ECHL: Three Players Join Saint Mary’s University In USports

It appears that we are about to see a handful of players head back to school and join USports, as Ethan Ritchie, Landon Cato, and Liam Arnsby are all joining Saint Mary’s University. This now makes four players from the ECHL who have opted to head to USports, following William Provost’s decision to join the University of Ottawa yesterday.

Landon Cato

Cato, 22, has spent the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Cyclones, where he’s put up a goal and six assists in 63 career games. Prior to joining the Cyclones, the Toronto, Ontario, native played three seasons in the OHL with the Niagara IceDogs, where he put up two goals and 19 assists for 21 points in 123 games. In his final season with the IceDogs, he would serve as the Captain of the IceDogs. Cato becomes the fifth member of the Cyclones to sign outside of the ECHL/AHL for the 2025-26 season.

Ethan Ritchie

Ritchie, 23, played in just three games last season with Fort Wayne Komets. In his first professional season, he played 63 games with the Maine Mariners, scoring eight goals and adding 12 assists for 20 points. He would add two goals and an assist for three points in seven games during the 2024 Kelly Cup Playoffs. Ritchie also had one goal in three games at the AHL level with the Providence Bruins.

Prior to going pro, he spent parts of four seasons in the OHL. He spent parts of his first two seasons with the Kingston Frontenacs, putting up three goals and six assists for nine points in 46 games. The Oakville, Ontario, Native would finish his OHL career with the Sarnia Sting, where he had 24 goals and 56 assists for 80 points in 118 games. He would add four goals and three assists for seven points in 21 OHL Playoff games.

Liam Arnsby

The seventh-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2022 is coming off his rookie season with the Savannah Ghost Pirates, where he put up three goals and four assists for seven points in 37 games. He would also see one game at the AHL level with the Charlotte Checkers. Arnsby is the third player from the Ghost Pirates to sign outside of the ECHL/AHL for the 2025-26 season.

Prior to going pro, Arnsby played four seasons in the OHL with the North Bay Battalion. He would put 36 goals and 74 assists for 110 points in 215 games. The Ajax, Ontario, native would add nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 43 OHL playoff games.