Isaac Ratcliffe

Isaac Ratcliffe (born February 15, 1999) is a Canadian professional ice hockey left wing for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League (AHL) as a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected by the Flyers in the second round, 35th overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
==Early life==
Ratcliffe was born on February 15, 1999, in London, Ontario, to Elaine and Al Ratcliffe. Born into a basketball family, Ratcliffe followed his older brother Landon into ice hockey, learning to skate at the age of three and playing in coordinated games two years later. He was childhood friends with fellow London native and future National Hockey League (NHL) player Nick Suzuki, and the pair would play ice hockey, golf, and soccer together. Originally a defenceman, Ratcliffe was converted to a power forward at the age of 11, as he spent most of his time in his team's offensive zone. He and Suzuki went on to play minor ice hockey together for the London Jr. Knights of Alliance Hockey. In his final season with the London Jr. Knights of the Alliance Hockey league, Ratcliffe recorded 22 goals and 27 assists for a total of 49 points in 32 games.
==Playing career==
===Junior===
The Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) drafted Ratcliffe in the first round, 15th overall, of the 2015 OHL Priority Selection. He joined the team for the 2015–16 OHL season, scoring his first junior ice hockey goal on October 3, 2015, against goaltender Evan Cormier of the Saginaw Spirit. Ratcliffe finished his first season in Guelph with five goals and eight assists in 46 games. His rookie season was limited by a number of injuries, but he soon saw an offensive surge during the 2016–17 OHL season, with seven goals and 10 assists in the first 19 games of the season. 43 games into his sophomore season, Ratcliffe had nearly tripled his previous-season totals, with 20 goals and 18 assists, and he was one of two Guelph Storm skaters named to the 2017 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game. He finished the season with 56 points in 67 games, including a team-leading 28 goals, and was named the Storm's Most Improved Player. That June, the Philadelphia Flyers selected Ratcliffe in the second round, 35th overall, of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, and he signed an entry-level contract with them shortly thereafter.
After joining the Flyers for training camp, Ratcliffe returned to the Storm for the 2017–18 OHL season. He had trouble early in the season, struggling with his speed and accuracy, but soon picked up his play with 37 goals through his first 61 games. Finishing the season with 68 points and a career-high 41 goals, Ratcliffe earned the Glad Mowatt Most Valuable Player Award, Fay Scott Memorial Award, and Top Scorer Award at the Storm's end-of-year team banquet. When the Guelph season concluded, Ratcliffe joined the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Flyers' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, for the end of their 2017–18 season. He played two AHL games that season, scoring his first professional ice hockey goal on April 13 in a 5–2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Ratcliffe rejoined the Storm for the 2018–19 OHL season, where he was named captain. On March 18, 2019, Ratcliffe scored his 49th and 50th goals of the season in a 5–2 defeat of the Erie Otters, making him the fifth player in franchise history to reach the 50-goal mark in a single season. He finished the regular season with 50 goals and 82 points in 65 games, and he took home the Mickey Renaud Captain's Trophy for leadership in the OHL that spring. Ratcliffe added another 15 goals and 30 points in 24 OHL playoff games as he captained the Storm to their first J. Ross Robertson Cup in six years and a berth in the Memorial Cup. Although the Storm fell in the Memorial Cup semifinal round, Ratcliffe added an additional 15 goals and 14 assists in 24 games, and he was named to the Memorial Cup All-Star Team.
===Professional===
Ratcliffe joined the Phantoms again in 2019–20 for his first full season of professional ice hockey. He struggled with the transition from junior to professional hockey, particularly the greater resistance he faced from opposing skaters, but showed signs of improvement before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2019–20 AHL season. He finished the year with six goals and 15 points in 53 games with the Phantoms. He was also limited by injuries during the 2020–21 AHL season, with two goals, eight points, and a −7 plus–minus in only 22 games.
Facing a slew of injuries to their forwards, the Flyers called Ratcliffe up to the NHL on January 27, 2022, to play on the fourth line with Zack MacEwen and Connor Bunnaman for their January 29 game against the Los Angeles Kings.
==Career statistics==
 	 	 		Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season		Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 		GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
2014–15 	London Jr. Knights 	ALLIANCE 		32 	22 	27 	49 	16 		13 	6 	1 	7 	12
2015–16 	Guelph Storm 	OHL 		46 	5 	8 	13 	24 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2016–17 	Guelph Storm 	OHL 		67 	28 	26 	54 	65 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2017–18 	Guelph Storm 	OHL 		67 	41 	27 	68 	58 		6 	5 	4 	9 	8
2017–18 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms	AHL 		2 	1 	0 	1 	4 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2018–19 	Guelph Storm 	OHL 		65 	50 	32 	82 	105 		24 	15 	15 	30 	20
2019–20 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms	AHL 		53 	6 	9 	15 	40 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2020–21 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms	AHL 		22 	2 	6 	8 	15 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Lehigh Valley Phantoms	AHL 		59 	11 	17 	28 	61 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
2021–22 	Philadelphia Flyers 	NHL 		10 	1 	3 	4 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals		10 	1 	3 	4 	10 		— 	— 	— 	— 	—
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
 	 	 		 	 	 	 	 		 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1999 births
Category:Canadian ice hockey forwards
Category:Guelph Storm players
Category:Ice hockey people from Ontario
Category:Lehigh Valley Phantoms players
Category:Philadelphia Flyers draft picks
Category:Philadelphia Flyers players