Rachel Barkley
In a surprising turn of events, the Carolina Hurricanes’ prospect, Ivan Ryabkin, is reportedly leaving North America to return to Russia, and is expected to play for Dynamo Moscow of the KHL.
The report comes from Jeremy Garrett, one of the most notable insiders for Russian Hockey.
Garrett further reported that the daughter of Dynamo’s new general manager, Alexei Badyukov, is set to marry Ryabkin.
Interestingly, Ryabkin signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes – a contract worth $2.85M – just in August 2025, which was not set to begin until the 2026-27 season.
Ryabkin was selected in the second round, 62nd overall, by Carolina in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Following a very successful individual season with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks, which also included a league championship, he had a great showing as he participated in the Hurricanes’ 2025 Prospect Showcase, and further cracked into the roster for two preseason games with the Hurricanes.
However, after a rough go of things with the Chicago Wolves, the physical forward was assigned to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders, where he spent 20 games before another shot in Chicago, which saw stronger production from him.
During the AHL postseason, his game continued to improve as he scored four goals (three more than in the regular season), including the game-winning goal in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final against the Colorado Eagles.
While there is a decent possibility that we will see Ryabkin return to North American hockey in the future, the Hurricanes’ prospect pool certainly takes a blow with the departure of one of their most promising prospects in recent memory.
