Ryan Wilson was born on February 3, 1987 in Windsor, Ontario. A product of the Ontario Hockey League, first with the Toronto St. Michael's Majors and then the Sarnia Sting, the hard-hitting defenseman went undrafted, but signed on with the Calgary Flames in 2008.
Wilson would make his professional debut for the Flames' AHL affiliate during the 2008-09 season, but on March 4, 2009 he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Jordan Leopold.
Ryan made his NHL debut with the Avalanche during the 2009-10 season and almost right away began to establish himself as a gritty, hard-nosed, defender. Injuries would sidetrack Wilson's rookie season, but in 61 games for the Avalanche, he was among the team leaders in plus/minus and scoring among defenseman.
