Since getting called up from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League on October 31st, Islanders forward Cal Ritchie has shown that he belongs in the NHL even though he went scoreless in his first nine games. Ritchie played well on both ends of the ice, but he was still looking to break through offensively in the NHL.
And then came game number ten on Tuesday night when Ritchie scored his first goal as an Islander during a 3-2 win over the Stars in Dallas. Midway through the second period, Ritchie took a feed from Anthony Duclair and fired a shot past Stars goalie Jake Oettinger for his second career NHL goal.
Ritchie blasted home his first Islanders goal from the low slot.
“I thought it was a really good shift before from Bo’s line,” said the 20-year-old Ritchie. “They got a lot of zone time and then they changed in the o-zone. We got out there and I was trying to buzz around and trying to create something. I got the puck from (Ryan Pulock) and then gave it across to (Duclair) and he made a really nice pass to me. Glad I could finish that off and it was a great win for us.”
The victory was the Islanders fifth out of six games on their current seven-game road trip that will conclude Thursday night in Detroit. In fact, the Islanders are 7-3-0 since Ritchie was recalled from Bridgeport as they have vaulted into a wild card playoff position since an 0-3 start to the season. It took him a while to register his first point as an Islander, but a deeper dive into his first ten games of the season indicates that he is an important piece of the puzzle both this season and in the future.
“The more he’s playing, the better he’s playing,” said Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy. “I felt like the last game in Colorado, that line played really well and (Tuesday night) again. It was nice to see him be rewarded. I feel like he’s holding on more on pucks. He’s very smart defensively. He’s got so much skill and talent. It’s nice to see.”
Ritchie was drafted in the first round (27th overall) by the Avalanche in the 2023 NHL Draft. He played 7 games for the Avalanche last season and scored his first NHL goal against the Islanders before he was returned to Oshawa of the OHL where he tallied 15 goals and 55 assists for 70 points in 47 games.
When he reported for Islanders training camp in September, the feeling was that he has a strong chance to make the Islanders opening night roster. Ritchie was acquired from Colorado, along with two draft picks, last season on March 7th in exchange for Brock Nelson and William Dufour. He had a goal and an assist in four pre-season games before sustaining a lower-body injury in an exhibition game against the Flyers on October 2nd. Ritchie would begin his season with the Islanders AHL team in Bridgeport where he registered three points but also missed three games with a lower body injury.
But now he’s a New York Islander and it appears he could be on Long Island for good.
“It’s great,” said Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock who registered a secondary assist on Ritchie’s goal. “He’s been doing some good things…forechecking, holding the puck down low. (Tuesday night) a couple of good plays by him and then by (Duclair) to get it back to him and a good finish.”
After a slow start to the season, the Islanders have evolved into one of the great stories early in his 2025-26 NHL season. At 11-7-2, the Islanders currently hold down the top Eastern Conference Wild Card spot and they are just 3 points behind the first place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.
It's already been a terrific road trip for the Islanders who have certainly opened up some eyes around the National Hockey League.
“We’re just really buying into the way that we want to play,” said Ritchie who will turn 21 on January 21st. “Our structure has been really good and we’re playing good team hockey. We just have to keep that up. Our PK has been really good and we just have to keep going.”
It was certainly tough for Islanders fans to see Brock Nelson get traded last season, but there is genuine excitement about the type of player that Cal Ritchie can be for this team for a long time.