Playing Career
O'Marra attended Mentor College Primary School and Lorne Park Secondary School both in Mississauga, Ontario. He played three seasons in the Ontario Hockey League for the Erie Otters prior to joining the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. In two seasons with the Otters he has earned 95 points (41 goals and 54 assists) in 127 regular season games. He has also made 15 points (9 goals and 6 assists) in 15 playoff games with the Otters. O'Marra was drafted in the first round 15th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He became the first Japanese-born Canadian player selected in the first round of an NHL draft.
At the conclusion of the 2005–06 OHL season, O'Marra was signed to a 3-year contract by the New York Islanders on March 30, 2006. He then joined the Islanders' AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, netting two goals in his professional debut, to complete the year. Ryan was returned to the Otters for his final junior-eligible season, 2006–07. The Otters got off to a slow start, and he was traded to the Saginaw Spirit in late November for promising centre Zack Torquato. On February 27, 2007, his NHL rights were also dealt in a trade to the Edmonton Oilers with Robert Nilsson and the Islanders' 1st round pick in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft (Alex Plante) for Ryan Smyth.
After two difficult seasons with the Oilers affiliates the Springfield Falcons and Stockton Thunder, O'Marra made his NHL debut with the Oilers in the 2009–10 season. Ryan played 6 minutes and was a minus-1 in a game against the Ottawa Senators on November 10, 2009. O'Marra later recorded his first career NHL point assisting on a goal by Colin McDonald against the Vancouver Canucks on November 28, 2009. Coincidentally, the goal was McDonald's first career NHL point as well. O'Marra scored his first career goal on December 26, 2010 for the Oilers against Cory Schneider of the Vancouver Canucks. On March 17, 2011, due to multiple injuries to the Edmonton Oilers, O'Marra was again recalled along with fellow Barons teammates, Alexandre Giroux, and Chris VandeVelde.
During the following season, O'Marra was traded by Edmonton to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Bryan Rodney on February 16, 2012.
On July 27, 2012, with the impending 2012 NHL lockout O'Marra signed his first European contract on a one-year deal with Lahti Pelicans of the Finnish SM-liiga. However, after only 8 games into the 2012–13 season with the Penguins and enduring an diminished role, O'Marra was mutually released from his contract on October 4, 2012.
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