Ryan Stoa

Lore & Background

Ryan Stoa played high school hockey at Bloomington Kennedy High School, earning All-Lake Conference Honorable Mention honors in 2002–03, before joining the U.S. Development Program. He committed to the University of Minnesota, where as a freshman he finished second to Phil Kessel in freshman scoring with 25 points. After a season-ending knee injury in his junior year, he was redshirted, then returned as captain to lead the WCHA in scoring with 46 points in 36 games, earning WCHA First All-Star Team and first-team All-American honors. He forwent his senior year to sign with the Colorado Avalanche in March 2009.

Stoa made his NHL debut with the Avalanche in December 2009 and scored his first NHL goal in April 2010. He signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals in July 2012 and was assigned to the Hershey Bears. After missing two months to injury, he finished the 2012–13 season with 19 points in 46 games and was re-signed to a one-year extension. In 2013–14, he matched his career high 40 points in the AHL and was recalled by the Capitals, making his Washington debut in a 6–4 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on March 5, 2014, but went scoreless in three games.

After leaving the Capitals organization, Stoa played five seasons in the KHL for Metallurg Novokuznetsk, Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk, HC Spartak Moscow, and Traktor Chelyabinsk. He then moved to Sweden's SHL with Örebro HK, HV71, and Djurgårdens IF, before signing with the Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL in June 2021.

Reader's Guide

Ryan Stoa's time with the Washington Capitals was brief but marked a return to the NHL after a two-year absence. He was signed as a free agent in July 2012 and spent most of his tenure with the AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, where he matched his career high of 40 points in the 2013–14 season. His recall to the Capitals in March 2014 resulted in three NHL games, all scoreless, and he was not re-signed after the season. Stoa's career is notable for his collegiate success at the University of Minnesota, where he was a first-team All-American and WCHA scoring leader, and for his extensive professional career across North America, Russia, Sweden, and Germany. He also represented the United States at the 2005 U18 World Championships (gold) and the 2007 World Junior Championships (bronze).

Did You Know?

• Stoa was drafted 34th overall by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2005 NHL entry draft.
• He led the WCHA in scoring with 46 points in 36 games during his junior season at the University of Minnesota.
• Stoa scored his first NHL goal on April 9, 2010, in a 5–2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
• He won a gold medal with the United States at the 2005 U18 World Championships.