Preds Prospect Lee One Step Closer to Making NHL Dreams Come True 

Reaching the NHL seems like an impossible feat - until the dream becomes just a bit closer.

From the moment the Predators selected Ryker Lee with the 26th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, it's been non-stop hockey for the young forward.

After his name was announced and he slipped the Preds jersey over his head, Lee’s life got a lot more interesting. While the moment is unforgettable, what comes after is a close second.

“That’s the only real word to describe [the feeling],” Lee laughed as he recalled the chaos of the weekend leading up to his time at Preds Development Camp last month. “It would be ‘a whirlwind.’ I got drafted on Friday night and then in the morning we flew out on a private jet here and went straight to Bridgestone [Arena].”

After hyping up some fans at Preds Beer Fest alongside fellow first-round picks Brady Martin (fifth overall) and Cameron Reid (21st overall), the Preds prospects settled in for a fast-paced week of all things hockey.

For Lee, Development Camp was all about adding as much to his game as he could, which didn’t mean just hockey, but gaining knowledge in all areas by watching and replicating.

“I'm just trying to be a sponge and learn as much as I can from everyone,” Lee said. “There's a lot of great players here and great coaches that I've been talking to and trying to learn from.”

The star forward made a name for himself over the past season in the USHL, earning league Rookie of the Year honors while playing for the Madison Capitols. He tallied 31 goals, 37 assists and 68 points in 58 games played, helping guide the Capitols to a third-place finish by leading the team in goals and points and tying for assists.

While Lee doesn’t expect to play for the Preds in the near future, as the first-rounder is committed to play collegiate hockey this fall at Michigan State University, the week was still full of opportunity and growth.

“My confidence just comes from hard work,” Lee said on what the week had meant to him. “I'm going to go to Michigan State this summer and keep working hard and building on that.”

But summer is far from over. Last week, Lee participated in the World Junior Summer Showcase with Team USA, putting up two goals and three assists in the tournament. Those totals were good enough to share the lead for his country - and the entire showcase - in points entering the final weekend.

Lee’s confidence is constructed by his effort on the ice, and his fellow prospects have nothing but great things to say about the skill he possesses. After securing a crafty shootout goal at the Future Stars Game at the end of Development Camp, as well as being a standout player, Martin noted that Lee’s hands were “crazy” and that he’d “never seen someone stickhandle so fast.”

Those hands might just help Lee to the best League in the world one day, and at the very least, he’s a whole lot closer than he was just over a month ago.

“The NHL seems so far away, but then you get here [Development Camp] and it's closer,” Lee smiled. “It’s motivating. And you want to be here one day.”