Ryan Lanchbury

Ryan Lanchbury
The Playmaker Who Always Seems One Step Ahead
Position: Forward
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
Current MSL Team: Peterborough Lakers
NLL Team: Rochester Knighthawks

Seeing the Game Differently

Some players see an opening and react to it.
Ryan Lanchbury often seems to see the opening before it's there.

Throughout a career that has taken him from Burlington to an historic NCAA career at the University of Richmond, the second overall selection in the NLL Draft, and eventually to Major Series Lacrosse, Lanchbury has developed into one of the game's elite playmakers.

He can score when the opportunity presents itself, but what separates Lanchbury is his ability to make everyone around him more dangerous. His patience with the ball, exceptional floor vision and ability to anticipate where teammates will be have made him one of the most productive setup men in professional lacrosse.

And in 2026, Peterborough added that creativity to an already formidable Lakers offense.

Early Years

Growing up in Burlington, Ontario, Lanchbury developed his box game with the Burlington organization before heading south to continue his education at Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

There, he was a two-sport athlete in lacrosse and hockey. He captained the lacrosse team as a senior, recording 62 goals and 38 assists, earned Under Armour All-American honours in 2017, and helped Avon Old Farms win multiple Founders League championships. He was also part of a New England championship hockey team.

Those years provided an early glimpse of something that would become a theme throughout his career: wherever Lanchbury played, offense seemed to follow.

Climbing the Ladder

Lanchbury spent five seasons of Junior A lacrosse with Burlington, producing an outstanding 97 goals and 201 assists for 298 points in just 68 games. 

Think about that production for a moment.
Nearly 300 points in 68 games.

But even those numbers reveal something important about Lanchbury's game. His assist total dwarfed his goal total. He could certainly finish, but his greatest gift was already becoming obvious—he could create offense for everyone around him.

His connection to Burlington has continued beyond his playing days, with Lanchbury later returning to serve as an assistant coach with the Blaze. 

University of Richmond

This is where Lanchbury's story really becomes remarkable.

At the University of Richmond, he didn't simply become a good NCAA attackman.

He became the most decorated offensive player in program history.

By the conclusion of his Richmond career, Lanchbury owned the school's career records for goals, assists and points, finishing with 162 goals, 131 assists and 293 points. 

His collegiate accomplishments included multiple First Team All-Southern Conference selections, Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year honours, All-America recognition and nominations for the Tewaaraton Award. In 2022, he was also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award.

For a player from Burlington who arrived at Richmond when its Division I program was still relatively young, Lanchbury didn't simply leave his mark.

He helped write it's record book.

National Lacrosse League

The Georgia Swarm made Lanchbury the second overall selection in the 2021 NLL Entry Draft, making him the first Richmond player ever selected in the NLL Draft. 

After beginning his professional career with Georgia, he was acquired by the Rochester Knighthawks in 2023.

That's where his professional career exploded.

In 2024-25, Lanchbury recorded 116 points, including an incredible 89 assists. He followed that with another exceptional season in 2025-26, leading the entire NLL with 82 assists while finishing with 106 points. 

Through his first four NLL seasons, he accumulated 324 regular-season points in only 63 games. 

Those aren't simply good numbers.

They're the numbers of one of professional lacrosse's premier playmakers.

Major Series Lacrosse

Lanchbury has also made his presence felt in Major Series Lacrosse.

In 2024, he led Oakville in scoring with 76 points in only 15 games, once again demonstrating his ability to generate offense at an elite level.

Then came a major move in June 2026.

The Peterborough Lakers acquired Lanchbury in a three-team trade involving Peterborough, Oakville and Cobourg. Lakers head coach Mike Hasen—who also coached Lanchbury in Rochester—pointed specifically to his lacrosse IQ, vision and floor awareness when discussing what he would bring to Peterborough. 

For an organization with Peterborough's championship expectations, the attraction was obvious.

Put an elite passer alongside elite finishers and let him go to work.

Another Championship Chapter

Lanchbury added another accomplishment to his résumé in 2025, helping the Snake Island Muskies capture the President's Cup.

He led the Muskies during the tournament with 15 goals and 17 assists in six games, averaging more than five points per contest. 

It was another example of Lanchbury doing what he has done throughout his career: producing when the games matter most.
By the Numbers

Hometown: Burlington, Ontario
Position: Forward
Shoots: Right
High School: Avon Old Farms
Junior: Burlington
College: University of Richmond
NLL Draft: 2nd Overall, 2021 – Georgia Swarm
NLL Teams: Georgia Swarm, Rochester Knighthawks
MSL Team: Peterborough Lakers
President's Cup: 2025 – Snake Island Muskies
Richmond Career: 293 points
2025-26 NLL: 82 assists – led the league

Gary Groob's Take

There are players who make you notice them because they're scoring goals. Ryan Lanchbury makes you notice everyone playing around him.

That's what I've come to appreciate about his game.

When Ryan has the ball, you find yourself watching the other five players on offense because you know he's looking for something. A cutter coming off the crease, someone slipping behind a defender, or a teammate finding just enough space for Lanchbury to put the ball exactly where it needs to be.

The statistics certainly tell part of the story. You don't lead the National Lacrosse League in assists by accident. But what I enjoy most about watching him is his patience. He rarely appears hurried. He allows the play to develop and seems to understand where the opportunity is going to appear before the defense does.

Now he brings that ability to Peterborough, an organization where expectations are never simply about having a good season. They're about championships.

Put a player with Lanchbury's vision alongside talented finishers like Rob Hellyer and the rest of that Lakers offense, and the possibilities become pretty interesting.

Ryan Lanchbury doesn't need to score five goals to dominate a lacrosse game.

Sometimes the most dangerous player on the floor is the one making everyone else better.

— Gary Groob