Guelph Storm’s finest participant Jett Luchanko is not the one prime OHL participant to have made his NHL group’s opening evening roster. Oshawa Generals’ number-one heart Calum Ritchie has made the Colorado Avalanche’s roster to start out the 2024-25 NHL season.
“It nonetheless hasn’t actually hit me,” he informed the Colorado media following the group’s apply on Tuesday. “It’s clearly been a dream of mine since I used to be a child and my household’s coming down (to Vegas) so it’ll be superior to share that with them.”
The Avalanche are certainly one of many groups within the NHL who’re near the cap restrict and having a particularly proficient younger ahead on his entry-level contract are available and play a top-nine position is one thing they’re hoping Ritchie can present this season.
To not point out the accidents to former Kitchener Ranger Gabriel Landeskog, Artturi Lehkonen, and Valeri Nichushkin nonetheless away from the group within the Gamers Help Program.
As per The Hockey Information’ lineups web page for Colorado, Ritchie is slotted to start out the season on the group’s second line on proper wing with Nikolai Kovalenko and Casey Mittelstadt. He’s anticipated to make his NHL debut Wednesday evening on the fortress because the Avalanche tackle the Vegas Golden Knights
The twenty seventh total decide within the 2023 NHL Entry Draft definitely has the ability degree and confidence to take that subsequent step ahead and play within the NHL, as you possibly can inform by his insane pretend and objective within the video beneath.
“I’m fairly assured myself, however I feel even when I might have stated this is able to occur like a few months in the past, it nonetheless would’ve been fairly laborious to imagine,” Ritchie stated.
“I feel I play a sensible sport and I feel I’ve proven my offensive instincts,” Ritchie continued. “However I wanted to work on the defensive facet by camp and pre-season and I feel I did that and bought higher at it. It’s nonetheless a piece in progress however I’ve been bettering slowly.”
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If Colorado’s prime prospect needs to remain up with the large membership and keep away from being despatched again to junior, he might want to earn the belief of his new Head Coach Jared Bednar on the defensive facet of the puck.
“I feel he is a assured participant regardless, he understands the skillset that he has. Generally in all probability a bit too assured,” stated Bednar concerning Ritchie.
“The choice-making a part of it for me is an space he wants to enhance. He has the power to make performs everywhere in the ice and I wish to give him the liberty to try this. However, if it is a 1-on-3 and operating out of room, not making an attempt to make one thing out of nothing, play for possession on the offensive zone blueline, and make sensible selections to get pucks deep.”
Bednar famous that Ritchie was in all probability in a position to make loads of performs in uncomfortable conditions whereas taking part in within the OHL, however the NHL is a distinct beast, and his time and house will shut a lot faster. Nevertheless, he believes his rookie can be taught rapidly as an clever playmaking ahead.
This can be a huge loss for the reigning Japanese Convention Champions. The Generals are with out their three prime centermen from final season — Calum Ritchie, Dylan Roobroeck, and Rasmus Kumpulainen.
Kumpulainen has returned residence to play within the Finnish Elite League Liiga and Roobroeck’s taking part in designation for the 2024-25 season remains to be in query. The group’s lack of depth down the center of the ice confirmed after they moved newly acquired winger Colby Barlow to heart of their sport in opposition to Barrie on Sunday.
Because it stands at the moment, Oshawa’s prime two facilities are second-year ahead Owen Griffin and I assume Colby Barlow. There’s loads of strain on the shoulders of 2025 draft prospect Griffin now who wants to indicate that he has taken that subsequent step ahead in his growth and might be trusted as a top-six heart on a group with Championship aspirations.
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