When Ryan Roobroeck went second overall to Niagara in the 2023 OHL draft, the IceDogs were in a bad spot.
New owner Darren DeDobbelaer, who named himself GM, was suspended from those duties for violating rules surrounding an investigation that led to the OHL kicking Niagara players Landon Cato and Joshua Rosenzweig out of the league under its bullying-and-harassment guidelines. The team was about to hire its third coach in as many years, and now, they’re on their fifth coach in five seasons.
So, in a league where you don’t have to sign with the team that drafts you – trades are common, and the USHL is always an option – Roobroeck could’ve balked. Instead, he saw brighter skies ahead in Niagara.
“I had my interview with them, and there was nothing but great things they were talking about,” he said. “Everything was going in the right direction, so I put my faith in them, and I knew what they could do to send me in the right direction for my career, so I decided to commit.”
The hope around the ‘O’ is Niagara finally stabilizes, but at the least, the IceDogs have a solid young core with a lot of potential – and their big left winger is part of the solution.
Roobroeck, 17, finished as one of Niagara’s top scorers in his rookie year, and thanks to a breakout sophomore season for both him and the IceDogs, he’s looking like a great option after Medicine Hat phenom Gavin McKenna in the 2026 NHL draft.
Roobroeck saw his first OHL playoff action this spring, and while it was only for one round, the timing allowed him to join Team Canada at the U-18 worlds afterward. He ran wild, with nine points in seven games for the gold-medal winners.
“It’s been cool, meeting new guys from different leagues and seeing how they do things,” he said. “And representing your country is special. It’s something very important to me.”
Former NHLer Cory Stillman coached Team Canada at the event, and he was familiar with Roobroeck since Stillman is also the bench boss in OHL Guelph. So he knew how hard it was to handle the kid on the ice.
“He’s a big body (6-foot-4, 190 pounds) who has a tremendous shot, and can make plays down low,” Stillman said. “He made a big jump this year, and he’ll make a bigger jump next year. For anybody like that, you have to be willing to compete against him and take away time and space. For a defenseman, you have to have a good gap because he doesn’t need much time to release his shot, and when he does, it’s a goal-scorer’s shot.”
The Calgary Flames And The League Among The Winners And Losers From The 2025 NHL DraftIt almost feels impossible to designate winners and losers on the day that the NHL draft goes down. The whole point of the NHL draft is to build for the future, and with the inexact science that is the NHL draft, no one really knows who won and lost the day the picks are made.
Though he was one of the younger players on the team, Roobroeck bought into the Canadian system, something that’s been key to success for the nation at all levels in recent years.
“He’s a great kid,” Stillman said. “When you get to Hockey Canada, roles change. All these kids normally play power play and maybe on the half-wall. Ryan ended up being a net-front guy and sometimes bumper. His attitude there was great. He was willing to do whatever we needed him to do to win.”
That spirit can partially be explained by the fact the IceDogs winger grew up with older brother Dylan Roobroeck, a New York Rangers draftee who just finished his first AHL season in Hartford after playing in the OHL himself. Dylan is 6-foot-7, but Ryan never asked him to go easy when they played together as kids.
“I have nothing but great things to say about him,” Ryan said. “Growing up, I have memories I’ll never forget, and it’s helped me get to where I am right now. Leaning on him, seeing him go through the OHL and being in the ‘A’ right now, it’s huge just having him to talk to, where I can ask him anything. Having him one call away is so important.”
Funny enough, when it comes to NHL mentors, Roobroeck has always loved watching someone known for being one of the best smaller superstars in recent generations.
“Someone I enjoyed watching, and still do, is Patrick Kane,” he said. “Just the way he slows the game down. The vision he has to make everyone on the ice around him better is sick.”
The Next Crop Of Stars: Projected Top 10 NHL Draft Picks For 2026LW, Medicine Hat (WHL)When the 2025-26 season starts in Niagara, a lot of eyes will be on Roobroeck, and he plans to continue developing all parts of his game.
“There’s no place you’re too good at,” he said. “You have to keep steadily working on everything.”
It hasn’t been ideal in Niagara, but with Roobroeck’s ability to thrive through adversity, it’s not hard to see him being a problem for everyone else in the OHL next season.
This article appeared in our 2025 Draft Preview issue. Our cover story focuses on the Erie Otters' star defenseman and top draft prospect Matthew Schaefer, who has excelled despite the personal losses of his past. We also include features on other top prospects, including Michael Misa and more. In addition, we give our list of the top 100 prospects for the 2025 NHL draft.
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