SASKATOON — Members of the hockey-loving Sceviour family have been part of innumerable line combinations.
Ryan Sceviour’s line of choice? The football fivesome.
“I was never a hockey guy,” says Sceviour, an accomplished CFL offensive lineman who signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders as a free agent in February.
“Everybody in my family played hockey. My brother and my dad and my cousins all played hockey, but I never really took to it.
“Football was more of my thing. I played some lacrosse, too, but football was obviously Number 1.”
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound guard is a cousin of Colton Sceviour, whose 535-game NHL career included time spent with the Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers.
Colton’s father, Darin, played in one big-league game — with the Chicago Blackhawks during the 1986-87 season.
Darin’s brother, Todd Sceviour, is Ryan’s father.
Todd Sceviour, who played in the WHL with the Lethbridge Broncos (1983 to 1986) and Swift Current Broncos (1986 to 1988), scored 48 goals in his final major-junior season as a teammate of future NHL star Joe Sakic.
Hold on. There’s more.
Logan Sceviour, Ryan’s cousin, played junior A hockey from 2008 to 2013. His 20-year-old season was spent in the SJHL with the Flin Flon Bombers and Melfort Mustangs.
“The whole family is a big sports family, so we just ran with athletics,” Ryan notes. “It’s something that’s very important to everybody.”
In that spirit, Ryan excelled in football, wrestling and basketball at Calgary’s Bowness High School, where he was an honour-roll student and a two-time recipient of the male-athlete-of-the-year award.
Although versatility was a trait, football eventually became Sceviour’s sole sport.
“When you’re growing up and playing sports, obviously it’s just fun,” he says. “Football is just something that comes naturally when you’re a bigger dude.
“Just being with all the guys and having such a big team and all the different personalities is obviously great.
“It’s an easy way to make a ton of friends. I made friends through pee wee, bantam and all those different leagues and they’re friends for life.”
More friendships were established when Sceviour enrolled at the University of Calgary and became a key member of the Dinos’ offensive line.
At the U of C, Sceviour helped the Dinos win the Hardy Cup — the Canada West football championship — in 2013 and 2016.
In the latter game, Sceviour made a 21-yard reception to set up a touchdown run that propelled Calgary into a 46-36 lead over the UBC Thunderbirds. The Dinos held on for a 46-43 victory at McMahon Stadium.
“That was the craziest play call Ryan Sheahan will probably ever make, if you ever ask him,” says Sceviour, referencing the Dinos’ newly appointed field boss, who was the team’s assistant head coach and offensive co-ordinator from 2015 to 2018.
“It was actually a gimmick, funny play. We never thought it was going to get called. It was just something fun to do in practice. Sure enough, he called it, and I caught the ball.”
Jeshrun Antwi scored from four yards away on the next play.
Also in 2016, Sceviour was named a Canada West All-Star for the first of two years in succession. He was a second-team All-Canadian in back-to-back seasons before being selected by the Calgary Stampeders in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2018 CFL Draft.
He went on to play in 47 regular-season games with the Stampeders, on whose behalf he was named a West Division All-Star in 2022.
While in Calgary, Sceviour got to know current Roughriders Head Coach Corey Mace (who was the Stampeders’ defensive line coach from 2016 to 2021) and Saskatchewan’s newly appointed Offensive Co-ordinator, Marc Mueller (who was part of the Stamps’ coaching staff from 2014 to 2023).
As much as Sceviour enjoyed playing for the Stampeders and in his hometown, a contract offer from the Roughriders proved to be irresistible.
“Honestly, it was Mace and Mueller and all the guys I know personally,” Sceviour says. “I know Mace is going to be a fantastic head coach and he’s obviously going to bring this team up.
“I wanted to be a part of it and the main draw for me was Mace and then also Mueller getting a full chance to be the full-on O.C. and being able to run the offence to his full capability. It made it an easy decision to come out here.”
What is it about Mace and Mueller that made their presence in Saskatchewan so magnetic?
“With Mace, it’s just his personality,” Sceviour replies. “He’s a great guy. He’s super-intelligent and he works super-hard. You know that he’s going to give his best and that he wants the best for the team and for the players as well.
“Mueller is very smart, very intelligent, and he always has great ideas. I’m just excited that he finally gets his chance to be the guy to make the choices.”
Mueller, for his part, is delighted to continue his association with Sceviour.
“He’s a familiar face for me and a guy who people in the room can lean on if there’s something that is missed or not there,” the Roughriders’ chief offensive strategist says. “Someone can say, ‘Hey, you ran this. How did you do it before?’ The terminology is not new to him.
“He’s a good player, a good person. He makes the room better and he’s out here competing, so I think it’s good.”
