Ryan Lin’s major junior hockey experience has been a dream come true so far.
The Richmond, B.C. native was drafted sixth overall by the Vancouver Giants in the 2023 Western Hockey League Draft, so he’s chasing his hockey dreams a mere 40-minute car ride away from his hometown.
This allows Lin to have the full experience of living away from home with a billet family but still have access to everything he grew up with.
“It’s a good mix because I still get to see my family and they can come to every game,” Lin told TSN on Monday. “All the other guys I play with at events and tournaments have the experience of playing away from home, but it’s nice [staying close] because I know where everything is and play in front of my family every night.”
Lin finished his first full season in the WHL last year and immediately became one of the league’s young stars. The 6-foot right-shot defenceman finished fifth in rookie scoring with five goals and 53 points and his 48 assists were the most by all first-year players.
The 18-year-old began this season with two goals and 10 points through six games as Vancouver gets set to take on the Prince Albert Raiders on Wednesday night on TSN+.
Lin partially credits his success to his veteran teammates who made him feel comfortable and helped him get ready to take on the jump that is major junior.
Lin, who describes himself as a laid-back person off the ice, is now looking to become one of those leaders In the dressing room as he goes through his sophomore season in the WHL.
“I’ve been trying to find my voice within the room,” said Lin. “I’m a quiet leader that wants to lead by example, but I want to explore that leadership.”
Lin’s 2025-26 campaign will be one of the most important of his young hockey career as he is eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. He was listed at No. 7 in TSN’s pre-season rankings while TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button ranked him at No. 11 in his first list of the season.
Lin sees himself as a two-way defenceman who can create offence for his team that has good vision and speed. He also is proud of his transition game, which allows him to shut down plays and get back on offence fast.
His play has been recognized enough that Lin was one of three players guaranteed a spot on the Canadian Hockey League team at the CHL USA Prospects Challenge in November. Joining him will be Ryan Roobroeck of the Ontario Hockey League’s Niagara IceDogs and Xavier Villeneuve of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
Lin watched teammate Cameron Schmidt play in the series last year and is excited to be a part of the festivities with the eyes of the NHL scouting world on him.
“It’s going to be a couple of exciting games again [this year],” said Lin. “Those are two games that are going to have a lot of eyeballs on it, and I want to play my best. I think to prepare for it, I want to treat every game like that and not take games off. That way, when the big games come, I’m prepared and ready to perform.”
The CHL USA Prospects Challenge takes the top draft prospects for the 2026 NHL Draft playing in the CHL and pits them against the under-18 United States National Team Development Program for a two-game series.
The series is billed as Canada versus the United States, a fact that isn’t lost on Lin.
“It’s hard not to think about it like Canada versus the USA because we are facing the USA and I am Canadian,” said Lin. “Obviously, I don’t like the USA at all, and it makes me want to win every time we play against them.
“[But,] I just want to prove that I belong in those games and be a high-calibre player.”
Lin got his first taste of representing his country last season when he won gold at both the U17 World Hockey Challenge and the U18 World Hockey Championship. He also tasted bitter defeat when Lin and Canada fell to the rival U.S. at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup semifinals in a shootout and ended up winning bronze.
Those experiences have become both the highs and lows of Lin’s young hockey career, and he has taken learning experiences from each.
“Winning gold [at the U18 World Hockey Championship] was awesome and one of the highlights of my hockey career,” said Lin. “being around the older guys, learning from them and being able to play in those games were really big for me because it was a step up.
“At the Hlinka, we had a really good team, and we all had to goal to win gold. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen, but we can always learn from those tournaments and moments. If I get the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf again, I’m going to want it that much more because it kind of felt like we left something on the table.”
The opportunity to play at the U18 World Hockey Championship also allowed Lin to get advice from players who were getting ready for the 2025 NHL Draft. Those players took time to talk to those who would be following them this year about what to expect.
“They were telling us that it’s going to be a long year, we’re going to have a lot of interviews, dinners, and things like that,” said Lin. “They also warned us to take it one day at a time because if you look too far ahead, you’re going to lose track of what you need to accomplish and do during the season.”
Among the extra responsibilities that come with a draft season is more requests for Lin’s time – both on and off the ice.
While Lin hasn’t done anything special to prepare for dealing with the media and scouts who want to get to know him, he’s welcoming that aspect as part of the experience.
“I’m not the best at interviews or anything, but I did a lot of them last year. You kind of get used to doing them,” said Lin. “It’s fun though. You get the full experience and it’s part of the ride when you’re going through your draft year. I’m happy to do them and soak them all in.”
Lin’s competitive nature has him wanting to be drafted as high as possible. With that said, he understands that his individual success can’t get in the way of team success.
He believes that the more the Giants succeed will end up benefiting him more in the end than just focusing on improving his individual play.
“I’m a team-first guy and I want to win, which is my first goal every game,” said Lin. “The better the team does, the more it’ll help me in the end. The further you go in the playoffs and wins you get, will only help your individual success.
“If you’re doing the right things and being a team player, it can never hurt you.”