EAST MEADOW, NY -- Prospect Calum Ritchie has been a New York Islanders prospect for almost seven months, and on Tuesday night, he will get his first chance to show what he can do donning the Long Island logo for his first preseason game with the organization.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Ritchie said. "Obviously, since being traded here, it's something you're thinking about the first time you put the jersey on in a real game action. So yeah, it's really exciting."
Last training camp with the Avalanche, Ritchie played four preseason games, making the team. He was sent back to the OHL's Oshawa Generals after seven NHL games, scoring one goal which ironically came against Ilya Sorokin in Game 2 of the season.
"I thought that I got better with every game as it went on," Ritchie said about his preseason performance last year. "I thought my first preseason game was a big adjustment from juniors. My first period, I don't think it was great, but then I figured it out in the second, and I thought the rest of the preseason I played really well."
Islanders Prospect Calum Ritchie Bulked Up, Ready To Fill Brock Nelson's Role
<b>EAST MEADOW, NY -- </b><a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> prospect <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/peel-back-the-curtain-calum-ritchie-s-path-to-making-islanders-isn-t-so-far-fetched">Calum Ritchie</a> knows how big the loss of <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/former-islanders-forward-brock-nelson-inks-extension-in-colorado">Brock Nelson</a> was for the club. Being the big return piece in the Nelson deal with the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/former-islanders-forward-brock-nelson-inks-extension-in-colorado">Colorado Avalanche</a> isn't something the 20-year-old takes lightly.
What does he want to show the Islanders tonight?
"I just want to show my smarts and just my abilities," Ritchie said. "I mean, I think my biggest asset as a player just my hockey sense. And I think I just want to play confident and just play my game up there."
The chances of Ritchie making the Islanders out of training camp is slim, but it's not zero.
With Mathew Barzal going back to center with Bo Horvat, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas also manning the middle of the ice, there's no real room for Ritchie unless they converted him to the wing position.
That is something he is open to.
"Yeah, for sure," Ritchie said. "I played wing last year with the Avs, all seven games, and it's not too big of an adjustment for me. So I mean, I'm just fine with whatever is available, or whatever they need, whatever role they have for me. So yeah, I'm just gonna try my best."
Ritchie added that, when he was hurt in juniors, he played wing because he couldn't take face-offs.
Tuesday night is a big opportuniy for Ritchie, even if an NHL job isn't in the cards. We've seen it before, whether it was with Hudson Fasching, Kyle MacLean or Marc Gatcomb, that the impression they make at training camp plays a part in them getting called up at some point.
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