Avalanche send Calum Ritchie back to OHL’s Oshawa Generals

The Colorado Avalanche announced Wednesday night that forward Calum Ritchie had been reassigned to the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Oshawa Generals.

Through seven games with the Avalanche, Ritchie had one goal and a team-worst minus-seven plus-minus rating.

The 19-year-old Ritchie was taken No. 27 overall by the Avalanche in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft after scoring 24 goals and 35 assists for 59 points with the Generals in the 2022-23 season.

The following year, he hit OHL career highs with 28 goals and 52 assists for 80 points, including eight goals and 22 assists for 30 points in 21 playoff games as the Generals made their way to the OHL Final, losing to the London Knights.

Daily Faceoff prospect analyst Steven Ellis wrote this about Ritchie ahead of the 2024-25 season.

“Ritchie’s ability to keep adapting and learning makes him so effective,” Ellis wrote. “(He) is a strong, smart, two-way center who can play against anyone and come out on top, and I fully believe he’ll be an impact player for the Avs in the long run. He just does so many things right, whether it be creating high-quality chances or helping out around his own net. I hope he gets a good look in camp – but at the very least, I expect Ritchie to be a big part of Canada’s World Junior squad.”

The Avalanche are 3-4-0 with six points through their first seven games of the season. After starting the year with four straight losses, Colorado has stormed back with three consecutive wins, including a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken Tuesday night.

Their next game is Thursday on the road against Utah Hockey Club. Puck drop is at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT.