Ryleigh Houston brings a wealth of high-level playing experience to Vigier Hockey, but what makes her especially valuable to young athletes is the journey she took to get there.

Ryleigh’s hockey career developed at Balmoral Hall, where she played from 2012 to 2016. During those years, she grew from a developing young player into a leader, earning Offensive Player of the Year honours, being named to the JWHL All-Star Team and serving as an assistant captain during her final two seasons.

Her performance opened the door to opportunities on the provincial and international stage. Ryleigh represented Team Manitoba, helping the team earn a silver medal at the 2015 National Championships while serving as an assistant captain.

She also had the opportunity to wear the maple leaf with Team Canada, representing Canada on five different occasions with the U18 and U22 development programs. She earned silver medals at the 2015 and 2016 U18 World Championships, served as an assistant captain in 2016 and was invited to the IIHF High Performance Camp in Finland.

Ryleigh’s journey continued into NCAA Division I hockey. She began her university career with the University of North Dakota, where she was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team and earned UND Rookie of the Year honours.

She later transferred to the University of Minnesota Duluth, competing for the Bulldogs from 2017 through 2020. Her university experience was about more than hockey. Ryleigh was named to the WCHA All-Academic Team in each of her three seasons at Duluth and earned Scholar Athlete honours. In 2021, she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Applied Sciences, completing majors in both Psychology and Exercise Science.

After university, Ryleigh continued playing at the elite level with the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) in Minnesota. She was part of an important period in women’s hockey, playing alongside some of the best players in the world as players worked to create greater opportunities and a stronger future for the women’s professional game.

Her hockey journey also took her overseas. Ryleigh played professionally with KRS Vanke Rays/Shenzhen, winning a championship in Russia during the 2021–22 season and another championship in China during the 2023–24 season.

Bringing Her Experience Back to the Next Generation

Ryleigh has experienced many of the stages young female hockey players dream about—elite prep hockey, provincial teams, Team Canada, NCAA Division I hockey and professional hockey in North America and overseas.

She also understands that development involves much more than what happens during a practice or game. Players have to navigate expectations, competition, confidence, changing roles, academics, setbacks and major decisions about where hockey can take them next.

That perspective is an important part of Ryleigh’s role as Lead Female Development Coach and Mentorship Advisor with Vigier Hockey.

Her goal is to help young female athletes develop their skills while also giving them the benefit of someone who has travelled the path herself. Ryleigh can share what she learned along the way, help players understand what higher levels of hockey demand and provide guidance as they work toward their own goals.

For Ryleigh, the next chapter of her hockey journey is about giving back to the game and helping the next generation of female players create their own story.