The Oshawa Generals received amazing news that will drastically help them in their quest to capture back-to-back Eastern Conference Championships.
All-star centerman Calum Ritchie is on his way back to the Generals after completing a brief stint in the NHL with the Colorado Avalanche.
Ritchie, 19, laced up in seven games for the 2022 Stanley Cup Champions, first starting on the team’s second line playing alongside Casey Mittelstadt and Nikolai Kovalenko.
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He scored in his third game on Oct. 14 when Colorado hosted the New York Islanders. After he helped keep the play alive along the left-wing boards, Calum found himself wide-open back-post and made no mistake redirecting the pass from Josh Manson into the open cage for his first career NHL goal.
However, with Colorado struggling out of the gates and not producing enough offense, the Avalanche decided to send him back to junior and avoid burning a year off his entry-level contract.
Ritchie played only 7:14 and one shift in the third period in Colorado’s last game — Oct. 22 versus Seattle — which marked the end of his run in the NHL, for now.
While Ritchie is most likely disappointed that his time in the NHL this season was short-lived, the Oshawa Generals greatly benefit from their second overall pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection returning.
Oshawa has started the season 5-5-1-0 with a minus-7 goal differential. They have won their last three games and appear to be headed in the right direction. Adding a player as talented as Ritchie will only increase their chances of finishing first in the East.
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Last season, the 6-foot-2 centerman led the Generals in scoring (80 points in 50 games) and plus/minus (plus-45). He was voted to the OHL’s second all-star team. Ritchie further elevated his game into the playoffs, once again leading his team in points (30 in 21 games), and finished second overall behind only the Playoffs MVP, Easton Cowan.
Kalvin Taylor/Goodall Media
Ritchie developed incredible chemistry with the Anaheim Ducks’ third-overall pick in 2024, Beckett Sennecke, and the two will reunite once more. The team can also load up a superstar line with Colby Barlow on the opposite flank if they require more offense.
This season, part of Oshawa’s struggles have been due to their lack of depth down the middle of the ice. Getting Ritchie back allows the coaching staff to ease second-year forward Owen Griffin’s workload.
Oshawa is back in action Thursday night as they hit the road to take on the much-improved Niagara IceDogs at the Meridian Centre in what very well can be described as a “Stepping Stone” game for both teams.
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