Projected 2025 first-round NHL Draft pick Ivan Ryabkin expected to join Muskegon Lumberjacks

What a shock for the prospect world.

Today, the United States Hockey League’s (USHL) Muskegon Lumberjacks announced that projected 2025 first-round pick Ivan Ryabkin is set to join the team in the coming weeks.

The 17-year-old appeared in two games at the KHL level this season with Dynamo Moscow. He tallied eight assists in nine MHL games. Ryabkin struggled and was even a healthy scratch at the MHL level, which was a shock for a prospect of his calibre.

“We are excited about the opportunity to add Ivan to our program.” Said Lumberjacks President Steve Lowe. He continued “We expect Ivan to be here in the next couple of weeks after he competes for Team Russia at the end of the month. We still have several steps to go in order for Ivan to wear a Lumberjack uniform, but it does look promising. Ivan is an extremely elite talent, and we will work diligently to make him a Lumberjack” finished Lowe

During the 2023-24 season, Ryabkin dominated the MHL, registering 24 goals and 34 assists for 58 points in 44 games.

Muskegon has a history of having Russian-born players play for their organization which includes Matvei Gridin, Andrei Svechnikov, Daniil Gushchin and Yegor Afanasyev among the notable names.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis ranked Ryabkin No. 8 in his 2025 NHL Draft Rankings: Preseason top 40 (dailyfaceoff.com). “It’s been a trying season already for Ryabkin, who played just over two minutes total in his pair of KHL games earlier in September,” said Ellis. “He hasn’t blown the doors off of the MHL by any means, either. But at his best, Ryabkin is so fascinating. No U-17 player has ever outscored Ryabkin’s 58 points in the MHL that he put up last year, edging Matvei Michkov by two points from his Draft-2 year. He’s got a fantastic shot release and has some of the best hands in this class, allowing him to dangle opponents with ease.”

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