Ryan Fitzgerald (ice hockey)

Ryan Fitzgerald
Born	(1994-10-19) October 19, 1994 Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
Occupation	Professional ice hockey forward
Years active	2013–present
Known for	Ice hockey forward for Utica Comets (AHL)

Ryan Thomas Fitzgerald (born October 19, 1994) is a professional ice hockey forward from the United States, most recently affiliated with the Utica Comets in the American Hockey League (AHL). He was drafted 120th overall by the Boston Bruins during the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

Early life

Fitzgerald was born in Boca Raton, Florida while his father, Tom, was playing for the Florida Panthers. His upbringing took place across Florida and Tennessee before his family eventually settled in North Reading, Massachusetts.

Amateur

Before committing to play collegiate hockey at Boston College in the Hockey East conference, Fitzgerald competed for Malden Catholic High School and the Valley Jr. Warriors in the Eastern Junior Hockey League. In 2012, he earned MVP honors at the CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game.

Collegiate

Starting his college career in the 2013-14 season at Boston College, Fitzgerald quickly made a mark by being named Hockey East rookie of the month in November. Teaming up with Hobey Baker Award winner Johnny Gaudreau, he ranked fifth on the squad with 29 points as the Eagles advanced to the Frozen Four, where they were defeated by eventual champions Union.

During his sophomore campaign, Fitzgerald led Boston College in goals scored with 17 and placed fourth in overall points with 25, although the team experienced an early exit from postseason play.

His junior season was a standout year; he topped the team charts with 24 goals and accumulated 47 points, contributing significantly to Boston College's return to the Frozen Four before falling to the Quinnipiac Bobcats. His performance earned him selections to the Hockey East First-Team All-Star and NCAA Second-Team All-American.

In his senior year serving as assistant captain, Fitzgerald’s production declined to 12 goals and 31 points amid a challenging season. Boston College lost in the Hockey East Championship to UMass Lowell and did not qualify for the NCAA tournament. He finished his collegiate tenure with totals of 66 goals and 132 points.

Professional

Following his college career, Fitzgerald inked a two-year entry-level contract with the Boston Bruins on March 24, 2017. He joined their AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins, on an amateur tryout basis for the remainder of the 2016–17 AHL season.

After spending four full seasons exclusively with Providence, Fitzgerald entered free agency. Lacking NHL contract offers, he signed a one-year AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers, on January 18, 2021. During that shortened season, he elevated his performance by recording 12 goals and 21 points over 27 games.

Fitzgerald continued within the Flyers organization by agreeing to a one-year two-way NHL contract on July 28, 2021.

On August 16, 2022, he extended his tenure by signing another one-year AHL contract with the Phantoms.

Most recently, on July 7, 2023, Fitzgerald joined the Utica Comets under a new contract.

Personal life

Fitzgerald is the son of Tom Fitzgerald, who played in the NHL and currently serves as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils. His younger sibling, Casey, plays defense for the Florida Panthers and was once his teammate at Boston College. Additionally, he shares family ties with former NHL players Kevin Hayes and his late brother Jimmy Hayes, as well as NHL athletes Brady, Matthew, and Keith Tkachuk.

Regular season and playoffs

2014–15 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season Boston College | HE | 38 | 17 | 8 | 25 | 54 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season Boston College | HE | 40 | 24 | 23 | 47 | 47 | — | — | — | — | — |- 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season Boston College | HE |34 |12 |19 |31 |56 | — | — | — | — | — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2016–17 AHL seasonProvidence Bruins | AHL |8 |0 |2 |2 |2 |13 |1 |4 |5 |6 |- 2017–18 AHL season Providence Bruins | AHL |65 |21 |16 |37 |45 |3 |2 |0 |2 |4 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2018–19 AHL season Providence Bruins | AHL |61 |9 |28 |37 |26 |4 |0 |1 |1 |0 |- 2019–20 AHL season Providence Bruins | AHL |61 |13 |14 |27 |18 | 2020–21 AHL seasonLehigh Valley Phantoms  AHL  28  12  9  21  8  —  —  —  —  — |- 2021–22 AHL season Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2022–23 AHL season Lehigh Valley Phantoms AHL 13 1 1 2 0 — — — — — |- 2023–24 AHL seasonUtica Comets AHL 22 1 1 2 8 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2009–10	Malden Catholic High	USHS		24	17	30	47	10		—	—	—	—	—
2010–11	Malden Catholic High	USHS		24	28	44	72	28		—	—	—	—	—
2011–12	Malden Catholic High	USHS		19	31	20	51	12		—	—	—	—	—
2012–13	Valley Jr. Warriors	EJHL		26	14	16	30	50		6	3	3	6	8
2012–13	U.S. National Development Team	USDP		5	1	0	1	8		—	—	—	—	—
2013–14	Boston College	HE		40	13	16	29	22
AHL totals				262	57	71	128	109 !20		3	5	8	10

International

Year	Team	Tournament	Outcome		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2012	United States	WJAC	Template:Gold1		4	4	0	4	22
Junior career totals					4	4	0	4	22

Awards and honors

Award	Year
EJHL
MVP, CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game	2012
Rookie of the Year	2013
College
HE Rookie of the Month (November)	2013
Second Team ACHA All-American	2016
First Team HE All-Star	2016
Member of HE All-Tournament Team	2017