Calum Ritchie Prepares for 1st Avalanche Test; ‘Trying to Soak it In’

DENVER — The Avalanche are at Ball Arena Monday night for their 7 p.m. preseason opener against the Dallas Stars. And young center Calum Ritchie will be making his preseason debut.

“I’m learning tons,” he told me after morning skate. “I’m just trying to soak it all in and try to learn stuff from everyone.”

Ritchie missed last year’s training camp while recovering from a shoulder injury. But after a strong 2023-24 season in the Ontario Hockey League, the leading scorer for the Oshawa Generals has been presented with an opportunity to make the opening night roster.

“That’s the goal for everyone here,” Ritchie said.

Without top forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, and an injury that has kept Artturi Lehkonen from participating in training camp, the Avs have at least two spots open in the top nine that are prime for the picking. And Ritchie, who has the offensive upside to fill such a role, is getting his first chance to show he fits with the big club at 19 years old.

“(The coaching staff) always told me, just work as hard as you can, just compete hard,” Ritchie said. “You just try to pay attention to the details and take care of the little things in a game and good things will happen.”

Colorado’s No. 27 overall pick from the 2023 draft is stuck in a tough position, His skillset has evolved from the OHL game, where he had 28 goals and 80 points in just 50 games last season. But because of an agreement between the Canadian junior league and the NHL, Ritchie is not eligible to play for the Avs’ minor league team, the Colorado Eagles, in the American Hockey League. It’s either NHL or OHL for him.

“I’m open to playing kids. Whoever can get the job done,” head coach Jared Bednar said last Wednesday at media day. “I know there’s some growing pains, but the time to get young players in the lineup is at the start of the year.”

But does that mean the hype around Ritchie is going to give him special treatment?

“This is the best league in the world,” Bednar said. “And if you want to play on one of the best teams in the best league in the world, then you have to expect to earn it.”

Preseason Preview

The Avs are playing a mostly young group against Dallas on Monday night. But among the noteworthy veterans in the lineup, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is dressing in his first game in an Avalanche uniform in three years. He is still fighting for a contract with the team.

Free-agent newcomer defensemen Oliver Kylington and Erik Brannstrom are also set to debut on Monday. They are also joined by defense prospect Sean Behrens, who is attending his first Avalanche training camp following a successful college career up I-25 with the DU Pioneers.