Ryan Graves

Ryan Graves, a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, was born on May 21, 1995, in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He now plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL. The New York Rangers picked him in the fourth round, 110th overall, during the 2013 draft. Before joining the Penguins, he suited up for the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils.

Growing up in Nova Scotia, Graves was childhood friends with fellow NHLer Nathan MacKinnon. They faced off in local youth hockey games and also played together on regional teams. In those early years, Graves’ tall frame made him clumsy, but his strength and shot-blocking caught the attention of coaches in the Yarmouth County Minor Hockey Association. During the 2010–11 season, he played for the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs, scoring five goals and seven assists. He was named the team’s top rookie and received the Scott Dee Memorial Award as the best rookie defenceman in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. That same year, he also appeared once for the Yarmouth Mariners in the Maritime Junior Hockey League.

In the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft, the Prince Edward Island Rocket selected Graves ninth overall. As a rookie in 2011–12, he put up two goals and seven assists for nine points, plus 34 penalty minutes. The Rocket finished last in the league and missed the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Graves later admitted he struggled to adjust from minor hockey to the junior level. By 2012–13, his confidence grew with more ice time, better knowledge of the league, and guidance from older teammates. He also worked three times a week with a skating coach from Newfoundland to fix his coordination issues. His improved offensive numbers that season drew NHL scouts, leading to his selection by the Rangers.

The Rocket rebranded as the Charlottetown Islanders for 2013–14. Graves recorded 12 points in 39 games before being traded to the Val-d’Or Foreurs for their playoff run. He added eight points in 24 postseason games, helping the Foreurs win the President’s Cup. On March 17, 2014, he signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Rangers. Before the 2014–15 season, Val-d’Or traded him to the Quebec Remparts for Vincent Lanoue and draft picks. As an assistant captain, Graves had a breakout year with career highs of 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in 50 games. He made the Canadian Hockey League’s Memorial Cup All-Star Team after collecting five points in five games for host Quebec.

Graves turned pro in 2015–16 with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He made his professional debut on October 10, 2015, against the St. John’s IceCaps. Thirteen days later, he scored his first pro goal and added an assist in a 4–3 win over the Syracuse Crunch. Known for his size and mobility, he became a regular on Hartford’s blueline and was selected for the 2016 AHL All-Star Game, where he won the hardest shot competition with a 103.4 mph slapshot. He finished the season leading Hartford defencemen with nine goals and 21 points in 74 games, though the Wolf Pack missed the playoffs. In 2016–17, he again led Hartford defence in scoring with eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points and was named an alternate captain. His production dipped in the final year of his entry-level contract, with four goals and 11 points in 57 games.

At the 2018 trade deadline on February 26, the Rangers traded Graves to the Colorado Avalanche for Chris Bigras. He was sent to Colorado’s AHL affiliate, the San Antonio Rampage, where he had one goal and six points in 21 games. The Avalanche re-signed him to a one-year contract on July 17, 2018. He made his NHL debut with Colorado that season and scored his first NHL goal on January 4, 2019, against the team that drafted him, the Rangers. He split time between the Avalanche and their new AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles. On July 8, 2019, he signed another one-year deal.

In 2019–20, Graves became a regular in Colorado’s lineup, mostly playing alongside Calder Trophy winner Cale Makar. In a top-pairing role, he set career highs in goals and points and led the NHL with a +40 plus-minus rating. On October 12, 2020, he signed a three-year, $9.5 million extension. During the pandemic-delayed 2020–21 season, he played his 100th NHL game on January 22, 2021, in a 3–2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks. Used in a top-four role, he became a key part of Colorado’s penalty kill, finishing third in the league in short-handed ice time. He appeared in 54 of 56 games, with two goals and 15 points.