Congratulations to Ryan Hill for securing a scholarship to play at Portage College in Lac La Biche, Alberta. Following a full season away from any type of real competitive hockey, the former Spruce King is going to be lacing them up again. Ryan will be taking his first year courses this fall at Portage College before transferring to the University of Alberta to study in the area of sports physiotherapy.
"Ever since I have been fifteen or sixteen I've wanted to (be a physiotherapist)," admits Ryan Hill. "It's never left my passion and so that's what I'm going for."
The opportunity to continue on with hockey comes at a perfect time for Ryan who admitedly couldn't get the game out of his system even with a year off. The son of Kerry Hill, a member of the first year Spruce Kings, credits his father for keeping the passion burning and helping him through some of the hurdles that he encountered along the way.
"He was always the first one I would be on the phone with," Ryan says of his dad. "He would say 'keep your head held high and it's going to get better and better' and now it has, which is really nice."
After joining the Spruce Kings in the late stages of the 2004-05 season and playing in only four regular season games and four more playoff games, Ryan earned a roster spot for the next two seasons. After starting his twenty year old season in Prince George, Ryan made a move that took him three time zones away from his hometown of Fort St. James to play with the Port Hope Predators of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL). After the Christmas break, Hill realized how much he missed home and made the decision to come back; the Fernie Ghostriders learned of this decision and wasted little time in securing the rights to this gritty performer.
On January 18, 2008 Ryan Hill made his debut with his new team and made an immediate impact earning third star honours as the Ghostriders defeated the Kimberley Dynamiters 3-2 on home ice. In the ten games that Hill played in, the Ghostriders had an impressive record of 8 wins and 2 losses. The Ghostriders finished first in the East Division of the Neil Murdoch Conference of the KJHL and saw their success continue through the playoffs resulting in a league championship.
"It was a weird way to end (my junior career)," Ryan claims with a chuckle. "I mean I moved down to Junior 'B' and we end up winning the championship."
It was during this portion of his junior career that Portage College finally started contacting Ryan and tried to get him into their program for last season. But the best thing he could do for himself was take a well deserved break from the daily rigours of hockey. The break seems to have done him wonders as he has found the passion for the game and has recharged himself.
Ryan has been working out hard with other players and the trainers at X-Conditioning and has also been skating with a core group of players getting ready for the upcoming season. He will also be helping out with the Spruce Kings hockey school as well as participating in the Junior Conditioning Camp put on by the Spruce Kings next week.
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