By Will Baldwin
Men’s Basketball
In December 2020, Jayden Frederick joined former Rams teammates Myles Charvis and Jean-Victor Mukama by taking his talents to the pro ranks. Frederick was an Ontario University Athletics Third-Team All-Star in 2019-20 and left Ryerson after two seasons to play overseas. So far with his new club in the Georgian Super Liga, called Mgzavrebi-Armia Tbilisi, Frederick has played seven games, averaging 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Joining Frederick in January 2021, Diar Alkaldy announced he was signing to play professionally. Alkaldy’s only season as a Ram came in 2019-20 when he scored 10 points and tallied two assists in 18 total minutes. The move came after Alkaldy played for the Iraqi National Team at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 Qualifiers, signing on with Nift Al-Basra in the Iraqi Super League. So far, in four games as a pro, Alkaldy has averaged 12.5 points and 4.5 assists.
Women’s Basketball
Hayley Robertson is Ryerson’s lone former female athlete from 2019-20 to sign professionally. After an outstanding career at Ryerson that saw her break the record for assists in a single season and attain OUA All-Star status, Robertson agreed over the summer to head to France. She started the season with Basket Féminin d’Escaudain Porte du Hainaut (BFEPH) of the Nationale Féminine 1 league, however, according to friend and former teammate Marin Scotten, Robertson is no longer with the club.
Men’s Hockey
Former Rams captain Matt Mistele is currently playing professionally in Slovakia. The decision was announced in August 2020 for the Rams’ all-time leader in points and goals. Mistele graduated from Ryerson as arguably the men’s hockey program’s best player—on top of the points and goals records, he was also a multiple-time OUA All-Star and U Sports All-Canadian. So far, for HC 05’ Banska Bystrica in the top Slovakian professional league, Mistele has recorded nine goals and 14 points in 17 games.
In early September 2020, it was announced graduating senior goalie Taylor Dupuis was taking his talents to France. Dupuis finished his Rams career second all-time in program history in wins and was a stalwart member of the program for five seasons. He now plays for Neuilly Sur-Marne Bisons in Ligue Magnus, the French first division, where he has played in six games across all competitions.
Unlike everyone else on this list, former Ram’s defenceman Andrew Mullen is heading professionally to a completely different sport. After being drafted in 2016, the former Rams hockey player signed with the New England Black Wolves of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Unfortunately, Mullen will have to wait until the 2021-22 season, as the NLL announced in February the cancellation of any 2021 season due to the pandemic.
Men’s Soccer
In December 2020, Antony Curic announced after just one season of U Sports soccer he was heading to the pros. Conveniently, the Mississauga native won’t have to go too far as he signed with Toronto FC’s affiliate club, Toronto FC II (TFC II). Like Mullen, when Curic’s pro debut will take place is unclear as TFC II withdrew from the USL League One’s 2020 season due to the pandemic.
Men’s Volleyball
Unfortunately for Rams fans, Xander Ketrzynski’s final game at Ryerson was in 2020. The reigning Male Athlete of the Year left quite the mark on the program in just two seasons in the blue and gold. He won U Sports Rookie of the Year, OUA Most Valuable Player and was a two-time First-Team All-Canadian. Ketrzynski signed to take his talents to Al Sadd of the Qatar Volleyball Association. In 14 matches as a professional so far, Ketrzynski has recorded 220 points for his new club.
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