Islanders' Calum Ritchie has a path to making roster out of training camp
Calum Ritchie skates during the first day of Islanders training camp on Sept. 11 in East Meadow. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
Calum Ritchie is doing what every prospect strives to do and what every organization wants from its young players.
“What he’s doing right now is making our decision so much tougher,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “I don’t think he came here just to make an impression. I think he wants to make the team.”
Ritchie, 20, a key piece of the return for Brock Nelson at last season’s trade deadline, centered a top line with Kyle Palmieri and Emil Heineman as the Islanders rallied for three third-period goals for a 5-4 win over the Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
He logged 20:12 with two shots as his line was matched against the Rangers’ top trio of J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. Roy had Ritchie on the ice for the final 2:27 of the game with the Rangers skating six-on-five and seeking the equalizer, and he was impressed with Ritchie’s two-way game overall as he transitioned pucks up the ice.
“That’s the type of player that I want to be,” Ritchie said. “I want to be trusted by my coaches two ways.”
Ritchie, asked about Roy’s praise, added, “It’s definitely a confidence boost, but for me, it’s one day at a time. Keep my head down, keep working.”
Ritchie’s path to making an NHL roster out of training camp for the second straight year — he played seven games for the Avalanche last season before being returned to his junior team, Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League — may be clearing.
Anthony Duclair is day-to-day with an upper-body injury unrelated to the groin injury that hindered him most of last season. Anders Lee is dealing with an upper-body injury and could miss one to two weeks. Fellow forwards Pierre Engvall and Max Tsyplakov also are currently sidelined.
The 6-2, 200-pound Ritchie, a righthanded shot like Nelson, had one goal last season for the Avalanche — it came against the Islanders — before being returned to Oshawa, where he compiled 15 goals and 55 assists in 47 games.
“He probably learned a lot last year,” said Palmieri, who scored the winner off the rush with a backhander at 16:14 of the third period. “He’s done a great job proving he’s a reliable forward and can play both sides of the puck.”
LaFontaine into Isles’ HOF
The Islanders announced that Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine will be the 17th inductee into the team’s Hall of Fame on Dec. 13. LaFontaine had 287 goals and 279 assists in 530 games in eight seasons for the Islanders after being selected third overall in 1983.
Notes & quotes: Gleb Veremyev, an undrafted free agent who was born in Brooklyn and grew up a Rangers fan in New Jersey, scored twice, getting to the crease to tie the score at 4-4 at 15:17 of the third period. “It was special,” Veremyev said. “I just tried to soak in every moment coming to the rink.” . . . Goalie David Rittich stopped 20 of 24 shots in the first two periods and Marcus Hogberg stopped all five shots he faced in the third period, including two tough ones with the Rangers skating six-on-five . . . Ilya Sorokin is expected to make his first preseason appearance Friday night against the Devils at UBS Arena . . . Chris Terry and Cameron Berg had the other goals . . . Forward Daylan Kueflear, a sixth-round pick in 2022, is out with an upper-body injury.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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