Ryan Lomberg

Playing career

Ryan Lomberg, a native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, first played junior hockey in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons, taking on minor roles with the North York Rangers and the Upper Canada Patriots. He then moved to the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the 2011–12 season, joining the Muskegon Lumberjacks. There, he became the team’s top offensive player, recording 40 points in 52 games, and also accumulated 154 penalty minutes, which ranked fifth in the league. Starting in the 2012–13 school year, Lomberg attended the University of Maine and played two seasons with the Maine Black Bears, totaling 18 goals and 14 assists across 66 games. After the 2013–14 season, he left the university following a suspension related to an assault and disorderly conduct charge, to which he pleaded guilty. To revive his hockey career, Lomberg returned to the USHL for the 2014–15 season with the Youngstown Phantoms. He scored 24 goals and 43 points during the regular season, played alongside future Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor, and served as team captain, helping the Phantoms win the Anderson Cup. His performance earned him an invitation to the Calgary Flames’ fall development camp, which led to a minor-league contract with their AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat. The deal was announced amid speculation that Lomberg would transfer from the University of Maine to Miami University’s hockey program. In his first professional season, Lomberg split time between the Heat and their ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder. He scored at nearly a point-per-game rate with the Flames’ system, earning more time with the Heat, where he had no goals, three assists, and 42 penalty minutes in 15 AHL games during the 2015–16 season. The following season with the Heat, Lomberg developed into a more versatile player, recording 127 penalty minutes along with 13 goals and 29 points in 68 games, ranking seventh and eighth on the team in those categories. Impressed by his work ethic and determination, the Calgary Flames signed Lomberg to a two-year entry-level contract worth $710,000 per season on March 17, 2017, which took effect at the start of the 2017–18 NHL season.