Canadiens complete their amateur scouting staff
The Florida Panthers owned the 23rd overall pick at the 2016 draft, but they had a scout who wanted his team to do everything possible to get the 14th overall pick. There was a player who was still available and was expected to go around that range. According to a league source, the scout felt it was worth “trading the house” to go get.
That player was Charlie McAvoy. That scout was Billy Ryan.
“Really progressive mind,” the source said. “Fights for his guys in a good, outspoken way. Makes huge, bold bets that turn out right more than wrong.”
As the 2023 draft cycle kicks off with the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Alberta, the Canadiens quietly hired Ryan last week as its new Director of Player Evaluation, a role that will see Ryan not only handle amateur scouting in the United States, but also work with Rob Ramage’s development group in keeping an eye on players already drafted by the Canadiens.
Ryan has been an amateur scout for the Panthers since 2015. Among his highlights, we’re told, he ran the Panthers draft while they were going through significant changes in the front office in 2020, just before Shane Churla was named director of amateur scouting, a year when they drafted Anton Lundell at 12th overall and a certain Emil Heineman at 43rd overall, a player the Canadiens acquired in the Tyler Toffoli trade.
Ryan has been based in Boston for years and is very familiar to Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes and Nick Bobrov as a result. He and the newly hired Albie O’Connell, formerly the head coach at Boston University, will be in charge of amateur scouting for the Canadiens in the United States.
We’re told that this completes the Canadiens amateur scouting staff for next season, at least in terms of full-time staff. All the existing amateur scouts are returning. In an ideal world, the Canadiens would like to add part-time scouts in Minnesota and British Columbia, but we’re told they are happy with the full-time staff in place.
