Ryan Ufko (Smithtown, N.Y.) is ranked No. 43 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. (Rena Laverty/USA Hockey)
Birthday parties normally feature gifts being given to the person who’s celebrating their annual milestone, not the guests.
And while that was true for Ryan Ufko when he went to his neighbor’s birthday party as a 5-year-old kid, it’s Ufko who today is still reaping the rewards of that occasion.
The party was an open skate and it was Ufko’s first time ice skating. He fell in love with it and kept doing it before eventually asking his parents, Jennifer and Michael if he could play hockey.
Why hockey?
