After years of being sidelined, Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton makes splash in development camp

No more lurking for Kraken prospect Ryan Winterton.

He was around, but unable to take part in Kraken training camp or development camp the past two summers, hampered by an upper arm bone that didn’t want to stay in its shoulder socket. The 2021 third-rounder eventually underwent surgery.

Winterton finally pulled on the Kraken jersey this week as the prospects took the ice. He dipped to one knee to one-time a pass into the open net, finishing off a 2-on-1 for the blue team in a camp scrimmage Wednesday afternoon. The packed stands at Kraken Community Iceplex cheered.

The scrimmage capped a week of instruction, showcasing and fun for most of the players the Kraken have drafted the past three years. Between rigorous, ranked physical testing and drills overseen by Seattle coach Dave Hakstol, there was a Mariners outing, and cornhole on the beach.

Despite his choppy past few years, Winterton aced the fitness test.

“To come in and win the strength testing, I think surprised a lot of people,” Kraken director of player development Jeff Tambellini said. “Coming off two injuries like that usually sets a player back.”

“But he had a fantastic playoff run. Now he’s come in and made a real big statement that he’s ready to play. He’ll be a guy to watch in training camp.”

A description no player wants attached to his name is “injury-prone.”

“It feels great now,” 19-year-old Markham, Ontario native Winterton said of his shoulder. “I’m going to continue working on everything and stay healthy as long as I can.”

He surprised himself a little bit with the fitness testing, which was heavy on cardio and aerobic work, gentle on the shoulders — a tough area for a lot of players, Tambellini reasoned.

There’s a wide range of evaluation, as described by Tambellini, and few specifics were offered. Regardless, Winterton topped the dozens of draftees and invitees.

“Haven’t had a summer yet,” Winterton said, adding he’d been continuously skating. “I think I’m still in game shape.”

It has to sound good to say that. First, the 2020-21 Ontario Hockey League season was canceled due to pandemic concerns. His only competitive action, the U18 World Championships, was compelling enough in the way of recent film, and the Kraken drafted Winterton 67th overall in 2021.

Winterton suffered a dislocated shoulder during training camp with the Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs. It required hospitalization at the time and at first, he rehabbed it, returning in January and putting up 20 goals and 26 assists in 37 games. The shoulder continued to bother him as the Bulldogs advanced to the Memorial Cup, losing in the championship game.

He was sidelined during Kraken development camp, watching his fellow prospects chase a chance he wanted. Soon after he signed his entry-level contract with Seattle in July of 2022, Winterton had surgery, which cost him another half an OHL season.

“It sucked. But it’s the ups and downs of being a hockey player,” Winterton said.

He was traded from Hamilton to the London Knights on Jan. 2. Just 3:05 into his season debut with the Knights and roughly six months after surgery, he scored in similar fashion to Wednesday’s scrimmage. He found himself in good position and scored into a half-open net.

Still, he wasn’t where he wanted to be after such a long layoff. He said he hit his full stride in the OHL playoffs, where he came close to another trip to the Memorial Cup tournament. He had 29 points (13 goals) in 21 postseason contests as the Knights lost in six games to the Peterborough Petes in the OHL championship series.

Six weeks later, he was taking the ice in Seattle for the first time, working with the wingers though he’s widely listed as a center.

“It’s kind of what they’ve been asking me to focus on, but at the same time, I’m still going to focus on center too. I think I can play both. I’m not going to favor one over the other,” Winterton said.

“Whatever gives me the best chance to make Seattle one day, and Coachella (Valley).”

It was a second-half comeback win on Wednesday for Winterton and the blue team, who trailed until the late stages. Kraken 2022 second-rounder Jani Nyman scored to make it an 8-7 final.

Shane Wright might have gotten one just under the cross bar to make it 4-1 white team, but fellow prized prospect Jagger Firkus followed up just to make sure. White led 4-1, then 5-2 at the lone intermission between two 20-minute periods.

Defenseman and 2022 third-round pick Ty Nelson’s slap shot tightened the score at 6-4. He then made one of the best defensive plays of the scrimmage.

The Kraken’s 2023 first-round pick, Eduard Sale, shook off Sunday’s shaky first skate — the only other time fans were invited to development camp. He gave them a real show Wednesday, going top-shelf on a breakaway to make it 7-6.

Tambellini later added that Sale, 18, put up some of the best numbers in the fitness testing as well.

A bare-bones officiating crew intervened only for the occasional icing call, puck drops to start the periods and after each of the many goals, and to accidentally get in the way of a clearing attempt as the white team emptied its net looking for the equalizer. They didn’t get it and on behalf of Team Blue, Nelson accepted the trophy named for assistant equipment manager James Stucky.

A happy finish to a happy week for Winterton.

“I’ve been here three years, and this is the first time I’ve been on the ice,” he said. “It was pretty fun and I’m looking forward to main camp.”