2026 NHL Draft Class - Ryder Cali

All gas, no brakes.

That’s Ryder Cali’s game in a nutshell. 

The 2026 NHL Draft prospect started his hockey career on wheels, not skates, and when asked about switching to the ice at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo, he referenced the braking, specifically, as a challenge.

“The stopping was the biggest thing I noticed,” the North Bay Battalion forward grinned while holding court with the media last Saturday. “I was also seven (years old). 

“I wasn't very good yet, but that's just what I remember; everyone thought I was stupid because I couldn't stop, so that was interesting, for sure.”

If those critics could only see Cali now. Ranked No. 25 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, he’s one of two OHLers with Cayman Islands ties looking to hear their names called in this year’s draft.

In the Caribbean, any and all hockey is played on wheels and that’s where Cali and London Knights forward Jaxon Cover learned to ply their trade. But upon moving to Canada, Cali fell in love with those frozen moments, even if he admits his hockey journey thus far has been anything but conventional.

“I think it just gives me a little bit of an outside view, I guess,” he reflected. “A lot of kids are kind of born into it and forced into high level, intense hockey from when they're young, but I was just enjoying my time playing roller hockey and kind of just loving the sport. 

“So I feel like that paid off in the end because I never got burnt out or anything.”

Born in Switzerland to a Canadian mother and Swiss father, Cali’s family hockey roots run deep. His Mom, Fiona McLeod, played three seasons of NCAA hockey at St. Cloud State before spending the better part of a decade playing professionally in Europe.

She’s been a role model for Cali, who tallied 16 goals and 36 points for the Battalion this season after playing Junior ‘A’ in the OJHL in 2024-25.

But for Cali, the thought of following his mother’s profession - pro hockey - is a fairly recent development.

“it's every kid's dream to play in the NHL, and that was kind of always in your head, but never did I actually think it was a possibility until I was probably 15,” he said. “I didn't even play AAA until I was 14. 

“So it was always just a love and a passion for me for myself and my Mom too. She always coached me. I think it all happened pretty quickly.”

Like McLeod, Cali will have NCAA hockey on his resume, too. The Providence commit takes pride in details at both ends of the ice, skills he’ll build on as a Friar in the coming years.

“I think that's kind of what separates me is my reliability and my D-zone awareness,” Cali said. “I take pride in it too, and that's kind of the role I want in the NHL.

“I think I'm a really skilled player, but I think I’ve just got to keep working on building up my confidence and holding on to the puck more, and my production will come.”

But along with that skill set, Cali’s got a bit of jam to his game, too. Make no mistake, when opportunity knocks to dish out a check, the 6-foot-2, 214-lb. centre is happy to oblige.

With a smile on his face.

“I think it's just natural with my size,” he said. “I’m big and heavy.

“It'd kind of be a waste and a shame if I didn’t.”