Ryan Kesler facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ryan Kesler
Kesler with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2012
Born	(1984-08-31) August 31, 1984 (age 40) Livonia, Michigan, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	202 lb (92 kg; 14 st 6 lb)
Position	Center
Shot	Right
Played for	Vancouver Canucks Anaheim Ducks
National team	United States
NHL Draft	23rd overall, 2003 Vancouver Canucks
Playing career	2003–2019

Ryan James Kesler (born August 31, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey player. He played as a center. The Vancouver Canucks picked him 23rd overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. Kesler played his first 10 years in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Canucks. In 2014, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, where he finished his career.

Kesler was known as a two-way forward, meaning he was good at both offense and defense. He also played with a tough and competitive style. He won the Selke Trophy in 2011, which is given to the best defensive forward. He was also a finalist for this award several other times.

Before the NHL, Kesler played junior ice hockey with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program. He then played college ice hockey for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He also played for the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he was an All-Star.

Kesler played for the United States in seven international hockey events. He won a gold medal at the World U18 Championship. He also won gold at the World Junior Championship. He earned a silver medal at the Winter Olympics. He also won gold at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge.

Early Life and Hockey Start

Ryan Kesler was born on August 31, 1984, in Livonia, Michigan. His parents are Linda and Mike Kesler. He is the youngest of three children. His father, Mike, played college hockey and introduced Ryan to the ice around age four. Mike also coached a junior hockey team and ran a hockey school. Ryan went to this school every summer from age six to seventeen.

Kesler played minor ice hockey in Detroit for teams like Compuware and Little Caesars. He played in the 1998 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Around age 13, Kesler was cut from every top-level (AAA) team he tried out for. So, he played for his dad's team. Kesler says his older brother helped him get into hockey.

Even though he grew up near Detroit, Kesler was a fan of the Minnesota North Stars. He looked up to North Stars center Mike Modano, who was also from Livonia. He also liked Joe Sakic when he was a kid.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting His Career

Kesler at the 2005 AHL All-Star game

In 2000, the Brampton Battalion drafted Kesler for the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). But Kesler chose to play for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (USNTDP). This program was close to his home and allowed him to finish high school. He played two seasons with the USNTDP, scoring 99 points in 131 games.

After the USNTDP, Kesler went to Ohio State University to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He chose Ohio State because it was closer to his home. In his first year, he scored 11 goals and 20 assists. He was named an honorable mention for the CCHA All-Rookie Team. He also won CCHA Rookie of the Week three times and Rookie of the Month once.

After his freshman year, Kesler entered the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. The Vancouver Canucks drafted him 23rd overall. He thought about going back to Ohio State or playing in the OHL. But in August 2003, he signed a three-year contract with the Canucks. After training camp, the Canucks sent him to their minor league team, the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL).

Time with the Vancouver Canucks (2003–2014)

Kesler started his professional career with the Manitoba Moose. But the Canucks called him up in November 2003. He made his NHL debut on November 24, 2003. He scored his first NHL goal on November 29 against the Calgary Flames. For the rest of that season, he played for both the Canucks and the Moose.

The 2004–05 NHL lockout meant the entire NHL season was canceled. So, Kesler played the whole season with the Moose. He became one of the Canucks' top young players. He was named to the 2005 AHL All-Star Game. He finished third in team scoring with 30 goals and 57 points. He was named the Moose's Most Valuable Player.

Kesler with the Canucks in October 2005. The 2005–06 season was Kesler's first full season in the NHL.

When the NHL started playing again in the 2005–06 season, Kesler joined the Canucks full-time. He played in all 82 games and scored 23 points.

In 2006, Kesler became a free agent. He signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Canucks matched the offer, keeping him on their team. In the 2006–07 season, Kesler got injured and missed part of the season. He returned for the 2007 playoffs but got injured again. The Canucks lost in the second round.

In 2007, the Canucks signed Kesler to a new three-year contract. In the 2007–08 season, Kesler became a strong two-way center. He scored a career-high 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points. He often played against other teams' best players.

For the 2008–09 season, Kesler was named an alternate captain for the Canucks. He started playing a more offensive role and set new personal bests with 26 goals and 33 assists for 59 points. He was named the team's MVP. He was also a finalist for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, which is given to the best defensive forward in the NHL.

Kesler in April 2010 during the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

In March 2010, Kesler signed a six-year contract extension with the Canucks. He had another great season in 2009–10, scoring a career-high 75 points (25 goals and 50 assists). He played on the second line with Mason Raymond and Mikael Samuelsson. He was a Selke Trophy finalist for the second year in a row.

In the 2010–11 season, Kesler focused more on offense. He played on the power play with the Sedin twins. He scored his 100th NHL goal in November 2010. He also got his first NHL hat-trick in December. In January 2011, he was chosen for his first NHL All-Star Game. He finished the season with a career-high 41 goals and 73 points. His efforts helped the Canucks win their first Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season record.

In the 2011 playoffs, Kesler was a key player. He led the Canucks past the Nashville Predators in the second round. In the third round against the San Jose Sharks, he scored a game-tying goal with seconds left, helping the Canucks win and reach the Stanley Cup Finals. The Canucks lost the Finals in seven games to the Boston Bruins. After the playoffs, it was revealed Kesler had played with a hip injury. In June 2011, Kesler won the Selke Trophy.

In the 2011 off-season, Kesler had hip surgery. He returned to play in October 2011. He played his 500th NHL game in November 2011. He scored 49 points in the 2011–12 season. The Canucks won their second straight Presidents' Trophy but lost in the first round of the 2012 playoffs.

After the 2012 playoffs, Kesler had shoulder surgery. He also had a wrist injury. He missed many games in the 2012–13 season due to injuries, playing only 17 games. The Canucks made the playoffs but were swept in the first round.

The 2013–14 season saw many changes for the Canucks. They missed the playoffs for the first time in a while. Kesler played in the 2014 Winter Olympics for the USA team. He got a hand injury blocking a shot but kept playing. He finished the season leading the team with 25 goals.

Playing for the Anaheim Ducks (2014–2020)

On June 27, 2014, Kesler was traded to the Anaheim Ducks. He scored his 200th career goal in March 2015. In the 2014–15 season, he had 47 points. The Ducks were the top team in the Western Conference. Kesler helped the Ducks reach the Western Conference Finals in the 2015 playoffs. They lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in seven games.

In July 2015, Kesler signed a six-year contract extension with the Ducks. In October, he was named an alternate captain. He finished third in Selke Trophy voting in the 2015–16 season with 53 points. The Ducks lost in the first round of the 2016 playoffs.

On January 1, 2017, Kesler scored his fourth career hat-trick. He recorded his 300th career assist in March. In the 2016–17 season, he had 58 points. He helped the Ducks reach the Western Conference Finals in the 2017 playoffs, where they lost to the Nashville Predators. He was also a Selke Trophy finalist again and made his second All-Star appearance.

Kesler missed the first 37 games of the 2017–18 season after hip surgery. He returned in December 2017. He played 44 games, scoring 14 points. The Ducks were swept in the first round of the 2018 playoffs.

On March 5, 2019, Kesler played his 1,000th NHL game. This is a big milestone for an NHL player. He finished the 2018–19 season with 8 points. The Ducks missed the playoffs for the first time since Kesler joined the team.

In May 2019, Kesler had another hip surgery. He missed the entire 2019–20 season. He also missed the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons. In 2021, Kesler said he would not play in the NHL again.

International Play

Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing  United States
Winter Olympics
Silver	2010 Vancouver
World Junior Championships
Gold	2004 Helsinki
World U18 Championships
Gold	2002 Piešťany

Ryan Kesler played for the United States in many international hockey tournaments. He first played at the 2001 World U-17 Hockey Challenge. His team won a gold medal.

He played in his first International Ice Hockey Federation event at the 2002 IIHF World U18 Championships. He scored seven points and won a gold medal. He was named the Best Player of the tournament. Later that year, he played for the United States national junior team at the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

In December 2003, Kesler played in his second World Junior tournament. He scored two goals as the Americans won their group. They beat Finland in the semi-finals. In the gold medal game against Canada, Kesler scored the tying goal. The Americans won 4–3, winning their first World Junior Championship.

Kesler with the U.S. men's national hockey team, taking a face-off during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Kesler was chosen for the American team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. In a game against Canada, Kesler scored an empty-net goal to help the USA win 5–3. In the gold medal game, also against Canada, Kesler scored a goal to make the score 2–1. The USA tied the game late but lost in overtime. Kesler and his teammates won the silver medal.

Kesler also played for the U.S. team at the 2014 Winter Olympics. They finished fourth. He got a hand injury during a game against Russia but continued to play through the tournament.

Playing Style

Kesler was known as a two-way forward. This means he was good at both scoring goals and playing defense. Early in his NHL career, he was a strong defensive player. He played on the penalty kill and often guarded the other team's best players. He also had a reputation as an agitator, someone who would get under opponents' skin.

As he got older, Kesler added more offense to his game. He became a strong scorer while still being responsible defensively. He was known for his speed and his powerful wrist shot. He was also very good at winning faceoffs. On the penalty kill, he was good at blocking shots. On the power play, he used his size to stand in front of the net, blocking the goalie's view or deflecting shots.

People said Kesler's success came from his competitive spirit. He always wanted to outwork other players. He learned to control his emotions better as his career went on. He also said becoming a father made him want to be a more mature example for his children.

Personal Life

Ryan Kesler and his wife Andrea have four children. During the hockey season, the family lives in Huntington Beach, California. In the off-season, they live in Bloomfield, Michigan. Before that, they lived in his hometown of Livonia, Michigan.

Endorsements

In November 2010, Kesler released a sportswear and clothing line named RK17.

In March 2010, Ryan Kesler was announced as the cover athlete for the video game NHL 2K11. He had also worked on NHL 2K10 before.

In November 2010, Kesler launched his own line of sportswear and casual clothes. The brand was called "RK17".

Career Statistics

Regular Season and Playoffs

International Play Statistics

Year	Team	Event	Result		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
2002	United States	WJC18			8	2	5	7	4
2003	United States	WJC	4th		7	3	4	7	6
2004	United States	WJC			6	3	0	3	6
2006	United States	WC	7th		7	0	1	1	0
2010	United States	OG			6	2	0	2	2
2014	United States	OG	4th		6	1	3	4	0
2016	United States	WCH	7th		3	0	0	0	4
Junior totals					21	8	9	17	16
Senior totals					22	3	4	7	6

Awards and Honors

Images for kids

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  Kesler with the Vancouver Canucks in March 2012

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  Kesler at the 2005 AHL All-Star game

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  Kesler with the Canucks in October 2005. The 2005–06 season was Kesler's first full season in the NHL.

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  Kesler in April 2010 during the first round of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs.

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  Kesler with the U.S. men's national hockey team, taking a face-off during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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  In November 2010, Kesler released a sportswear and clothing line named RK17.