Ryan Ufko
{{Short description|American ice hockey player (born 2003)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| name = Ryan Ufko
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|5|7}}
| birth_place = Smithtown, New York, U.S.
| height_ft = 5
| height_in = 10
| weight_lb = 181
| position = Defense
| shoots = Right
| league = NHL
| team = Nashville Predators
| prospect_league = AHL
| prospect_team = Milwaukee Admirals
| ntl_team =
| draft = 115th overall
| draft_year = 2021
| draft_team = Nashville Predators
| career_start = 2024
}}
Ryan Richard Ufko (born May 7, 2003) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman for the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL). He played college ice hockey at UMass. He was drafted 115th overall by the Predators in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
Early life
Ufko was born to Michael and Jennifer Ufko, and has one sibling, Justin. He attended Smithtown High School and graduated from Laurel Springs Online High School.{{cite web|url=https://hurstathletics.com/sports/mens-ice-hockey/roster/kyle-mcclellan/12648 |title=Kyle McClellan |website=hurstathletics.com |access-date=April 14, 2024}}
Playing career
=Junior=
Ufko played two seasons for the Chicago Steel. During the 2019–20 season, he recorded two goals and seven assists in 43 games. During the 2020–21 season, he recorded ten goals and 29 assists in 53 games, won the Clark Cup and was named to the All-USHL First Team.
=College=
Ufko began his collegiate career for UMass during the 2021–22 season. During his freshman year he recorded five goals and 26 assists in 37 games. His 26 assists tied for the national lead among rookie defensemen in assists, and his 39 points ranked third among rookie defensemen. He led Hockey East in conference play with 19 assists in 24 games. Following the season he was named to the All-Hockey East Rookie Team. During the 2022–23 season, in his sophomore year, he recorded eight goals and 16 assists in 32 games. He ranked third on the team in scoring with 24 points and led the team in blocks with 48. Following the season he was named to the All-Hockey East Second Team.
On September 11, 2023, he was named a co-captain for the Minutemen.{{cite web |url=https://umassathletics.com/news/2023/9/11/bohlinger-and-ufko-named-massachusetts-hockey-captains-for-2023-24 |title=Bohlinger And Ufko Named Massachusetts Hockey Captains For 2023-24 |website=umassathletics.com |date=September 11, 2023 |access-date=April 14, 2024}} During the 2023–24 season, in his junior year, he recorded ten goals and 16 assists in 37 games. He ranked third on the team in scoring with 26 points and led the team in blocks with 55. His six power-play goals and six game winning goals tied a program single-season record. Following the season he won the Len Ceglarski Award and was named to the All-Hockey East First Team and named AHCA East First Team All-American.{{cite web |url=https://umassathletics.com/news/2024/4/12/umass-ufko-named-first-team-east-2023-2024-ahca-ccm-hockey-all-american |title=UMass' Ufko Named First Team East 2023-2024 AHCA/CCM Hockey All-American |website=umassathletics.com |date=April 12, 2024 |access-date=April 14, 2024}} He was also named a finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year and a New England Men's Division I All-Star.{{cite web |url=https://umassathletics.com/news/2024/4/3/massachusetts-hockeys-ufko-selected-as-new-england-mens-division-i-all-star |title=Massachusetts Hockey’s Ufko Selected As New England Men’s Division I All-Star |website=umassathletics.com |date=April 3, 2024 |access-date=April 14, 2024}}
He finished his collegiate career at UMass with 23 goals and 58 assists in 106 games.{{cite web |url=https://www.uscho.com/2024/03/29/umass-captain-ufko-forgoes-senior-season-with-minutemen-signs-nhl-contract-with-predators/ |title=UMass captain Ufko forgoes senior season with Minutemen, signs NHL contract with Predators |website=USCHO.com |date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=April 14, 2024}}
=Professional=
On March 29, 2024, Ufko signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Nashville Predators.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/predators-sign-ryan-ufko-to-three-year-entry-level-contract |title=Predators Sign Ryan Ufko to Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract |website=NHL.com |date=March 29, 2024 |access-date=April 14, 2024}}
International play
{{MedalTableTop|name=}}
{{MedalCountry|{{ihj|USA}}}}
{{MedalSport|Ice hockey}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships}}
{{MedalBronze|2023 Canada|}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Ufko represented the United States men's national junior ice hockey team at the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he recorded one goal and nine assists in seven games and won a bronze medal. His ten points tied for the tournament lead with Ludvig Jansson in defenseman scoring, while his
nine assists led all defenseman in the tournament.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/ryan-ufko-named-to-team-usa-s-2023-world-junior-championship-roster-338872492 |title=Ryan Ufko Named to Team USA's 2023 World Junior Championship Roster |website=NHL.com |first=Zach |last=Gilchriest |date=December 16, 2022 |access-date=April 14, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/world-juniors-2023-prospect-risers-fallers/vdtogthgqlet5neuoc91hz11 |title=World Juniors 2023: Jiri Kulich, Ryan Ufko among prospect risers; Brad Lambert's stock falls |publisher=The Sporting News |first=Josh |last=Bell |date=January 7, 2023 |access-date=April 14, 2024}} His five assists in the quarterfinals against Germany on January 2, 2023, were tied for the second-most in a game by an American in IIHF World Junior Championship history.{{cite web |url=https://www.nhl.com/predators/news/prospect-ryan-ufko-continues-growth-after-impactful-world-juniors-play-340643608 |title=Prospect Ryan Ufko Continues Growth After Impactful World Juniors Play |website=NHL.com |first=Jackson |last=Drake |date=February 1, 2023 |access-date=April 14, 2024}}
Career statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Regular season ! rowspan="102" bgcolor="#ffffff" | ! colspan="5" | Playoffs |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |
| 2019–20
| USHL | 43 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 21 | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2020–21 | Chicago Steel | USHL | 53 | 10 | 29 | 39 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2021–22
| HE | 37 | 5 | 26 | 31 | 12 | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2022–23 | UMass-Amherst | HE | 32 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 25 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2023–24
| UMass-Amherst | HE | 37 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 2023–24 | AHL | 9 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 6 |
| 2024-25
|NHL |1 |0 |0 |0 |0 |— !— |— |— |— |
| 2024-25
|Milwaukee Admirals |AHL |72 |8 |22 |30 |14 |10 |0 |3 !3 |6 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" |AHL totals ! 81 ! 9 ! 27 ! 36 ! 18 ! 25 ! 1 ! 12 ! 13 ! 12 |
=International=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em;" |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Year ! Team ! Event ! Result ! rowspan="98" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM |
| 2023
| WJC | {{bronze3}} | 7 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 2 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="4" | Junior totals ! 7 ! 1 ! 9 ! 10 ! 2 |
Awards and honors
| class="wikitable"
! Award ! Year ! |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0" |
| ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" |College |
| All-Hockey East Rookie Team
| 2022 |
| All-Hockey East Second Team
| 2023 |
| All-Hockey East First Team
| 2024 |
| Len Ceglarski Award
| 2024 |
| AHCA East First Team All-American
| 2024 |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Ice hockey stats |elite=511993 |hockeydb=227942 |nhl=8482715}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ufko, Ryan}}
Category:AHCA Division I men's ice hockey All-Americans
Category:Chicago Steel players
Category:Ice hockey players from New York (state)
Category:Milwaukee Admirals players
Category:Nashville Predators draft picks
Category:Sportspeople from Smithtown, New York