No. 19 has belonged to some NHL legends, including Hall of Famers Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman and Bryan Trottier. No. 41? Not so much. But when defenseman Ryker Evans was assigned those digits when he showed up to his first Regina Pats training camp in 2017, he leaned in. “I was always 19 growing up,” he said. “But when I got to Regina, Jake Leschyshyn was wearing 19. So I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m just going to wear 41 and make it mine.’ And then I slowly started liking it, and I thought it looked good, so I just kept it.”
In his younger days, his No. 19 was a tribute to Sakic, his childhood hero. Since making the switch, the Calgary native has ridden 41 through four productive years with the Pats, a second-round selection by the Seattle Kraken in their first draft, two long AHL playoff runs with the Coachella Valley Firebirds and now a full-time spot on the Kraken blueline and a spot on Team Canada at the 2025 World Championship.
It’s an impressive arc for a 23-year-old who checked in at 5-foot-4 and 114 pounds when the Pats selected him in the 10th round of the 2016 WHL bantam draft.
At that point, Evans was all potential – a solid puck-mover who was strong on his blades. His father, Mike, skated for UMass in the NCAA and is now a power-skating coach. Once the undersized Ryker received a celiac disease diagnosis at 10, tweaks to his diet eventually helped trigger the growth spurt he needed. “There was nothing, really, that was gluten-free back then,” he said. “Now, it’s a lot easier. It’s just a lot of whole foods – a lot of protein. It’s a really simple diet once you figure out what you like.”
"I think it was a mental thing where I was like, 'I can actually do this.'"- Ryker Evans
By the time he was draft-eligible in 2020, Evans had grown to 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, but he was still passed over. Then, under some highly unusual circumstances, his game began to blossom. Locked in a pandemic bubble for 24 fan-free games over six weeks, with 15-year-old exceptional-status phenom Connor Bedard newly added to the Pats’ roster, Evans took on a leadership role, wearing an ‘A’ for the first time. By season’s end, he and Bedard were tied for Regina’s scoring lead with 28 points – and Evans ranked second among WHL D-men in points. “I think it was a mental thing where I was like, ‘I can actually do this,’” he said of his improvement. “I started believing that I can take that next step. Having Connor there and the rest of our teammates, they allowed me to do that. Plus, the Regina Pats did an awesome job, believing in me and giving me all the opportunities.”
With most scouting done by video while travel was restricted, NHL Central Scouting ranked Evans No. 192 among North American skaters heading into the virtual draft in July of 2021. The Kraken made jaws drop when they took Evans with their second pick, at No. 35, and he has made good on those projections.
Back in Regina, Evans produced at just under a point-per-game pace and maintained his two-way effectiveness in 2021-22. When he joined the Firebirds for their inaugural season in 2022-23, he’d cracked six feet and quickly established himself as a blueline linchpin on a team that pushed the Hershey Bears to the limit in back-to-back Calder Cup finals.
With his Coachella Valley coach, Dan Bylsma, behind the Kraken bench in 2024-25, Evans took the next step in becoming a full-time NHL defender, frequently paired with prized free-agent signing Brandon Montour. “He brings that winning culture with him,” Evans said. “He always talked about how Florida had such a tight and close group, and that’s what he wants to bring to Seattle.”
"It's a really simple diet once you figure out what you like."- Ryker Evans on eating gluten-free due to his celiac disease
This spring, the pair became roommates in Sweden. A couple of days after the Kraken’s season ended, GM-turned-president Ron Francis told Evans that Canada GM Kyle Dubas would be reaching out with a roster invitation for the World Championship. That was weeks before the likes of Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Marc-Andre Fleury signed on to form one of the most star-studded Canadian rosters in years. “When you hear we’re getting some of those legends to come over and play for Canada,” Evans said, “it’s pretty cool.”
Cheered on by his parents, his girlfriend, Mariah, and his younger sister, Payten – a fellow defender who just finished her third season at Merrimack College – Ryker said the opportunity to share a dressing room with future Hall of Famers was surpassed by the pride he felt when he put on a Canada jersey with his No. 41 for the first time: “That’s honestly what I was most excited about.”
This article appeared in our 2025 Champions issue. Our cover story focuses on the 2025 Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, specifically the elite play of defenseman Seth Jones, along with a recap of each game of the Cup final. We also include features on Sharks center Will Smith and Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans. In addition, we give our list of the top 10 moments from the 2024-25 NHL season.
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