ITHACA, N.Y. — Senior defenseman Joakim Ryan has signed an entry-draft level contract through the 2016-17 with the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks, the team announced Thursday. Ryan will report to the American Hockey League affiliate, the Worcester Sharks, for the rest of this season.
 
The San Jose Sharks drafted Ryan after his breakout freshman season with the Big Red in 2011-12. Ryan recently concluded a stellar four-year career with the Big Red, earning three All-Ivy League and two All-ECAC Hockey selections. He accumulated 78 career points on 19 goals and 59 assists in 123 career games, giving him the most offensive output from a Big Red defenseman since longtime NHLer Doug Murray (84 points) and Mark McRae (98 points) finished their careers during the 2002-03 season.
 
An injury in the Big Red's first game of the season forced the 21-year-old Ryan to miss all eight of the team's November games this year, but he was nothing short of terrific the rest of the campaign. Essentially a one-man breakout, Ryan saw as much ice time as humanly possible. The Big Red penalty kill was the nation's best (91.1 percent) at the end of its regular season, with Ryan being a major contributor. He was also a key puck-mover on the Big Red power play, which ranked tied for first in league games with a 20.3 percent success rate. Despite missing six league games, Ryan still ranked tied for fourth in points among defensemen for a team that averaged just 2.05 goals per game in league play.


A native of Rumson, N.J., Ryan arrived on East Hill undrafted after helping the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints win their league title in his only season with the squad. He quickly made an impact with the Big Red, scoring twice and adding an assist in his collegiate debut and subsequently earning ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors. He went on to score seven goals that season — the last of which came shorthanded in an NCAA regional semifinal upset of top-seeded Michigan — which was a program record for a freshman defenseman. Ryan's strong debut season led to the Sharks selecting him in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft as an overaged player. Ryan was named to the All-Ivy First Team in 2014 and 2015, and the All-Ivy Second Team in 2013. He was also named to the All-ECAC Hockey First Team in 2015 and the Second Team in 2014, following which led to a career-high 24 points. Ryan was also one of three finalists for the 2015 ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Defenseman Award and a nominee for the 2014 Hobey Baker Award, which is given annually to the NCAA's best college hockey player.
 
Ryan becomes the second Cornell player to join the professional ranks this spring. Classmate Cole Bardreau is currently playing with the AHL's Lehigh Valley Phantoms as a precursor to his two-year contract with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers, which starts for the 2015-16 season. There are 28 former Cornell hockey players who have gone on to play in the NHL.