Feature article on Ryan Stanton from the CBC's Tim Wharmsby -
Ryan Stanton has made most of his shot in Vancouver
Interesting fact his mother is from Burnaby. And he is looking forward to rekindling memories from his younger days when he played on an outdoor rink in St. Alberts, Alberta.
Ryan Stanton never was told flat out he wasn't talented enough, or he wasn't big enough, or there was something missing from his game.
Yet, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman was passed over in three NHL entry drafts and watched as several of his Moose Jaw Warrior teammates like Travis Hamonic, Ty Wishart and Keaton Ellerby were selected.
Stanton's chances at playing pro out of junior appeared so grim that as his overage season in Moose Jaw was nearing an end four years ago, the native of St. Albert, Alta., looked into returning home to attend school and play for the University of Alberta in the fall of 2010.
But all of a sudden a few NHL clubs knocked on his door. He had played alongside Hamonic in 2008-09 and again the following year before Hamonic was dealt to Brandon. Some pro teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks, took notice.
He chose the Blackhawks. Their Western Canada scout Bruce Franklin had identified Stanton to his bosses back in Chicago a few seasons earlier.
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Each game is important, including the Heritage Classic against the Ottawa Senators at B.C. Place on Sunday (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 3 p.m. ET).
The game reminds Stanton of his days growing up as a kid in St. Albert, when he would meet friends at the outdoor rink at Muriel Martin Elementary School, a block away from the family home.
"I have so many memories from those days," he said. "I would come from practice and then go to that rink and play all night. I really believe the time spent there helped me develop, too."
