Ryan Cruthers Returns to Reading
Published on July 19, 2011 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release
Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with forward Ryan Cruthers. Last season, Cruthers (6'0/191) (27), who hails from Farmingdale, New York, scored twenty-two goals, assisted on thirty-five others (fifty-seven points) and picked up forty-four penalty minutes in fifty-one regular season games with the Royals. Cruthers, who was selected as the Royals' Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, also earned four separate call-ups last year to the American Hockey League, where he registered four points (3g-1a) and eleven penalty minutes in fifteen AHL games. Cruthers, who is the all-time career team leading scorer in the post-season for the Royals (13g-19a32pts in 24 career playoff games), tied for the team lead with eight points (5g-3a) in the eight post-season games played by Reading in 2011.
Cruthers, who served as the Royals' team captain in 2010-11, started last season with a bang, scoring a pair of goals and picking up an assist in Reading's season opening 6-5 win over the Trenton Devils on October 16, 2010. That was the first of what would prove to be seventeen multi-point performances for Cruthers, which tied for the team lead in that category. Cruthers, who is also tied for the all-time career lead with nine regular season game winning goals over the past two seasons, tied for the team lead with five GWGs last year, four of which were of the third period tie-breaking variety. One of his more dramatic goals of the regular season wasn't a game winner, but it fueled a late-game comeback. On November 26, with the Royals down by two goals entering the third period against the Cincinnati Cyclones, Cruthers bagged a goal just eight seconds into the final period, setting the table for a 4-3 overtime victory for Reading. That goal is the fastest ever scored into a period by a member of the Royals in the ten year history of the team.
One of Cruthers' dramatic game winners last year came on December 30, when he scored with just 2:46 remaining in regulation to pull out a 4-3 win over the Florida Everblades. After that game, Cruthers received a lengthy call-up to the Manitoba Moose in the AHL, where he ended up netting three goals, including scoring in back-to-back games in mid-January. Upon returning to the Royals in early February, Cruthers promptly scored the tie-breaking GWG with just 3:39 left in Reading's win over the Wheeling Nailers on February 2, 2011. As with the 2009-10 season, Cruthers saved his best for last in 2010-11, racking up twenty-nine points (9g-20a) in his final twenty-three games with the team. He also saved his most dramatic GWG for the post-season, when he scored the series clinching game winner fifty-seven seconds into double-overtime in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarter-Final series at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, against the Cincinnati Cyclones on April 9.
Cruthers, who will be entering his fourth season of pro this year, is currently fourth on the all-time career scoring list for the Royals with 128 points (44g-84a) in 111 regular season games with the team. Cruthers, who kicked off his pro career by leading the Mississippi Sea Wolves in 2008-09 with twenty-nine goals and thirty-seven assists (sixty-six points) in sixty-five games, has racked up 196 points (73g-123a) in 180 total ECHL games. Prior to turning pro, Cruthers played two seasons of college hockey for the U.S. Military Academy, where he won the Outstanding Freshman Award before transferring to Robert Morris University. While at RMU, Cruthers had two spectacular seasons, which culminated with being selected as College Hockey America's Player of the Year in 2008.
Season Tickets for the 2011-12 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com . Is your club, group, or organization looking for fun and entertaining speakers for an upcoming event' Contact the Royals' Speakers Bureau to book a team representative for your next outing. More information on the Royals Speakers Bureau is available by contacting Mark Thompson at 484-400-3565 or mthompson@royalshockey.com.
ECHL Stories from July 19, 2011
- Reign Signings Continue - Ontario Reign
- Wranglers Sign Thomas Kiriakou - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Ryan Cruthers Returns to Reading - Reading Royals
- Sauter's Training-Camp Roster Grows by Two - Idaho Steelheads
- Fans Invited to Golf with the Jackals - Elmira Jackals
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
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