SALT LAKE CITY — Calum Ritchie’s first NHL trial run has come to an end.
The Colorado Avalanche sent its top prospect back to Oshawa in the Ontario Hockey League, the club announced Wednesday. Ritchie, a 2023 first-round pick and one of the top forward prospects in the sport, had one goal in seven games for the Avs.
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Colorado had a decision looming with Ritchie. Because he’s 19 years old and was drafted from a Canadian junior league, he cannot play in the AHL for the Colorado Eagles this season. The Avs either had to keep him with the NHL club or ship him back to Oshawa.
Ritchie made the team out of training camp, in part because three key forwards were missing and a fourth was injured on opening night. He’s shown flashes of the high-end skill that could make him a star someday, but also did not look ready for the pace and physicality of the NHL consistently. He began the season on the second line, has played more on the third recently and spent a lot of time not playing at all in the third period when coach Jared Bednar decided to shorten his bench.
Oshawa is expected to be one of the best teams in the OHL, so there could be a long playoff run for Ritchie. He’s also a lock, if healthy, to play for Canada at the World Junior Championships.
Ritchie would be eligible to join the Eagles or return to the Avalanche after his OHL season is over. The Avs recalled Chris Wagner, likely to take Ritchie’s place in the lineup Thursday night in the club’s first-ever game against Utah Hockey Club.
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