"[4] 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 was accepted Cruthers to join the team.

[citation needed] Immediately upon the completion of the 2007–08 collegiate season, Cruthers signed with the Utah Grizzlies, the ECHL team affiliated with the New York Islanders.

In the 2009–10 season, Cruthers initially signed with defending Central Hockey League champion Texas Brahmas,[5] but left after four games when he was offered a contract by the Reading Royals of the ECHL.

[8] During the 2010–11 season with Reading, he would play in the AHL on try-out contracts for the Lake Erie Monsters, Manitoba Moose,[9] 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.

[10] 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.

[12] 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.

[13][14] At the end of the season, he joined the Tier II junior Corpus Christi IceRays of the North American Hockey League as head coach.