalled to the Pittsburgh Penguins on
October 31, 2005 to replace injured Dick Tarnstrom,
and remained on the team until the season ended. He
finished with 6 goals and 32 assists in 68 games.
During the 2006-07 season, Whitney played in 81 of
82 games, scoring a career-high 59 points.
