Michael Theodore Van Ryn (born May 14, 1979) is a Canadian former professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...

defenceman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the latter a reference t ...

. He played for the

St. Louis Blues The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...

Florida Panthers The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and initially played their home g ...

, and

Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...

of the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...

Playing career

College and junior career

University of Michigan Wolverines (1997–1999)

Van Ryn played with the University of Michigan Wolverines in 1997-98, where in 38 games, he scored four goals and 18 points. He helped the team win the National Championship, as Michigan defeated

Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classified ...

3–2 in overtime in the final game. Van Ryn returned to Michigan for the 1998–99 season, as he scored 10 goals and 23 points in 37 games. His 10 goals led all defensemen on the team.

Sarnia Sting (1999–2000)

Van Ryn joined the

Sarnia Sting Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron fl ...

of the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overa ...

for the 1999–2000 season. He was drafted by the Sting in the eighth round, 133rd overall, in the 1996 OHL Priority Selection. He made his OHL debut on September 24, 1999, as he was held off the score sheet in 2–2 tie against the

Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They played out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth, Michigan, USA, a suburb of Detroit until 2015 when they were relocated to Flint, Michigan. History The Whalers ...

. On September 26, Van Ryn earned his first point, an assist, in a 6–1 win over the

Oshawa Generals The Oshawa Generals are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They are based in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The team is named for General Motors, an early sponsor which has its Canadian headquarters in Oshawa. In November 2016, th ...

. On October 15, Van Ryn scored his first OHL goal against

Brian Finley Brian Finley (born July 13, 1981) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender. Playing career Finley was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. As a youth, he played in the 1995 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a mino ...

of the

Barrie Colts The Barrie Colts are a junior ice hockey team in Ontario Hockey League, based in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Pre-OHL history There were two previous Barrie Colts teams which played Junior A & B hockey in the Ontario Hockey Association, one from 1 ...

. He added two assists in the game, for an OHL career high three points in the game. He finished the year playing in 61 games, scoring six goals and 41 points, finishing fifth in overall team scoring. In seven playoff games, Van Ryn earned five assists.

Professional career

New Jersey Devils (1998–2000)

Van Ryn was drafted by the

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The club was founded as the Kan ...

in the first round, 26th overall, in the

1998 NHL Entry Draft The 1998 NHL Entry Draft was the 36th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 27 at the Marine Midland Arena in Buffalo, New York. A total of 258 players were drafted. The last active players in the NHL from this draft class were Brian Gionta, M ...

. In June 2000, through a loophole, Van Ryn signed as a free agent with the

. NHL teams retain the rights of drafted college players until they leave the school. Van Ryn challenged this practice in court and an arbitrator ruled that a player drafted off a college team could play one season of major junior hockey and then become a free agent. Thus after two years at the University of Michigan, Van Ryn went on to play one year for Sarnia Sting, and then became a free agent, which allowed him to sign a three-year deal with St. Louis.

St. Louis Blues (2000–2003)

Van Ryn appeared in his first NHL game on October 5, 2000 with the

, getting 13:43 of ice time, however, he finished with no points and a -2 rating, as the Blues lost to the

Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...

4-1. It would be the only NHL game that Van Ryn would appear in during the 2000–01 season. Van Ryn played in 37 games with the

Worcester IceCats The Worcester IceCats were a US ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the Worcester Centrum. In 2005 the team was renamed the Peoria Rivermen and moved to Peoria, Illinois. History The IceCats ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 season, every team in the lea ...

, scoring three goals and 13 points during the 2000–01. In seven playoff games, Van Ryn scored a goal and an assist. He began the 2001–02 season with the IceCats, appearing in 24 games, scoring two goals and nine points. Van Ryn was called up to the Blues in December, and spent the remainder of the 2001–02 season in the NHL. On January 1, Van Ryn earned his first career NHL point, an assist on a goal by

Doug Weight Douglas Daniel Weight (born January 21, 1971) is an American professional ice hockey coach, executive and former player. He is also the former head coach and assistant general manager for the New York Islanders. During his 19-year National Hockey ...

, as the Blues lost to the

2–1. Van Ryn scored his first career NHL goal on January 23 against

Martin Biron Martin Gaston Biron (; born August 15, 1977) is a Canadian American former professional ice hockey goaltender. Drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first round (16th overall) of the 1995 NHL Entry Draft, he spent the first half of his 16-year ...

of the

Buffalo Sabres The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, alon ...

in a 5–2 Blues victory. On March 17, he recorded his first multi-point game, scoring a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over the

Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Mighty may refer to: * ''Mighty'' (The Planet Smashers album) * ''Mighty'' (Kristene DiMarco album) * ''The Mighty'' (1929 film), a 1929 American action film *'' The Mighty'', a 1998 comedy-drama film * ''The Mighty'' (comics), a DC Comics title * ...

. In 48 games with St. Louis, Van Ryn had two goals and 10 points. Van Ryn played in his first career playoff game on April 20, as he did not record a point in a 2-0 win over the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Divisio ...

. In nine playoff games, Van Ryn was held scoreless, as the Blues lost to the

Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference, and are ...

in the second round of the post-season. Van Ryn began the 2002–03 with St. Louis. He struggled in his time with the Blues, as in 20 games, he did not score a goal and had three assists. The Blues sent Van Ryn down to the IceCats in December. With Worcester, Van Ryn scored two goals and 10 points in 33 games. On March 11, 2003, the Blues traded Van Ryn to the

for

Valeri Bure Valeri Vladimirovich "Val" Bure (; rus, Валерий Владимирович Буре, p=vɐˈlʲerʲɪj bʊˈrɛ; born June 13, 1974) is a Russian-American former ice hockey right winger. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League ( ...

and Florida's fifth round pick in the

2004 NHL Entry Draft The 2004 NHL Entry Draft was the 42nd NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 26 and 27, 2004 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is especially notable because it was the last NHL event to take place before the beginning of the lockout ...

Florida Panthers (2003–2008)

Van Ryn finished the 2002–03 season with the

' AHL affiliate, the

San Antonio Rampage The San Antonio Rampage were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League based in San Antonio, Texas. The Rampage was primarily owned by Spurs Sports & Entertainment throughout the team's existence. In 2020, the franchise was s ...

. In 11 games with the Rampage, Van Ryn earned three assists. In the playoffs, he had no points in three games. In 2003–04, Van Ryn spent the entire season in the NHL with the Panthers. He made his Panthers debut on October 9, getting no points in a 3–1 win over the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conferenc ...

. On October 13, Van Ryn earned his first two points with the Panthers, both assists, in a 2–2 tie against the

. He earned his first goal with the Panthers on October 15, scoring against

Sean Burke Sean Burke (born January 29, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and the current director of goaltending for the Vegas Golden Knights. He played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the New Jersey Devils, H ...

of the

in a 2–1 loss. On April 4, Van Ryn recorded his first career three point game, all assists, in a 6–6 tie against the

. Van Ryn finished the season with 13 goals and 37 points in 79 games, the most by any Panthers defenseman, and third in overall team scoring. The Panthers failed to reach the post-season. The

2004–05 NHL season The 2004–05 NHL season was the National Hockey League's 88th season of operation. The entire 1,230-game schedule, that was set to begin in October, was officially canceled on February 16, 2005 due to an unresolved lockout that began on Septe ...

was cancelled due to the

2004 NHL lockout 4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. In mathematics Four is the smallest ...

. Van Ryn returned to the Panthers for the 2005-06 season. On October 15, he earned three assists in a 3–2 victory over the

, and then on February 28, Van Ryn earned his third career three point game, earning three assists in a lopsided 8–2 win over the

Tampa Bay Lightning The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play ...

. On April 18, Van Ryn scored his first multi-goal game, scoring both of the Panthers goals in a 2–1 win over the

Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

. In 80 games, Van Ryn scored eight goals and matched his career high 37 points, however, the club failed to reach the post-season. In 2006–07, Van Ryn struggled offensively, scoring only four goals and 29 points in 78 games, as the Panthers once again failed to make the playoffs. Van Ryn continued to struggle in the 2007–08 season, appearing in only 20 games, and earning two assists. His season was cut short due to wrist surgery. On September 2, 2008, Van Ryn was traded to the

for

Bryan McCabe Bryan McCabe (born June 8, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in over 1,000 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) playing for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple ...

and Toronto's fourth round pick in the

2010 NHL Entry Draft The 2010 NHL Entry Draft was the 48th NHL Entry Draft, held on June 25–26, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home arena of the Los Angeles Kings. This was the first time Los Angeles hosted the NHL Entry Draft. An unofficial re ...

Toronto Maple Leafs (2008–2010)

Van Ryn made his Maple Leafs debut on October 9, 2008, getting no points in a 3–2 win over the

. On October 11, Van Ryn earned his first point with Toronto, getting an assist in a 6–1 loss to the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

. On October 23, he scored his first goal with the Maple Leafs, as he scored against Tim Thomas of the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making ...

in a 4–2 victory. Van Ryn's time with the Leafs was injury plagued, as he only appeared in 27 games with Toronto, scoring three goals and 11 points. On October 22, 2009, Van Ryn underwent an

osteotomy An osteotomy is a surgical operation whereby a bone is cut to shorten or lengthen it or to change its alignment. It is sometimes performed to correct a hallux valgus, or to straighten a bone that has healed crookedly following a fracture. It is ...

on his left knee. The surgery was a success in that it allowed Van Ryn to continue his day-to-day life. The Maple Leafs announced on June 30, 2010 that Van Ryn would not be playing in the 2010–11 season.

Coaching career

Niagara IceDogs (2010–2011)

Van Ryn joined the

Niagara IceDogs The Niagara IceDogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was originally known as the Mississauga IceDogs and founded in 1996. The team was relocated to St. Cathar ...

of the OHL as an assistant coach, working under Marty Williamson. In the

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

season, the IceDogs finished in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 45–17–2–4 record, earning 96 points. In the post-season, Niagara lost to the

Mississauga St. Michael's Majors The Toronto St. Michael's Majors were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The most recent franchise was revived on August 15, 1996. In 2007, the team relocated to Mississauga, Ontario a ...

in the Eastern Conference finals. Following the season, Van Ryn left the IceDogs to join the Houston Aeros of the AHL.

Houston Aeros (2011–2013)

Van Ryn joined the Houston Aeros of the AHL as an assistant coach to the newly hired

John Torchetti John Torchetti (born July 9, 1964) is a former American ice hockey player and coach, currently serving as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. Torchetti has been an interim head coach in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Florid ...

. Van Ryn was familiar with Torchetti as Torchetti was on the

' coaching staff when Van Ryn was a player. The Aeros were the AHL affiliate for the

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

. In his first season with the club in 2011–12, the Aeros finished the season with a 35–25–5–11 record, earning 86 points and fourth place in the West Division, earning a playoff berth. In the post-season, the Aeros lost to the

Oklahoma City Barons The Oklahoma City Barons were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team's first season was 2010–11. They played their home games at the Cox Convention Center, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. History On February 9 ...

in the first round. Van Ryn stayed with the club for the

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

season, as the Aeros again had a very solid regular season, finishing the year with a 40–26–5–5 record, earning 90 points and fourth place in the West Division. In the playoffs, Houston lost to the

Grand Rapids Griffins The Grand Rapids Griffins are a professional hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and play home games at Van Andel Arena. They are the AHL affiliate to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey Leag ...

in five games in the opening round.

Kitchener Rangers (2013–2016)

Van Ryn joined the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL as an associate coach in the summer of 2013, working with the Rangers' newly appointed head coach,

Troy Smith Troy James Smith (born July 20, 1984) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Ohio State, was recognized as an All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy in 2006. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the fi ...

. The rebuilding club struggled in the 2013–14 season, finishing out of the playoffs with a 22–41–2–3 record, earning 49 points and a ninth-place finish in the Western Conference. In 2014–15, Kitchener rebounded and finished the season with a 32-26-3-7 record, earning 74 points and sixth place in the conference. In the post-season, the Rangers lost to the London Knights in the first round. Following the year, Kitchener fired head coach

, and replaced him with Van Ryn. Van Ryn made his head coaching debut on September 25, 2015, as the Rangers lost to the

Owen Sound Attack The Owen Sound Attack are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada. Based in Owen Sound since 1989, and operating under the current name since 2000, the Attack play their home games at the Harry L ...

in overtime by a score of 5–4. In the Rangers next game on October 1, Van Ryn recorded his first victory, as Kitchener defeated the

North Bay Battalion The North Bay Battalion is a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League based in North Bay, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was founded as the Brampton Battalion on December 3, 1996, and began play in 1998 1998 was designated as ...

4–2. Kitchener opened the season with a 13–0–3 record before Van Ryn suffered his first regulation defeat, when the Rangers lost 5–3 to the

Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a ...

on November 7. The Rangers finished the season with a 44–17–5–2 record, earning 95 points and fourth place in the conference. In the post-season, the Rangers defeated the

Windsor Spitfires The Windsor Spitfires are a Canadian junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1971, the franchise was promoted to the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League for the 1975� ...

in five games in the opening round of the playoffs, however, Kitchener was swept by the London Knights in the second round. On May 9, 2016, Van Ryn stepped down as head coach of the Rangers after only one season. Mike Van Ryn 2019

Arizona Coyotes (2016–2018)

Van Ryn joined the

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...

during the 2016 off-season as a player development coach. In the 2017 offseason, he was named coach of the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes'

affiliate. After the team finished in first place in the Pacific Division in his first season, he left the Coyotes' organization following the

2018 Calder Cup playoffs The 2018 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League began on April 19, 2018, with the playoff format that was introduced in 2016. The sixteen teams that qualified, eight from each conference, played best-of-five series in the division semif ...

St. Louis Blues (2018–present)

Van Ryn was named an assistant coach for the

on May 30, 2018, to replace the departing

Darryl Sydor Darryl Marion Sydor (born May 13, 1972) is a Canadian-American former professional ice hockey defenceman. He won two Stanley Cups during his career: with the Dallas Stars in 1999, and with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2004. He also reached the Stanl ...

. He won the

Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...

as a coach with the Blues in

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Coaching record

Awards and honours

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van Ryn, Mike 1979 births Living people Arizona Coyotes coaches Canadian ice hockey defencemen Canadian people of Dutch descent Florida Panthers players Ice hockey people from Ontario Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey players National Hockey League first-round draft picks New Jersey Devils draft picks St. Louis Blues coaches St. Louis Blues players San Antonio Rampage players Sarnia Sting players Sportspeople from London, Ontario Toronto Maple Leafs players Worcester IceCats players Stanley Cup champions Tucson Roadrunners coaches Canadian ice hockey coaches NCAA men's ice hockey national champions