Bruce Ridpath

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David Bruce Ridpath (1885 – June 4, 1925) was a Canadian professional hockey player and general manager.

Ridpath was born in Lakefield, Ontario and played junior hockey in 1904 with the Westerns (representing Parkdale, Toronto) in the Ontario Hockey Association. As a senior, he joined the Toronto Marlboros in 1905. Ridpath was also a member of the Toronto Canoe Club and became known as a canoe racer and stunt paddler, performing in shows throughout the world.

He turned professional in 1908 with the Toronto team in the Ontario Professional Hockey League, playing alongside Newsy Lalonde. Ridpath helped his team to win the league title and scored a goal in a 6-4 loss to the Montreal Wanderers in a one-game Stanley Cup challenge. On January 30, 1909, he scored seven goals in one game as Toronto defeated Brantford 15-10. Later that season, he played for Cobalt in the Temiskaming League that would form the foundation of the new National Hockey Association later that year.

Ridpath signed with the Ottawa Senators in 1909-10, playing in the NHA. He played on a forward line with Gordon Roberts and Marty Walsh and rover Bruce Stuart and later with the line of Walsh, Dubbie Kerr and Jack Darragh. His most productive season saw him score 23 goals in 16 games and help Ottawa win the NHA final and the Stanley Cup.

In 1911, Ridpath was appointed the manager of the new NHA franchise awarded to Toronto. He was hit by a car on Yonge Street on November 2, 1911 and missed the entire 1911-12 season. He never fully recovered from his injuries, which were initially life-threatening. As it turned out, the team he had been putting together in Toronto was unable to play that season because of delays in the construction of Arena Gardens. Ridpath resumed his duties as manager in 1912, and assembled the Toronto Blue Shirts in their first season of play in the NHA. He resigned as manager in October 1913.

Ridpath never married and died in 1925 at the age of 40 at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. He had suffered a stroke on May 18 and never regained consciousness.