Ryan Cruthers

Ryan Cruthers (born July 4, 1984) is a former professional ice hockey player and current head coach of the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL).

During Cruthers' pre-collegiate career he won an Eastern Junior Hockey League championship with the New York Apple Core and a New York State Championship with St. Mary's High School. Cruthers then attended West Point, the United States Military Academy, before transferring to Robert Morris University (RMU), where he sat out his first year due to NCAA transfer restrictions before Cruthers became a top collegiate player in his senior year. Cruthers graduated from RMU with degree in Sports Management. In 2019, he became the assistant coach of the NCAA Robert Morris of Atlantic Hockey.

Playing career Youth and junior hockey Cruthers scored 43 goals and 60 assists for 103 points during his term with the New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) and won an EJHL championship in 2003. Cruthers also had 101 penalty minutes. In July 2008, Cruthers was inducted into the New York Apple Core Hall of Fame. This was the first class inducted and included 25 previous Apple Core players, coaches, owner.

During his stay at St. Mary's High School, he won a New York State High School Championship.

Collegiate career Cruthers' first collegiate team was the United States Military Academy. During Cruthers 2003–04 season, he finished tied as the leader in scoring for team. He had 18 points his freshman year with 13 assists and 5 goals. Cruthers won the Heinmiller Award for the most outstanding freshman that year.

After Cruthers' decision to leave USMA, he called Derek Schooley, the new head coach of RMU men's hockey team. Schooley, formerly an assistant coach for Air Force, had recruited Ryan before his decision to attend West Point and offered Cruthers a spot on RMU's team. but left after four games when he was offered a contract by the Reading Royals of the ECHL. He led the team in scoring with 71 points in 60 games and the entire ECHL in playoff scoring with 24 points as the Royals reached the finals in the American Conference. During the season, Cruthers was also signed to a try-out contract with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL, totaling one assist in eight games.

On August 24, 2010, Cruthers signed as a free agent to a one-year contract to remain with the Royals and would be named captain of the team. During the 2010–11 season with Reading, he would play in the AHL on try-out contracts for the Lake Erie Monsters, Manitoba Moose, and Hershey Bears.

During the 2011–12 season on March 8, 2012, the Royals traded Cruthers to the Alaska Aces in exchange for young prospect Ethan Cox and future considerations. At season's end Cruthers, a free agent, became the first player to sign with the expansion Orlando Solar Bears on with a one-year deal on July 17, 2012.

He returned to the Reading Royals for two more seasons, Cruther announced his retirement from professional hockey and accepted a head coaching position with the Charlotte Rush of the United States Premier Hockey League on June 29, 2015. In 2018, he was named the head coach and assistant general manager of the Chicago Steel, a Tier I junior team in the United States Hockey League. At the end of the season, he joined the Tier II junior Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League as head coach.

Career statistics Regular season Playoffs Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM 2003–04 Army AHA 29 5 13 18 42 — — — — — 2004–05 Army AHA 18 6 10 16 14 — — — — — 2006–07 Robert Morris University CHA 34 17 20 37 32 — — — — — 2007–08 Robert Morris University CHA 34 22 27 49 40 — — — — — 2007–08 Utah Grizzlies ECHL 4 0 2 2 2 15 1 4 5 4 2008–09 Mississippi Sea Wolves ECHL 65 29 37 66 72 — — — — — 2008–09 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 5 0 2 2 2 — — — — — 2008–09 Albany River Rats AHL 4 0 0 0 8 — — — — — 2009–10 Texas Brahmas CHL 4 0 0 0 2 — — — — — 2009–10 Reading Royals ECHL 60 22 49 71 71 16 8 16 24 12 2009–10 Norfolk Admirals AHL 8 0 1 1 2 — — — — — 2010–11 Reading Royals ECHL 51 22 35 57 44 8 5 3 8 4 2010–11 Lake Erie Monsters AHL 1 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2010–11 Manitoba Moose AHL 12 3 1 4 11 — — — — — 2010–11 Hershey Bears AHL 2 0 0 0 0 — — — — — 2011–12 Reading Royals ECHL 48 11 28 39 77 — — — — — 2011–12 Alaska Aces ECHL 11 2 1 3 6 10 4 2 6 29 2012–13 Orlando Solar Bears ECHL 71 23 22 45 138 — — — — — 2013–14 Reading Royals ECHL 53 16 40 56 42 5 0 2 2 6 2014–15 Reading Royals ECHL 66 15 35 50 65 7 1 4 5 9 AHL totals 32 3 4 7 23 — — — — —

Awards and honours Award Year College All-CHA First Team 2007–08

Heinmiller Award (USMA) CHA Player of the Year 2008 (College Hockey America) Most Valuable Player 2008 (RMU) Best Offensive Player 2008 (RMU) Easton Three Star Award (College Hockey America) Third Team All American (Inside College Hockey) 2007 All Tournament Team (NYE Frontier Classic)

Cruthers was also nominated for two of the most coveted collegiate hockey awards: Hobey Baker Award Lowes Senior Class Award