Flyers

Bobby Ryan Acknowledges Slip Up Following Nashville Arrest

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Jul 27th, 2022 · 11:03 AM EDT

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Cherry Hill’s Bobby Ryan is a free agent and was arrested this week at the Nashville airport.

Details from Detroit Hockey Now, via Scoop Nashville:

Ryan, who spent the 2020-21 NHL season with the Red Wings, spent Monday in a Nashville jail. Police ended up placing him under arrest for public intoxication at the Nashville International Airport.

According to reporting from ScoopNashville.com, Ryan was seen taking several items from an airport store without paying. Airport police were given notification of this, setting out searching for Ryan. Abandoning the stolen items on a counter, Ryan ended up entering Little Harpeth Brewing with the police in pursuit. He was found sitting at the bar, awaiting a drink he’d just ordered.

You’re probably familiar with the background here. Ryan won the Masterton in 2020 after overcoming substance abuse issues. He scored a hat trick on his return and then the Senators ultimately waived him, which led him to Detroit for the 2020-2021 season.

Wrote Ryan on Twitter:

I’ve had so many incredible messages today. Thank you for all of them. Today is day 1 (again). Mostly embarrassed, but I shouldn’t be. Today I’m waking up and choosing better.

— Bobby Ryan (@Bobbyry5409) July 27, 2022

That’s a good step, acknowledging the setback in public and accepting it. He’s been pretty open with this battle, and hopefully he can get back on track here. He’s been through quite a lot and his career is winding down, so you add in the substance abuse fight to the fact that he’s transitioning out of hockey and into something else, which makes it all very difficult and complicated. It looks like he’s getting a lot of messages of support on social media, so hopefully the network of people around him can be available and make a positive impact here.