Ryder Ritchie, a forward for the Medicine Hat Tigers, has committed to Boston University men’s hockey, EliteProspect’s Cam Robinson reported on Thursday.
Ritchie, a 2006-born winger, is the first major Canadian Hockey League (CHL) prospect to commit to the Terriers for the 2025-26 season after the NCAA approved a new rule allowing those who played in one of the three CHL leagues — the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL — to compete collegiately, back on Nov. 7.
A native of Calgary, AB, Canada, Ritchie was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the second round (45th overall) in 2024 and spent this past season in the WHL with Medicine Hat.
In his lone season with the Tigers, Ritchie recorded 61 points (29 goals, 32 assists) in 53 regular-season games. He missed 14 games early in 2024-25 after taking a skate blade to the face on Oct. 9.
After finishing atop the Eastern Conference in the WHL, Medicine Hat raced to the championship. Ritchie tallied nine goals and nine assists in 18 playoff games.
In the Memorial Cup, the 6-foot-1-inch, 185-pound right-shot winger led the tournament in goals with four while picking up an assist in five games. The Tigers lost in the final of the CHL’s national championship.
He also has experience at the international level with Canada. Ritchie won gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2023, scoring three goals and tallying six assists in five games. In 2024 at the World Under-18 Championship, Ritchie won gold again, popping for eight points (four goals, four assists) in 7 games.
Ritchie is a talented, playmaking winger with a lethal shot and will be 19 years old at the start of the 2025-26 season. His skills should translate to the college level, but the physical, more pro-style game that college hockey presents might take some getting used to. Regardless, Ritchie will likely contribute as a freshman and see time on the power play.
