Ryker Evans is experiencing California for the first time, proving that he belongs

Ryker Evans had never been to California, let alone the Coachella Valley, before the Firebirds arrived at Palm Springs International Airport on Nov. 6.

While many of his teammates are also experiencing the valley for the first time, the Calgary native who was selected by the Seattle Kraken with the 35th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft is taking in perhaps the biggest change of scenery on the team.

Evans, a 6-foot, 192-pound left-handed shooting defenseman who has been a regular rotation player for the Firebirds this season, is not just adjusting to life as a professional hockey player. He’s doing it in a place that is completely foreign to the rugged, snowy winters he’s used to in Alberta.

“It’s been quite the experience so far,” said Evans, who turns 21 on Dec. 13.

Evans is a player the Kraken, the Firebirds’ NHL affiliate, clearly has high hopes for. Passed over in all seven rounds of the NHL’s 2020 entry draft, it surprised many when the Kraken took him in the second round last year. He attended Kraken training camp in Seattle prior to last season, but after he didn’t make the Kraken’s opening day roster he went home to Alberta and played for the Regina Pats, a junior hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League.

Evans played in 63 games for the Pats, recording 47 assists and 15 goals, including three game-winning goals. After the season ended, he joined the American Hockey League’s Charlotte Checkers, where the Kraken were stashing their players who weren’t on the Kraken until the Firebirds began playing this season.

This season is Evans' first full season in the AHL, and how well the blue-liner plays for the Firebirds will determine how quickly he can ascend to the NHL.

Evans will attempt to prove the Kraken right about drafting him while also navigating a new league, new team, new arena, and desert surroundings that are picturesque but also incredibly unfamiliar.

“It’s been a pretty smooth transition so far,” Evans said. “They’ve made it super simple for us. Just getting settled into our houses and getting all set up there has been time consuming, but it’s been great so far. The facilities have been awesome, and there’s nothing more that we could ask for.”

The challenges of a young man navigating such change are relatively minor considering what Evans has faced in the past. Evans battled intense stomach pain as a child and in the fourth grade was diagnosed with Celiac disease, a reaction to eating gluten that triggers an immune response in the small intestine. By changing his diet, his ability on the ice soared.

Celiac disease caused Evans to be smaller than most his age in his youth, so he relied heavily on skill and a deep understanding of the game to make up for his lack of size. He’d be the best player, skill-wise, on the ice and still wouldn’t get respect from opposing coaches and players because of his size.

Years after changing his diet, Evans eventually hit a growth spurt that rounded out his presence on the ice. He had skill and a high hockey IQ, and now adequate size to match.

Evans’ father, Mike, a former college hockey player turned power-skating coach, turned to many of his Calgary clients in the NHL to get his son some time on the ice with high-caliber players such as Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and Avalanche forward Cale Makar.

“It’s been cool to see the little progressions throughout the years,” Evans said. “Playing with a lot of those guys helped my game, helped my confidence, and obviously my goal is to play in the NHL, and all of these experiences are a part of that journey.”

Part of that journey included a broken leg, after being drafted by the Pats as an afterthought with the 206th pick in the WHL Bantam Draft, then two seasons that were shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Kraken still took a chance on him last year, clearly seeing the potential in Evans that so many had not seen in his younger years.

Now, with the sunshine and palm trees as the backdrop in the Coachella Valley, Evans is not only proving he belongs, but he’s also dead set on showing that he has what it takes to play a starring role for the Firebirds, and eventually in the NHL.

“My whole career, everyone’s kind of doubted me,” Evans said. “But I’ve been given some opportunities lately, and I just have to capitalize on them and show that I belong. That’s my mindset.”

Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun and the USA Today Network. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com and find him on Twitter at @Andrew_L_John.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Ryker Evans, in California for the first time, is proving he belongs