Ryan, a native of Spokane, Washington, didn't let his lack of size (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) keep him from playing in the NHL.
After four seasons with Spokane of the Western Hockey League, Ryan elected to play college hockey in Canada and spent four seasons with the University of Alberta. Then it was off to the Austrian league for three seasons before joining Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League in 2014-15.
Ryan, a native of Spokane, Washington, didn't let his lack of size (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) keep him from playing in the NHL.
After four seasons with Spokane of the Western Hockey League, Ryan elected to play college hockey in Canada and spent four seasons with the University of Alberta. Then it was off to the Austrian league for three seasons before joining Orebro of the Swedish Hockey League in 2014-15.
He led the SHL in scoring with 60 points (15 goals, 45 assists) and was named the league's MVP and Forward of the Year.
By now, Ryan was on the radar of several NHL teams, despite their concerns about his size. He signed with the Carolina Hurricanes (coached by Bill Peters, his coach at Spokane) and after spending most of the 2015-16 season with Charlotte of the American Hockey League, made his NHL debut as a 29-year-old against the New Jersey Devils on March 1, 2016, scoring a goal in his first game.
Ryan had two goals in six NHL games after the call-up, then improved those totals to 29 points (11 goals, 18 assists) in 67 games in 2016-17 and surpassed those numbers in 2017-18, finishing with 38 points (15 goals, 23 assists) in 80 games.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Signed as a free agent by Carolina, June 15, 2015.
- Signed as a free agent by Calgary, July 1, 2018.
- Signed as a free agent by Edmonton, July 28, 2021.
