New Jersey Devils vs. New York Islanders 2nd Preseason Game

Devils winger Michael Ryder says his younger brother would've been an even better player than himself. (Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

(Hindash, Saed)

TAMPA, Fla. — It is not an easy subject for Devils right winger Michael Ryder to discuss.

An NHL star for a decade, off to a fast start with the Devils this season, Ryder has a younger brother who lives back home in Bonavista, Newfoundland, Canada with their parents.

Daniel Ryder, 7 years younger than Michael, has battled severe psychosis and barely communicates with anyone after a promising hockey career came to a tragic and sudden end six years ago.

“It’s tough because you have a brother but you don’t really have a brother,” Ryder told NJ Advance Media on Monday. “He has psychosis, OCD, anxiety, all of it. He’s on all different kinds of meds but nothing really seems to help.

“It’s hard to get him to do things. He won’t do much. I don’t talk to him too much. It’s hard to keep a conversation going with him sometimes. As long as he’s safe, my parents are happy. But it’s tough for them. It’s tough for them to do things because they have to think about him.”

Daniel Ryder was a pure goal-scorer who gained attention as a youth and averaged 32 goals per season during his four years of junior hockey with Peterborough and Plymouth in the OHL. He won the Wayne Gretzky 99 Award in 2006 as MVP of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.

Scouts, as well as family members, thought Daniel would be a better player than his older brother. And Michael doesn't disagree.

“Oh, yeah. He was a great hockey player,” Michael said. “Things just happened and it is what it is. He was good. I saw him play junior in Peterborough. He was going to be good. He just got off track, I guess. It’s tough with mental issues. It’s hard to know with the brain.”

After signing a 3-year entry level contract with the Calgary Flames, Daniel’s career went downhill quickly. He was suspended twice while playing for Flames minor league affiliates Quad City and Las Vegas.

A tryout with the Providence Bruins (AHL) in February of 2009 didn’t work out and within a year Daniel turned himself in to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police when he was accused of armed robbery in January of 2010 at a convenience store in Bonavista. He was eventually found not guilty for lack of evidence, but his life was unraveling.

“He would hear voices telling him to do stuff. That’s tough,” Michael said.

Ryder, who lives during off seasons in St. John's, Newfoundland, tried to help his brother.

“I talked to him, but he’s a pretty stubborn kid. You couldn’t really talk to him. He was going to do his own thing,” Michael explained. “With his mental issues, you don’t really know what he was thinking. It’s tough. He’s been on so many different meds and nothing really seems to make him get past that.”

There were never any signs of emotional problems when Daniel was a young kid.

“No. He was perfect. Outgoing, always on the go,” Michael remembered. “Then, all of a sudden things just changed. I don’t know what happened.”

They once hung out during summers.

“He was a bit younger than me but we still hung out and did things together,” Michael said. “We used to play hockey, softball, go golfing. Now, I try to talk to him and it’s hard to keep a conversation going because he doesn’t really say much. I’d ride in a golf cart with him for four hours and he wouldn’t talk much.”

It is a difficult subject for the Devils’ veteran, made even harder by the fact that there has been little or no improvement with his brother in his battle with mental illness.

“He’s the same, I guess. He’s not really improving much, just staying the same living with my parents now,” Michael said.

Is there any optimism?

“We’re hoping, but he still seems to be in the same boat,” Michael said. “He doesn’t do anything. I don’t know if he still hears voices in his head or not. He probably still does, but he doesn’t express himself, so we don’t know. He doesn’t say anything.”

Rich Chere may be reached at rchere@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Ledger_NJDevils. Find NJ.com on Facebook.