Bonnie Ryan, wife of Oilers forward, wants husband to retire with Edmonton
It appears the love Edmonton Oilers fans have for forward Derek Ryan is mutual.
The 37-year-old is in his third season with the Oilers and has proven to be among the team’s most reliable bottom-six forwards during his tenure. His high work ethic and penchant for scoring timely goals for the club have made him popular not only with fans but also with his teammates.
That was on full display after DR scored the shootout winner against the LA Kings in December.
Derek Ryan wins it in the shootout for the @EdmontonOilers fourth consecutive win! ✅ pic.twitter.com/RP3NFjVDX8
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 31, 2023
Though he gets plenty of love and is good in his role with the Oilers, there are questions about how much more he has in the tank. He is on the older side of NHL players and retirement is coming up sooner rather than later.
A lot of the time players will hop teams in the later years of their career to chase a Stanley Cup, but according to a social media post from Ryan’s wife, Bonnie, it looks like the family is comfortable retiring in the Alberta capital.
“[Derek is] just going year by year!” said Bonnie on Instagram. “We’d like to retire with the Oilers though… love this city, the organization, and the people we’ve met here!”
@theryanhause_/Instagram
Ryan first broke into the NHL at 29 with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2015-16. He spent three seasons with the Canes and three more with the Calgary Flames before signing with the Oilers in the summer of 2021. His 200 games in Edmonton are the most he has had with any of those three teams.
So far this season, he has four goals and nine points in 45 games. Ryan has one more year remaining on his contract after this season that pays him an AAV of $900,000.
He might not be the most productive of players on a star-studded Oilers team, but the blue-collar Edmonton fan base knows a hard worker when they see one.