He flashed his potential for two seasons as a member of the Vancouver Northeast Chiefs of the B.C. Major Midget Hockey League.
Now, New Westminster’s Liam Ryan is eager to show his stuff at the major junior level.
The 17-year-old winger signed a player agreement this week with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, looking to crack the lineup for the 2017-18 Western Hockey League season.
"As a kid chasing my dream of playing in the National Hockey League, (the WHL) is the fastest route to making it," Ryan told the Record. "I've received a lot of support and encouragement from (Prince George) coaches and feel that it's a good fit for me."
The six-foot-one forward understands the challenges ahead, that signing an agreement doesn't guarantee a spot. He's eager to earn it.
"Two years ago I made the jump up to (major midget), against kids three years older than me. (Chiefs coach Jamie Jackson) and the coaches helped ease me in so it didn't seem like too big a leap," said Ryan. "I'm going to have to show (Prince George coaches) that I'm ready to play at that level, because you're facing some guys who were NHL draft picks."
A grade 11 student at New Westminster Senior Secondary, Ryan says the past year saw him and his teammates face numerous challenges. The team placed second overall with a 32-5-0-3 mark but were upset in the first round of the playoffs. All those experiences have helped prepare him for what's ahead, he said.
"This season everyone was very close and everyone bought in to their roles," he said. "Getting an 'A' this year gave me responsibility and I felt that helped me mature."
On the ice with the Chiefs, he demonstrated a power forward's mentality and accumulated more than 65 penalty minutes each year.
“He’s worked very hard over the past two seasons to put himself in this position,” Cougars general manager Todd Harkins said in a press release. “Since the day he was drafted he has continued to develop into a solid, impact player.
“Speed, skill and leadership are all major strengths to his game.”
Ryan was a seventh round selection, 138th overall, by Prince George in 2015, after having led his Burnaby Winter Club bantam team to a tier 1 provincial title.
It was the last of four B.C. tier 1 championships he played on with the private hockey program, after playing his first few years in the New West Minor Hockey Association.
He plans to spend the next few months working on his skating, believing that is one key area where improvement can make a difference.
"I'm going to work on my speed and skating, get a quicker step. You always have to work on something."
As a member of the major midget Chiefs, Ryan evolved into a leadership role, serving as one of the assistant captains over the past season.
He scored 15 goals and 28 assists over 38 games, improving on his rookie numbers of eight goals and 21 assists.
