Prestin Ryan was born June 29, 1980 in Arcola, Saskatchewan. A free-agent signing by the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2005, Ryan is a graduate of the University of Maine Black Bears.
A solid defenseman, Ryan played three years at the University of Maine before opting to forego his senior year and join the AHL's Syracuse Crunch following the 2003-04 season. After seeing action in three post season games with the Crunch, Ryan became a regular on the teams blueline in 2004-05 before moving on to the Canucks AHL affiliate in Manitoba the following year.
With Manitoba, Ryan saw his offensive numbers improve, while getting his first taste of NHL action in the latter stages of the 2005-06 season.