Ryan McDonagh was born on June 13, 1989 in St. Paul Minnesota. He played his collegiate hockey at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was selected by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round, twelfth overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.
On June 30, 2009, was part of a blockbuster trade that saw him traded along with Christopher Higgins, Pavel Valentenko, and Doug Janik to the New York Rangers in exchange for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto.
Choosing to forgo his final year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, McDonagh made his professional debut in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolfpack in 2010. He would see action in his first NHL game on January 7, 2011 and would go on to appear in the Rangers final 40 regular season games as well as five playoff games.
In 2011-12, his second professional campaign, McDonagh continued to show the promise that made him a highly-touted prospect. He recorded seven goals to go along with 25 assists and an impressive +25 rating.
On October 6, 2014, McDonagh was named the 27th captain in New York Rangers history. That season he added an impressive offensive element to his game. His 14 goals were eighth most among all NHL defenders and his 43 points were the most by a Rangers defenceman since 2003.
In 2016-17 McDonagh established a new career high in assists with 36. He also added six goals for 42 points, just one shy of his career-best. The following season the Rangers announced their plan to rebuild, making McDonagh and other veteran talent available via trade to the highest bidder. At the 2018 NHL trade deadline McDonagh was sent along with J.T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Vladislav Namestnikov and a package of draft picks and prospects.
Internationally, McDonagh represented the United States four times. This includes an appearances at the 2011 World Championship and the 2014 Olympic Games.
