Prospect Profile: Ryan Sadovia
Published on April 24, 2026 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Tri-City Americans News Release
Ryan Sadovia's path in hockey began just down the road from his house in Edmonton, Alberta.
"I've loved hockey since I was three or four years old," he said. "We had an outdoor rink in our neighborhood, and you'd go out there with your friends for hours at a time."
Growing up in Edmonton but now living in Kelowna, Sadovia says going to Edmonton Oilers games as a kid and seeing what the peak of hockey looks like increased his passion for the game.
As he got older Kelowna's Rink Hockey Academy program is where Sadovia was able to develop his game, a place he says brought his performance to another level.
"It was tough for that first year," he admitted. "But after that it was seamless. It's really nice that everything is in unison, your trainers know what's happening with your on-ice work and the on-ice program helps reflect what's going on in the gym."
As he entered his second year at RHA, his WHL draft year, he says his attention toward the WHL grew exponentially.
It was hard not to, seeing scouts at nearly every game, he said.
"Once you get into all those tournaments you see scouts all over the building," he said. "It starts to put it into perspective that the WHL is right around the corner."
Sadovia finished the 2023-24 season with 32 points (10-22-32) in 27 games with RHA Kelowna's U15 team.
As the day of the draft arrived, Sadovia said he had no expectations on where or when he might go in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, just that he was hoping to see his name at some point throughout the day.
It helped that he still had school on the day of the draft, allowing his mind to be focused elsewhere as the picks went by.
His name flashed across the screen at 165th overall in the eighth round as the Edmonton Oil Kings, his hometown team, drafted him.
"I got a call from their general manager letting me know they were drafting me," he said. "It was pretty special going to Edmonton, being able to see family more often and seeing friends from early in my childhood."
As he returned to Edmonton for his first WHL training camp, the Oil Kings were starting to build their way toward the 45-win team they were this past season.
The difference in what he saw during that training camp compared to what he was used to was evident.
"I just remember how fast everyone seemed," Sadovia said. "They had a few NHL drafted players on the team that year and being on the ice with those guys added a level to the game that I hadn't seen before. Getting out there helped me see what I needed to work on if I wanted to reach that same level, which I believed was my skating."
The 2024-25 Oil Kings featured four NHL drafted players, and another who went on to be drafted in 2025 in Blake Fiddler.
Sadovia took his experience from that camp back to the Okanagan as he jumped to RHA's U18 program for the 2024-25 season.
Much like his training camp experience, that was an adjustment as well.
"It was hard at first and I really felt like I had to find my game more," he said. "Once I did that, I felt it helped me to find my personal identity as a player and made the game easier for me because I knew what I needed to do to help the team succeed."
Sadovia posted 16 points (4-12-16) in 34 game with RHA's U18 team, saving his best for last as he recorded five points (3-2-5) in five playoff games to help them win the U18 Division Championship.
He said the win was a little unexpected.
"It was a surreal experience," he said. "We didn't really expect it at the time because we were a lower seed, but we got hot at the right time, kept rallying and really came together as a group."
Sadovia scored to tie the championship game against Delta mid-way through the second period before RHA scored six of the game's final eight goals in the 7-3 victory.
To make it even more memorable, he was able to share the championship with his older brother, Marcus.
Playing a second year with RHA's U18 team, Sadovia says he was looking forward to the Circle K Classic in Calgary when he received a phone call from the Oil Kings informing him, they were dropping him from their 50-man protected list.
While it was a hard phone call to take, he says he understood it.
"They told me they needed some room on their list because they were going to make some trades for their playoff push," he said. "It was pretty straight forward and there's no hard feelings about it."
Sadovia wasn't a free agent for very long, however, as less than two weeks after being released by Edmonton the Americans added him to their 50-man list.
Even though he wasn't without a WHL team for long, Sadovia says it was still a relief to get the news.
"It definitely took a lot of the pressure off," he admitted. "Bob Tory reached out after the tournament to let me know I was on their list and complimented on how I played during that tournament."
Sadovia had an excellent performance at the Circle K Classic, a tournament that brings U18 teams from around the globe to Calgary, posting 10 points (3-7-10) in six games, finishing tied for fourth in tournament scoring.
His performance at that event was a continuation of what he had done all year as his production during his second season at RHA Kelowna took a big step forward. He more than doubled his offensive production with 33 points (14-19-33) in 29 games.
This year RHA Kelowna finished with a record of 24-2-3 and were the number one team in the U18 Division. They lived up to the billing with another championship win, this time with a 6-3 win over the Northern Alberta Xtreme.
"This year we were the top seed all year long," he said. "I like the sense of pressure though. I find it helps me reach another level. It helps my overall game because it gives you that sense of urgency."
Not long after celebrating another championship, Sadovia was told to pack his bags and meet the Americans at their hotel in Kelowna to join them for the remainder of the season.
"They were playing Penticton, so I met them at the hotel and joined them on the bus," he said. "Knowing that I had made it to my goal was pretty surreal, but I also knew that the work wasn't done yet and that I had to keep working."
After a few practices with the team Sadovia was told he would be making his WHL debut on March 20 against the Portland Winterhawks, the Americans final home game of the season.
Fans who watched that know full-well how impactful Sadovia looked during that game, setting up numerous scoring chances and looking like a player who had been playing in the league for years.
He says his surrounding cast made it easy for him to jump in.
"It was easy to have confidence because everyone was so supportive on the ice and on the bench," he said. "They were all helping me with where to go and positioning. I was able to play my game which I felt everyone else was able to help me do. That game gave me a lot of confidence and helped remind me why I play."
Sadovia also played in the season finale in Spokane, and the Americans had seen enough to offer him a Scholarship and Development Agreement the following week.
"Bob had reached out the day before that they would be signing me," he said. "It just really helped solidify for next year that this is my destination and this could be where I'm playing."
Getting into the final two games of the regular season also gave him a preview of what to expect as he looks to make the Americans roster next season.
"I think being able to be stronger and faster on the puck to help win races and battles," he said. "Making sure I capitalize on any chances I get to help the team create offense. I'd like to think I'm a 200-foot forward who can generate chances offensively and use his body physically to create offense."
Western Hockey League Stories from April 24, 2026
- Tigers Fall to Raiders, 8-3 - Medicine Hat Tigers
- Prospect Profile: Ryan Sadovia - Tri-City Americans
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