The Work Behind Ryan Winterton’s Growth 

Ryan Winterton has spent years building the strength and confidence needed to succeed in the NHL. Now, as he looks to become a more consistent Kraken contributor, that work is beginning to show.  

“I’m just trying to be the best I can every night and do everything I can to help my team out,” Winterton said. "I want to score more and kind of produce more.” 

Through his first 12 games of the 2026-27 season, the forward has two goals and four assists, putting him on an early pace to well surpass the four goals and 14 assists he recorded in 68 games last season.Winterton is looking to build on that experience through greater consistency; part of a longer development process requiring patience, physical growth and a willingness to keep working through adversity. Last season gave Winterton, 23, raised in the suburbs of Toronto, a better understanding of what it takes to sustain that work across a full NHL schedule. Appearing in 68 games meant learning to prepare for consecutive nights, manage recovery and remain ready even when there was little time between games. This season, he’s taking a similar approach. 

“It’s just getting ready to go night after night,” Winterton said. “A lot of back-to-backs, an 84-game season and little rest. So I’m just kind of learning how to treat my body and just get myself ready for each game as best I can.” 

His full season of experience also helped inform Winterton about details he wanted to improve. Beyond adding strength, Winterton has been working to become more comfortable making plays under pressure rather than giving up possession when opponents close in.

Building up his physical traits is nothing new for the Kraken’s third round, 67th overall selection from the 2021 NHL Draft.

He’s always been a versatile forward with the ability to contribute in different situations. But his NHL path included significant obstacles before he could establish himself at the professional level. 

During his junior hockey career, Winterton suffered two major shoulder injuries requiring surgery. The rehabilitation process was long, and his second injury came during the 2022 Memorial Cup while playing for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League. He returned to the ice after both injuries, continuing to build his game and work toward his NHL opportunity. 

When Winterton first joined the organization, his physical development was limited by the recovery process. Nate Brookreson, the Kraken’s newly elevated Director of Performance, said Winterton was doing very limited physical testing his first two seasons following the draft as he focused primarily on rehabilitating his shoulder. 

Brookreson said the team spoke with Winterton about upping his physical strength as he prepared to transition from junior to pro hockey. And the results began showing when he arrived at Kraken Development Camp the summer of 2023 ahead of his first pro season for AHL Coachella Valley. 

 During physical testing at that camp, Winterton topped all comers. 

 “His potential was going to be carved out at this level by developing his physical qualities,” Brookreson said. “So, for him, getting stronger, improving his endurance, improving his overall fitness was going to be crucial for him to make it to the professional level.”

Winterton had taken the team’s advice to heart; heading back home to the Toronto area to work with then-Kraken performance consultant and former longtime NHL power forward Gary Roberts. The pair have worked together since right after Winterton was drafted.  

 For Winterton, their shared relationship over the years has become an important part of his long-term development. Roberts was directly involved in helping him through the recovery process after his shoulder injuries, giving their work together a history that goes beyond offseason training. 

 “I’ve been with him ever since I was a junior,” Winterton said. “He’s been awesome; he pretty much taught me how to be successful at this level. He’s awesome for me and just my development.” 

Roberts saw a player in Winterton with a broad skill set upon entering the organization. 

 “He was considered a Swiss army knife when he was drafted,” Roberts said. “He could score for you, but he could also kill penalties.” 

 That versatility remains a strength. The challenge has been helping Winterton develop the physical tools to use those skills consistently against NHL competition.

“He was very slight when he was drafted,” Roberts said. “We’ve really tried to just over time get him to a point now where physically, and strength-wise, I think he’s in a better position to succeed in the National Hockey League.” 

 It has taken more than one offseason to get there.  

 Winterton has continued to work with Roberts on his strength, speed and power, building on the foundation he developed through junior hockey, rehabilitation and his first extended NHL season. Roberts has also helped Winterton develop habits supporting the demands of a professional season, including nutrition and fueling his body for training.  

 That work continued this past summer with more fine-tuning and tweaks. 

 “Just the usual training, trying to get bigger, stronger, and getting on the ice as much as I can,” Winterton said. “Working on the little things in the game that kind of matter more than you’d think.”

Roberts said young players can sometimes move the puck too quickly when they feel pressure but wants Winterton to trust his abilities and create offensively. 

 “I encourage him to hang on to the puck more, make those plays, not just throwing the puck away as quickly,” Roberts said. “He’s got the skills to do that.” 

 Board battles have been a particular focus. They worked on those situations at least a couple of times per week, recreating the moments Winterton faces in games when he is trying to protect the puck against a bigger defenseman along the boards. 

 “I think with wall battles, that’s where you’ll always look at the competitiveness of a player,” Roberts said. “And for me, that’s changed for Ryan.” 

 The work has given Winterton more opportunities to practice maintaining possession and finding a play while dealing with physical pressure. Those situations demand strength, but they also require confidence and awareness to recognize an option before an opponent can take the puck away. 

 Roberts feels the physical improvements are allowing Winterton to better maximize his skills, be it in generating scoring chances or killing penalties. 

 “He’s a very reliable player,” Roberts said. “He plays the right way.” 

 Brookreson has also seen Winterton’s physicality become a more prominent part of his game, particularly on the forecheck. He noted that Winterton is getting more physical along the walls, using his strength to take pucks away and create opportunities for himself and his teammates.  

 “He’s able to bang into bodies and take pucks away and is overall becoming a better playmaker.”

The next step is about adding more offensive impact to that dependable foundation. Winterton has made that an explicit goal this season, and his early production offers an encouraging start, even as the challenge remains sustaining it over a much longer schedule. 

 Kraken head coach Lane Lambert has also noticed a difference in Winterton’s game early this season. 

 “He’s had a great start to the season,” Lambert said. “He’s moving his feet. And I think that maybe his mind’s a little more free.” 

 Last season, Winterton dealt with the loss of his brother to cancer. Winterton has previously referred to it as the “toughest couple weeks of his life.”  

 Lambert pointed to Winterton, Freddy Gaudreau and Ben Meyers as players who helped Seattle during its recent road trip, highlighting the contributions of players who have helped the team find success early in the season. 

The results are still developing, but the foundation has been years in the making. Winterton is stronger than when he entered the organization, more experienced and working to trust his skills. 

 He and other young players feel they can do more to help the Kraken improve as well after a disappointing finish last season.  

“I don't think we really liked how the year ended,” Winterton said. “Maybe just, you know, I think we have a little bitter taste in our mouths after last year. And we want to go further.” 

And he knows that team-wide improvement begins with first holding himself to that standard of betterment.