Goaltender of the Year Ryan Cameron Took Over the NAHL this Season
A few things had to happen for Dan Wildfong to end up with one of the NAHL’s best goaltenders this year.
First, the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, who held Ryan Cameron’s rights, already had two standout goaltenders. That pushed Cameron back to the under-18 level with the Long Island Gulls, but he was too good to play in that age group.
So, Wildfong, the head coach and general manager of the Lone Star Brahmas, stepped in.
All Cameron did was establish himself as one of the best junior goaltenders in the country, notching 12 shutouts this year and helping the Brahmas to a runner-up finish for the Robertson Cup.
“You knew what you were getting every night with him,” Wildfong said. “With some players, younger players, the inconsistency of their game — I coached pro for a long time, and he’s like a pro goalie at a young age. Just knowing that he would make that big save and his character in the locker room, that’s just phenomenal.”
The 17-year-old finished the season with a 29-8-1 record, 1.35 goals-against average and .945 save percentage. His 1.24 GAA, .948 save percentage and nine shutouts led the NAHL during the regular season.
Cameron’s standout season earned him USA Hockey’s Goaltender of the Year Award. He will be honored June 6 at the USA Hockey President’s Awards Dinner in Denver.
“Ryan’s obviously a special player,” Wildfong said. “He’s one of the most mature goalies that we’ve ever had here and he was the youngest player on the team. He’s a really athletic, calm — he’s kind of like a Carey Price kind of goalie. He’s just so calm in everything he does, his movement. But on the inside, he’s really a competitor, he wants to win and very confident in himself to win.”
Where does Cameron get the calm, self-assuredness?
“I wish I knew, I would spread it to everyone,” Wildfong said with a chuckle.
Cameron has committed to play at Boston College starting in the fall of 2026. Before that, he will jump up to the USHL and play for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, who traded for his rights during the season.
Cameron could to be selected in this summer’s NHL Draft as well. NHL Central Scouting ranked him as the No. 14 North American goalie ahead of the draft, seven spot higher than his midterm ranking.
“His movements are really pro-like already for a young goalie,” Wildfong said. “He’s very square to the puck. He sees through traffic really well. I think he eats pucks. He doesn’t allow rebounds and he reads the play really well. Then as far as handling pucks, teams had a really hard time against us because he was like a Marty Brodeur back there or a Marty Turco how he moved the puck so well.”
Cameron was the backbone of the Brahmas during the playoffs, adding three more shutouts and not allowing more than two goals in the first six games, which helped put Lone Star in the semifinals. After winning that series in three games, the Brahmas fell 4-2 in the single-game championship to the Bismarck Bobcats, falling just short of a repeat.
Other than adjusting to the next level of play, Wildfong said there weren’t any noticeable aspects of Cameron’s game to work on.
“It’s going to be harder shots,” Wildfong said. “They’re going to be able to pick their spots a little bit better. So, he’ll have to make sure he’s just ready for that. I’m sure he will. He’s going to adjust wherever he goes.”
A primary attribute that will help Cameron get through any challenges as he moves up in competition is the type of person he is. Wildfong described him as a “world-class human being.”
“You want to get the best players on the bus who are like-minded, and this guy is just really a winner,” Wildfong said. “To have a younger player be such a mature young man and lead, that’s what winners do. They’re mature, they are very consistent. When it’s a big moment, he ends up standing up and making a great play in those key moments.”
Due to the nature of the position, goaltenders tend to take a secondary role when it comes to leadership, with their play often speaking more than they do. Even as the youngest player on the roster, Cameron didn’t hesitate to voice his opinion.
“He’s won before,” Wildfong said. “He’s come from a really good program with the Gulls. He spoke up when he needed to speak up and I don’t think he overcommunicated with our guys, but when guys needed a little bit of reassurance, ‘Hey, I got you’ or ‘This is what we got to do to be successful.’ He would speak up in the room, and that’s what makes him who he is, that maturity and that leadership role. The leaders, they slow it down when it’s fast and it’s tough and he can really pick his spots and really lead the right way.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Source: usahockey.com