The Simon Fraser University Men’s Hockey team is adding some scoring punch with the commitment of forward Stephen Ryan. The 2013/14 PJHL MVP and member of the 2014 PHJHL Champion Aldergrove Kodiaks is the sixth player to commit to the Clan as part of the 2015/16 recruiting class.
His play in junior had the Clan coaching staff interested in his talents for some time. “He has been on our radar for a couple years now, and we’re extremely pleased that he chose SFU,” said Head Coach Mark Coletta.
Ryan joins the Clan after playing his final season of junior with the Weyburn Red Wings, one of the traditional powers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League. He put up 22 points (12 goals and 10 assists) in 32 games with the Wings. His most successful season was in 2013/14 where he led the PJHL in goals (41) and points (88) on his way to grabbing the league’s “Most Valuable Player” honor. He added 12 points in 16 playoff games to help lead the Kodiaks to the PJHL Championship and a spot in the Cyclone Taylor Cup. Over the course of his junior hockey career, he played in 244 games, putting up a very solid 194 points.
While his offensive talents will be very valuable to the Clan, his game is built on being a two-way player. When asked to describe how he plays, Ryan said, “I take pride in my play at both ends of the ice. I like to make plays, but I will also do whatever it takes to help the team win, whether it’s blocking shots or working hard on the back check.”
Finding players who can score was key for the Clan this offseason. “He is a proven point getter, and we’re coming off our worst offensive season, so he’ll be a big help in that regard. We expect him to score goals for us, and I’m sure he’ll do that,” said Coach Coletta. Ryan will be key if the Clan expects to bring their goal totals back up to where the program expects them to be.
Stephen comes into a dressing room that will feature some familiar faces, as the trio of Robby Jang, Adam Callegari, and Jordan Liem were members of the 2014 PJHL championship team. Coach Coletta expects this will help with the transition from junior to college. “He will be familiar with some of our players already, so that will help make his transition to our dressing room and college hockey much easier.”
Stephen joins Valik Chichkin, Dustin Cave, Jamie Waddington, Robson Cramer, and Darnel St. Pierre as the sixth recruit thus far in what is expected to be a very strong recruiting class for the 2015-16 season for SFU.
SFU Men’s Hockey was re-established in 2004 and competes in the British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League. The program focuses on competition, academics, and community service as its core values. For more information about the SFU Hockey program, please visit www.sfuhockey.com.
