New York Islanders [http://thn.com/isles] top prospect Calum Ritchie [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/calum-ritchie-continues-making-waves-in-bid-for-islanders-roster-spot] skated in his first AHL game of his career on Friday night when the Bridgeport Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/latest-news/islanders-send-top-forward-prospect-calum-ritchie-to-bridgeport] hosted the Providence Bruins. The game didn't go the way Bridgeport planned, falling 5-2 after starting the season 2-0-1-0 but Ritchie did find the back of the net after a nifty toe-drag following a net-crash play before the halfway mark of the first period to get his team on the board: Ritchie is likely to be the first call-up by the Islanders this season given how well he showed in training camp. The only reason why Ritchie didn't make the Islanders is because he needs to develop as a top-six center, not as a bottom-six, extra person on what's a much deeper NHL squad than Long Island has been used to, when it comes to talent. While Ritchie will learn a lot under Bridgeport head coach Rocky Thompson, he should dominate the AHL. And he's off to a good start with a goal in game one. Prospect Matthew Maggio [https://www.theelmonters.com/p/matthew-maggio-new-york-islanders-rookie-camp], a grinder with a strong set of hands and offensive instincts, is currently skating on the fourth line for Thompson but saw minutes on the second power-play unit. That's where he scored his first goal of the season on Friday night, making it 5-2: Like many prospects in 2024-25, Maggio's development stalled due to coaching failure and attention to the AHL team by the man in charge. He's one of a handful of prospects who are trying to showcase to GM Mathieu Darche that he can be someone who is part of the big squad at some point down the line. Bridgeport returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 18, as they host the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Penguins at 7 PM ET.
