As far as he knows, Derek Ryan is the only active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the NHL — at least, he was. On Friday afternoon, he announced his retirement.

Ryan, 38, appeared in 606 regular-season NHL games, with an additional 60 in the playoffs. He was best known for his defensive play, spending significant amounts of time on the penalty kill his entire career.

His route to the NHL was unconventional. It started in the WHL with his hometown Spokane Chiefs, and although several of his teammates would go on to have long NHL careers, it didn’t appear that he would join them.

After his WHL eligibility expired, he went to school at the University of Alberta, where he earned a degree in physiology. While the U of A has great academic programs, Canadian colleg

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