Ryan Ellis

Playing career

Minor

Ellis played minor hockey throughout Ontario, beginning with a club from Belmont, Ontario, at age four. Playing for teams from Mississauga, he won a silver and gold medals at the peewee and bantam provincials, respectively. Joining the Cambridge Hawks at the midget level, he won an Ontario Alliance championship with the club in 2007.

Junior

Ellis was selected in the second round, 22nd overall, by the Windsor Spitfires in the 2007 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Draft. Establishing himself as a top defenceman in the League during his rookie campaign, he scored 15 goals and 63 points over 63 games. His points total and +30 plus-minus rating led all OHL rookie defencemen. In the 2008 playoffs, Ellis added five points in five games as the Spitfires were eliminated by the Sarnia Sting. He was named to the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and OHL All-Rookie Teams, along with Spitfires teammate Taylor Hall. Ellis was further recognized for his academic performance, maintaining an 81 percent average in university preparation courses at St. Anne Catholic High School in Belle River, earning him the League's Bobby Smith Trophy as scholastic player of the year. He received the award over fellow nominee Steven Stamkos of the Sting, who had won it the previous year.

Ellis was named OHL Defenceman of the Month for October 2008 the following season. He earned the distinction twice more over the course of the campaign in February and March 2009. On November 3, he was chosen as OHL Player of the Week, having scored seven points in the previous two games. Ellis his second such distinction on April 20, 2009, registering two goals and five assists in three games. During the season, he represented the OHL in the 2008 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge. He also competed for the Western Conference at the 2009 OHL All-Star Classic and participated in the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game.

Improving to 22 goals, 67 assists and 89 points in 57 games in 2008–09, Ellis led all OHL defencemen and finished second in team scoring to Taylor Hall. He ranked first in the league in assists, seventh in points and second in plus-minus rating (+52). As a result, Ellis was named to the OHL First All-Star Team and awarded the Max Kaminsky Trophy, beating fellow nominees P. K. Subban and Cameron Gaunce as the League's top defenceman. The distinction made him a finalist for CHL Defenceman of the Year, but he lost to Jonathon Blum of the Western Hockey League (WHL)'s Vancouver Giants. Ellis was additionally voted the smartest player, hardest shot and best offensive defenceman in the Western Conference in an annual poll of OHL coaches. Ellis later cited the smartest player selection as his most rewarding recognition to that date.

Windsor entered the 2009 OHL playoffs as the top-ranked team in the OHL West. Ellis added 31 points in 20 games, tying for third in post-season scoring while helping the Spitfires to a J. Ross Robertson Cup as OHL champions. Earning a berth in the 2009 Memorial Cup, the Spitfires went on to win the national major junior championship over the Kelowna Rockets. Ellis recorded four points in six games to be named to the Tournament All-Star Team.

Professional

Once the 2010–11 OHL season concluded, Ellis turned professional and joined the Predators' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, for the remainder of their season. Upon joining the Admirals, he immediately made an impact by tallying his first assist 10 minutes and 30 seconds into Game 1 of the West Division Finals. He later tallied his first professional goal in his sixth playoff game to stave off elimination and force a Game 7.

Prior to the start of the 2011–12 season, Ellis participated in the 2011 Florida Rookie Tournament where he led all team defensemen with two points. He played in five of Nashville's 2011 preseason contests, posting one assist and a +3 rating, before being assigned to the AHL for the 2011–12 season. Ellis immediately continued his production from the playoffs and tallied two assists in his first regular season AHL game. By mid-November, Ellis had accumulated three goals and five assists for eight points through 12 games. He also maintained a five game point streak from November 13 to 26. He improved to four goals and eight assists for 15 points by December 9. Later that month, he was tied for first among rookie defencemen and ninth among all AHL defencemen with 17 points through 26 games. As a result of his AHL success, Ellis was recalled to the NHL level on December 26. He played 13:37 minutes of ice time in his debut that night and was minus-one with two shots on goal against the Detroit Red Wings. His play also earned him a selection to the 2012 AHL All-Star Game although he was unable to participate as he was still with the Predators. In his fifth career NHL game on January 7, Ellis recorded his first NHL point on Patric Hornqvist’s second period power-play goal. Later that game, he tallied his first career NHL goal in the third period to help the Predators defeat the Carolina Hurricanes. Through his first 12 games at the NHL level, Ellis accumulated two goals and four assists for six points and a plus-4 rating. As he began earning the trust of head coach Barry Trotz, Ellis also saw time on the second power-play unit with Roman Josi. After being named a healthy scratch for one game, Ellis returned to the Predators lineup on February 15 and quickly tallied a goal and an assist for his third multi-point game of the season. He played in 22 games with the Predators, tallying three goals and six assists, before being re-assigned to the AHL on February 24. He posted one assist over three games before being recalled to the NHL level on February 27.

As the Predators qualified for the 2012 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ellis made his postseason debut in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals against the Detroit Red Wings. Although he remained pointless over the three games he played, the Predators beat the Red Wings and met with the Chicago Blackhawks.

International play

Ellis made his debut with Hockey Canada at the 2008 World U17 Hockey Challenge, representing Ontario, the tournament's host province. He scored his first international goal against Team Pacific on December 29, 2007, a game in which he was also chosen as Ontario's best player. Team Ontario won eight straight games as they won the tournament. With nine points in eight games, Ellis was the tournament's leading defenceman and was named to the All-Star Team, along with Ontario teammate Matt Duchene.

Later that year, Ellis was named to Canada's team for the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championships in Russia. Leading his team in shots on goal, he helped Canada to a gold medal, defeating Russia 8–0 in the final. He recorded a goal and an assist in the championship victory. Finishing with three goals and seven points, he was the tournament's leading defenceman. Four months later, he re-joined the national under-18 team for the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, held in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Ellis led all team defencemen in scoring with five points (a goal and four assists), helping Canada go undefeated in four games. They defeated Russia 6–3 in the final to capture the gold medal.

Moving on to the Canada's under-20 team, he made his first of three World Junior Championship appearances in 2009. Named to the team at 17 years old, he was one of three draft-eligible players on the club with John Tavares and Evander Kane. Head Coach Pat Quinn had coached Ellis previously at the World U18 Championships. He selected Ellis to the team as the eighth defencemen, instead of choosing a traditional 13th forward, because of his abilities on the power play. In the semifinal against Russia, Ellis was instrumental in tying the game with five seconds remaining in regulation. Twice, he preventing the puck from being cleared out of the offensive zone, which allowed a play to develop that resulted in Jordan Eberle's game-tying goal. Canada beat Russia in a shootout before defeating Sweden in the final to win gold. Ellis scored seven points over six games to finish fourth among tournament defencemen in scoring. It also set a Canadian record for most points by a 17-year-old defenceman.

The following year, Ellis returned for the 2010 World Junior Championships in Saskatchewan. Canada went undefeated in the tournament until the gold medal game, where they lost to the United States in overtime. The defeat ended Canada's five-year gold medal streak at the World Juniors and marked the first time Ellis competed in an international competition without winning gold. He finished with eight points over six games, ranking second among tournament defencemen behind teammate Alex Pietrangelo.

Playing style

Ellis is an offensive defenceman. A fast skater and skilled stickhandler, he is capable of manoeuvring the puck up the ice from the defensive zone. Known as a power play specialist, he often "quarterbacks" from the blueline—controlling puck distribution between teammates in the offensive zone—and possesses a hard and accurate shot. He is also a physical player, though he is undersized as a defenceman at 5 feet and 10 inches (1.78 metres). He is able to compensate for his lack of overpowering strength with good defensive positioning and active stick-checking.

Personal life

Ellis was born in Freelton, Ontario, to parents Jim and Mary Lou. He has one sister. He went to Balaclava Public School followed by Waterdown High School. Moving away from home for his junior career, he attended St. Anne High School. In February 2010, Ellis was selected as his hometown Hamilton/Burlington area's 2009 Golden Horseshoe Athlete of the Year, beating out college quarterback Danny Brannagan and marathon runner Reid Coolsaet.

Career statistics

Awards and honours

Records

Windsor Spitfires' all-time leading point-scorer, defencemen (surpassed Joel Quenneville, 229 points);

World Junior Championships' all-time leading point-scorer, defencemen – 25 (surpassed Reijo Ruotsalainen, 21 points);

Canadian national junior team's all-time leading assist-scorer – 20 (surpassed Eric Lindros, 19 assists).