Komets add Aleardi, Ritchie

Action photos of Alex Aleardi and Ethan Ritchie

Fort Wayne, Ind. — The Fort Wayne Komets announced that 2024 ECHL All-Star and Fort Wayne native, forward Alex Aleardi, and defenseman Ethan Ritchie have agreed to terms for the 2024-25 season.

Aleardi, 31, returns to his hometown after playing the last two seasons with the Rapid City Rush. Last season, he broke the team’s record for points in an ECHL season with 79 points (31g-48a). Aleardi won the Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades in 222 and was part of the Magnus Cup winning team with Rouen, France, in 2017-18. He has played in 244 ECHL games, scoring 245 points points (114g-131a). Aleardi also skated 92 games in the American Hockey League with Belleville, Springfield and Charlotte, amassing 41 points (20g-21a).

Ritchie, 22, played with the Providence Bruins in the AHL and the Maine Mariners last season, scoring 20 points (8g-12a) with the Mariners. Prior to turning pro, he recorded 89 points (27g-62a) in 164 career games in the Ontario Hockey League.