Edmonton Oilers forward Derek Ryan is the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently playing in the NHL, as far as he knows.
When he and the Oilers visited Utah in late November, he spoke to the Deseret News about his faith and hockey career.
Ryan was introduced to the church by his wife, Bonnie. He got baptized a few years after they got married. He continues to have an active role in the church and does his best to live what he believes.
Here’s some of what he shared. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Deseret News: What do you think about having an NHL team in Utah?
Derek Ryan: I think it’s great. There’s a big advent of sports fans here. I don’t think hockey’s huge yet, but I think it can grow into a fan favorite. I’m excited to check out the game tonight and the atmosphere and the fanfare that’s going on. I think it’s great for hockey and for the area around here, too.
DN: Do you have any family around here?
DR: I don’t — my wife does. She has a sister that lives here and a lot of family in the surrounding areas of Southern Idaho and whatnot.
DN: What has your experience been like as a Latter-day Saint in the NHL?
DR: I’m used to it. I’m the only member, but in the real world, outside of hockey, there are a lot of people that live around people that aren’t members (of the church), too.
Honestly, it’s great. The guys are super understanding of my morals and my standards and they respect them. I’m just another guy. I think that I can be a bit of a beacon of light for some people that need that.
DN: When the rest of the team is partying, what do you do?
DR: I definitely still go to team parties — that’s an important part of being a team member, to be there. Obviously I’m not drinking, I’m holding to my standards.
If I was just hanging out by myself at the hotel, then that wouldn’t be a very good team member. It’s important that I’m there, and when I am there, which is often, it gets the guys fired up and they appreciate that.
DN: Do your teammates ever ask you questions about the church?
DR: Oh, yeah, there’s always questions — especially now that we’re coming here to Salt Lake.
It’s always questions about, you know, the temple and the church and what’s going on, so it’s a great opportunity for me.
Who is Derek Ryan, the hockey player?
In addition to being a man of faith, Ryan is an excellent hockey player.
He fills a depth forward role on the Oilers, who lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final last season. He specializes in defensive play and is a wizard in the face-off circle. He has also been a reliable option on the penalty kill, though the Oilers have deployed him less in that capacity this year.
Like most hockey players, the older he gets, the fewer goals he scores — but he has transitioned his game in a way that still makes him valuable to the team.
Ryan’s path to the NHL was as unique as any. After playing four years in the WHL for his hometown Spokane Chiefs, he headed to Edmonton to play U Sports hockey at the University of Alberta.
(Not to knock on Canadian university hockey, but guys who play there typically end up using the degrees they earn, rather than having extended professional hockey careers.)
After graduating with a degree in human physiology, Ryan proceeded to Hungary to play for the Alba Volán Székesfehérvár hockey club in the Austrian professional league. He played the following two seasons for a team in Austria before upgrading to the SHL in Sweden.
It took just one successful season in Sweden before Ryan got an offer from the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL. He played most of the 2015-16 season with the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, he got called up to the big squad toward the end of the year.
He became the oldest Hurricane to score a goal in his NHL debut: 29 years and 63 days.
Ryan spent the next two years with the Hurricanes before signing as a free agent with the Calgary Flames in 2018. Three years later, he signed with the Flames’ most bitter rivals, the Oilers.
Now, at age 37, Ryan is approaching his 600th NHL game and has scored more than 200 points.
He and his wife, Bonnie, have two children: Zane and August.
The Oilers don’t visit Utah again this year, but the Utah Hockey Club will be in Edmonton twice: Dec. 31 and March 18.