Ryan Graves (ice hockey)
Ryan Graves | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 21, 1995 Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Occupation | Professional ice hockey defenseman |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Known for | Playing for Pittsburgh Penguins in the NHL; formerly with New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils |
Ryan Graves (born May 21, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was chosen by the New York Rangers during the fourth round, 110th overall, in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Graves has also been a member of the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils throughout his career.
Early life
Born in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Graves is the son of Ron Graves and Monica Brennan. Growing up in Nova Scotia, he often played alongside and against fellow native Nathan MacKinnon in youth and regional hockey competitions.
Although initially perceived as awkward due to his height, Graves gained recognition from coaches within the Yarmouth County Minor Hockey Association for his physical strength and ability to block shots effectively.
During the 2010–11 minor ice hockey season, Graves competed with the South Shore Canadian Tire Mustangs, tallying five goals and seven assists. He earned accolades as the team’s best rookie and received the Scott Dee Memorial Award for top rookie defenseman in the Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League. Additionally, he made a single appearance with the Yarmouth Mariners of the Maritime Junior Hockey League that same year.
Junior
Graves was selected ninth overall by the Prince Edward Island Rocket in the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). In his rookie campaign during 2011–12, he amassed two goals and seven assists for a total of nine points while accumulating 34 penalty minutes. The Rocket ended the season at the bottom of the standings with a 19–43–2–4 record, missing postseason play for the first time in seven years.
Transitioning from minor to junior hockey presented challenges for Graves initially; however, his performance improved in 2012–13 thanks to increased ice time, better understanding of league play, and guidance from veteran teammates. He also worked consistently with a skating coach based in Newfoundland to enhance his coordination.
Following an uptick in offensive output during the 2012–13 season, Graves drew NHL interest and was drafted 110th overall by the New York Rangers in 2013. The Rocket underwent rebranding as the Charlottetown Islanders for 2013–14. Graves recorded 12 points over 39 games before being traded to the Val-d'Or Foreurs to bolster their playoff efforts. He contributed eight points across 24 postseason matches, playing a role in Val-d'Or’s capture of the President's Cup. On March 17, 2014, Graves inked a three-year entry-level deal with the Rangers.
Prior to the start of the 2014–15 season, Val-d'Or traded Graves to the Quebec Remparts in return for Vincent Lanoue and draft selections. Acting as assistant captain, he enjoyed a breakout year with personal bests of 15 goals and 24 assists totaling 39 points over 50 games. His performance earned him a place on the Canadian Hockey League's Memorial Cup All-Star Team after contributing five points during five games at Quebec’s tournament hosting.
New York Rangers organization (2015–18)
During the 2015–16 season, Graves was assigned to New York’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. He made his professional debut on October 10, 2015, and netted his first pro goal on October 23, helping secure a 4–3 victory over the Syracuse Crunch. Recognized for combining size with agility, Graves quickly became an integral defender for Hartford and was selected to participate in the 2016 AHL All-Star Game, where he won the hardest shot contest with a powerful slapshot. He led Hartford defensemen with nine goals and totaled 21 points across 74 games despite the team failing to qualify for playoffs.
In the following 2016–17 season, Graves maintained his role as Hartford’s top-scoring defenseman with eight goals and 30 points while serving as an alternate captain. However, during his final year under entry-level contract (2017–18), his offensive numbers decreased to four goals and eleven points over 57 games.
Colorado Avalanche (2018–21)
At the 2018 trade deadline on February 26, Graves was exchanged to the Colorado Avalanche in return for Chris Bigras. He was assigned to Colorado’s AHL team, the San Antonio Rampage, where he tallied one goal and six points over 21 contests.
Graves secured a one-year deal with Colorado on July 17, 2018. That season marked his NHL debut, and he netted his first NHL goal on January 4, 2019, facing the New York Rangers. He divided his playing time between the Avalanche and their newly affiliated AHL club, the Colorado Eagles, before agreeing to another one-year contract on July 8, 2019.
In the 2019–20 campaign, Graves earned a consistent spot in the NHL lineup, predominantly paired alongside Calder Trophy recipient Cale Makar. In this prominent defensive pairing role, he achieved personal bests in goals and overall points while leading the league with a +40 plus–minus rating. On October 12, 2020, Graves inked a three-year extension worth $9.5 million with Colorado.
During the COVID-19 pandemic-delayed season, Graves reached his 100th NHL appearance on January 22, 2021. He played a crucial role in Colorado’s penalty-killing unit, ranking third across the NHL for short-handed ice time. Over 54 of the team’s 56 regular-season games, he contributed two goals and 15 points.
New Jersey Devils (2021–2023)
Prior to the expansion draft on July 15, 2021, Graves was traded by the Avalanche to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Mikhail Maltsev and a second-round draft pick in 2021.
In his inaugural season with New Jersey, Graves set a new career record by accumulating 28 points—six goals and 22 assists—across 75 games. The following season saw him participate in 78 matches, producing eight goals and eighteen assists for a total of 26 points. Notably, his final assist of that year represented his milestone 100th point in NHL play.
Pittsburgh Penguins (2023–present)
Upon expiration of his contract with New Jersey, Graves committed to a six-year contract valued at $27 million with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1, 2023, thus continuing within the Metropolitan Division.
In his debut campaign with Pittsburgh, he appeared in 70 games and recorded three goals alongside eleven assists for a total of fourteen points. On March 29, 2024, Graves sustained a concussion during a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets which led to his placement on long-term injured reserve as of April 11, sidelining him for the remainder of that regular season.
In October 2025, the Penguins placed Graves on waivers; after remaining unclaimed, he was assigned to their AHL affiliate team, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Pittsburgh recalled him back to the NHL roster in November of that year.
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2010–11 | South Shore Mustangs | NSMMHL | 32 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 58 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 8 | ||
| 2010–11 | Yarmouth Mariners | MJAHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2011–12 | P.E.I. Rocket | QMJHL | 62 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2012–13 | P.E.I. Rocket | QMJHL | 68 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 90 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | ||
| 2013–14 | Charlottetown Islanders | QMJHL | 39 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2013–14 | Val-d'Or Foreurs | QMJHL | 26 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 24 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 24 | ||
| 2014–15 | Quebec Remparts | QMJHL | 50 | 15 | 24 | 39 | 49 | 21 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 25 | ||
| 2015–16 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 74 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2016–17 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 76 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | Hartford Wolf Pack | AHL | 57 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2017–18 | San Antonio Rampage | AHL | 21 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 | Colorado Eagles | AHL | 32 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 26 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2018–19 NHL season | Colorado Avalanche | National Hockey League | 26 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 2 | |||||||
| 2019–20 NHL season | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 69 | 9 | 17 | 26 | 45 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | ||
| 2020–21 NHL season | Colorado Avalanche | NHL | 54 | 2 | 13 | 15 | 55 | 10 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 10 | ||
| 2021–22 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 75 | 6 | 22 | 28 | 24 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2022–23 NHL season | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 78 | 8 | 18 | 26 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |||
| 2023–24 NHL season | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 70 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 30 | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2024–25 NHL season | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 61 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 29 | — | — | — | — | |||
| NHL totals | 433 | 32 | 86 | 118 | 213 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 20 | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Outcome | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Canada Atlantic | U17 | 7th place | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2022 | Canada | WC | Template:Silver2 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | |
| Junior career totals | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||||
| Senior career totals | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||||
Awards and honours
| Award | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| NSMMHL | ||
| Rookie Defenseman Award | 2011 | |
| CHL | ||
| Memorial Cup All-Star Team | 2015 | |
| AHL | ||
| All-Star Game | 2016 | |