Ryan Chesley

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Bjorn Franke

Photo by: Brad Rempel

Photo by: Matt Krohn

Position:
Defense
Ht./Wt.:
6-0 / 200
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Mahtomedi, Minn.
High School:
Shattuck-St. Mary's
Previous Team:
US NTDP U18
NHL Rights:
Washington (2022)

PRONUNCIATION

• Signed three-year, entry-level NHL contract with the Washington Capitals on May 16, 2025

2024-25 | JUNIOR
All-Big Ten Honorable Mention Team
College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
Academic All-Big Ten
• Was one of seven Gophers to play in all 40 games during his third and final season at Minnesota
• Posted career highs in every offensive category with eight goals, 12 assists, and 20 points
• Ranked 14th nationally among defensemen scoring eight goals, which was second in the B1G behind only teammate Sam Rinzel
• Tied his single-season career high in goals during the season opener in Las Vegas versus Air Force (Oct. 11) at the 2024 Ice Breaker Tournament when he posted the first and only multi-goal effort of his career
• His two game-winning goals were tied for second on the team as he scored winners against Mercyhurst (Jan. 4) and Ohio State (Feb. 21)
• Put away the first shorthanded goal of his career at Wisconsin (Nov. 8) as one of three Gophers to find the back of the net when shorthanded
• Tallied four multi-point performances for the year, all Minnesota victories, including a career-high three points with a goal and two assists versus Mercyhurst (Jan. 4)
• Had points in back-to-back outings on three separate occasions
• Led the team by blocking 73 shots, registering a season-best five at home versus Michigan State (Dec. 13) and again in the NCAA Fargo Regional versus Massachusetts (Mar. 27)
• Closed the year with a plus-17 rating and held a season high of plus-3 against St. Thomas (Oct. 26) and Bemidji State (Nov. 14)
• Gophers owned an 11-3-1 record in games where he tallied a point and were undefeated at 7-0-0 when he found the back of the net
• Earned third letter

2023-24 | SOPHOMORE
All-Big Ten Second Team
College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Third Team
College Sports Communicators Academic All-District
AHCA Krampade All-American Scholar
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
Academic All-Big Ten
Dean's List
• Was one of nine Gophers to take the ice in all 39 games in his second season at Minnesota
• Finished the year with eight points on two goals and six assists
• Scored both of his goals this season during a three-game stretch from Nov. 18-26
• Put away the second game-winning goal of his career at home against No. 17/18 Notre Dame (Nov. 18)
• Added his second goal of the season in a home win over No. 7 Michigan State (Nov. 26)
• Recorded assists in back-to-back outings at No. 5 North Dakota (Oct. 20) and versus No. 14/18 Wisconsin (Oct. 26)
• Picked up a helper in the Big Ten Conference Tournament Semifinals against No. 11 Michigan (Mar. 16)
• Led the Gophers by blocking 77 shots, ranking eighth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten Conference, including a career-high six at Ohio State (Dec. 8)
• Closed the season with a plus-2 rating after twice posting a season-best plus-3 at No. 8/9 Michigan (Nov. 10) and versus Robert Morris (Jan. 13)
• Six of his eight points came during the first half of the campaign before the holiday break
• Gophers went 4-3-1 when he posted a point and held a perfect 2-0-0 record in games when he scored a goal
• Earned second letter

2022-23 | FRESHMAN
Dean's List
• Made an appearance in 36 of 40 games during his first collegiate season, missing four due to injury
• Reached double-digit points with 10 for the year on two goals and eight assists as eight of those points were during home games
• Tallied the first point of his career with an assist on opening night versus Lindenwood (Oct. 1) and scored his first NCAA goal in a Border Battle win over Wisconsin (Dec. 9)
• Recorded a pair of multi-point performances, both of which were against Michigan State (Jan. 28 and Mar. 11)
• Scored the first game-winning goal of his career in a home win over the Spartans (Jan. 28)
• Gophers held a perfect 8-0-0 record when he registered a point and won both games when he scored a goal
• Twice tallied points in back-to-back outings
• Closed the year with a plus-15 rating and was a season-best, plus-4 against Wisconsin (Dec. 9)
• Blocked a total of 52 shots, the fourth-most on the team
• Made his collegiate debut opening night against Lindenwood (Oct. 1)
• Helped Minnesota to the NCAA's sixth-best goals against per game at 2.3
• Member of a defense corps that combined for 147 points on 30 goals and 117 assists, the most points of any defensive unit at the NCAA Frozen Four
• Part of the Gophers runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four and a Big Ten Conference regular season championship
• Earned first letter

JUNIOR/HIGH SCHOOL
• Played two seasons with the USA Hockey National Team Development program spending 2021-22 with the Under-18 Team and the previous year for the Under-17 Team
• Led all NTDP defensemen with 12 goals during the 2021-22 season and added 17 assists for 29 points in 59 games played
• Posted 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) across 37 appearances for the U17's in 2020-21
• Played three years at Shattuck-St. Mary's on its AAA teams
• Participated in the 2022 BioSteel All-American Game

INTERNATIONAL
• Served as an alternate captain for Team USA and ranked second on the team, averaging more than 21 minutes of ice time, winning a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in Sweden
• Tallied four points in seven games and delivered a game-tying goal late in the second period of a preliminary game versus Czechia (Dec. 29) for his lone goal
• Posted a two-assist performance during a win over Slovakia (Dec. 31), including a helper on the game-winning goal, and added his third assist in a semifinal win over Finland (Jan. 4)
• Ranked third for the Red, White, and Blue behind a plus-9 rating
• Helped Team USA to a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship in eastern Canada
• Played all seven games for the Americans along the blue line
• Tallied his lone point Dec. 29 in a win over Switzerland
• Served as an alternate captain for Team USA at the 2022 IIHF U18 World Championship in Germany and tallied five points (two goals, three assists) in six games on the way to a silver medal
• Scored a goal in five appearances for Team USA at the 2021 world championships recording the team's first goal of the tournament
• Won a gold medal at the 2021 U18 Five Nations event in Monthey, Switzerland

PERSONAL
• Son of Steve and Paula Chesley
• Has an older sister, Rachel
• Selected in the second round (No. 37 overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals as the fifth player taken on day two of the draft
• Highest-selected Gopher by the Capitals in program history
• Second player in Minnesota history to wear No. 71 after Donald Bodin (1949-50)