He spent the next three seasons tending goal along the Bruins' chain in Oklahoma, Dayton, Boston, and Providence without ever seeing the light of an NHL day. In 1973, the New York Rangers in a Reverse Draft claimed Ridley. But as was the case in Boston, the Rangers were well stocked between the posts with Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure. As such, Ridley bided his time with the Providence Reds of the AHL.

At the start of the following campaign, Ridley was traded to the Atlanta Flames organization where, as usual, the team was in thick with goaltending talent, this time in the form of Dan Bouchard and Phil Myre. Ridley tended goal for the Tulsa Oilers where he won the Terry Sawchuck Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the CHL.

Ridley finally caught his big break when he was traded to Vancouver in 1976. With the Canucks, he saw regular NHL duty for two seasons. Wins were scarce, however, while losses and high goals-against-averages were in abundance. The clincher came with the arrival of a flashy redhead named Glen Hanlon who wrestled starting status away from Ridley. The latter was dispatched to the Dallas Blackhawks for the 1978-79 season.

The following year, Ridley picked up ten more games in a Canuck sweater and was then traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs were also well stocked with goalies, but they all went down with injuries and illnesses at about the same time. Ridley was rushed into the lineup and had a bad outing. Then, in his second week with the club, he broke his right hand thus nixing any hope of making a big impression.

During his second campaign in Toronto, the team continued to juggle five goaltenders which meant that Ridley was, for the most part, inactive. He appeared in three games and was then sent to the minors where he rounded out his career with New Brunswick and Cincinnati where he hung up his pads for good in 1982.