James Ryan

James Ryan is a high-level hockey coach and player development specialist with experience across NCAA Division, United States Hockey League, and Tier 1 AAA.

A St. Louis native, Ryan played AAA hockey for the Jr. Blues and an independent AAA program before his career was cut short at age 14 following a cancer diagnosis. After a year of chemotherapy and radiation, he made the transition from pursuing playing to coaching—committing to helping athletes reach their full potential.

Ryan comes from a strong professional coaching lineage, including his grandfather Buddy Ryan, uncles Rex Ryan and Rob Ryan, and cousin Seth Ryan.

He began as a video coach with the Miami RedHawks before moving to Buffalo’s Academy of Hockey, working in high-end player development daily and helping coach/ run the Jr. Sabres organization. He then advanced to the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL, serving as Head Skill Development and Video Coach before being promoted to assistant coach. There, he transformed the team’s penalty kill from 67% (worst in the league) to 90%(best in the league) over the remainder of the season and playoffs.

After stepping away briefly to address health issues related to his cancer battle, Ryan returned to coaching with the HoneyBaked Hockey Club, where he also runs on-ice skill development for the Athlete Academy.

In 2026, Ryan led his 16U team to a MAHA State Championship(a month after taking over as head coach)—the highlight of his career to date—guiding a short-benched group of 13 skaters through adversity and into a deep National Tournament run.

Ryan’s approach emphasizes elite skill development, accountability, and building resilient, team-first athletes, all while having fun doing it.