Connections in Colorado: Drouin and Ritchie to Skate Against Former Team for the First Time

Sunday’s contest between the New York Islanders and Colorado Avalanche is more than just a clash between two surging teams – it’s littered with connections across the aisle.

It’s the first matchup between the two teams since the Islanders acquired Cal Ritchie for Brock Nelson ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline in March. Jonathan Drouin will lace up against the team he spent the past two seasons with.

Islanders Asst. Coach Ray Bennett makes his first visit to Denver after spending six years with the Avalanche organization, while Head Coach Patrick Roy is making his second visit to Ball Arena as Islanders Head Coach. Read below for storylines.

RITCHIE ON FACING HIS FORMER CLUB

Ritchie got his start with the Avalanche.

Ritchie was drafted by Colorado 27th overall in 2023. He made it out of training camp, playing seven games for the Avs before he was returned to his junior team, where he put up 70 points for the Oshawa Generals.

“I’ve never been traded before that, so it’s obviously a bit different. It’s a little weird to be back here but I’m just focused on the game and getting the win tonight.”

The 20-year-old opened up about his mindset, which is to stay in the present moment and focus on his game without the distraction of playing against his former club.

Ritchie will play in his ninth game with the Islanders tonight, surpassing the number of games he played with the Avalanche last season (7). Now feeling settled in with the Isles, he said that game-to-game, he’s focused on sharpening details.

“I’m learning a lot every single game,” Ritchie said. “The staff has been great for me, teaching me details and helping me improve my game. I’ve been loving being part of the Islanders.”

DROUIN ON FACING THE AVALANCHE

Drouin said he enjoyed his time spent in Colorado, where he posted 93 points (30G, 63A) and 31 power-play points over two seasons (2023-25). Drouin, who played three seasons with Tampa Bay and seven with Montreal before signing with Colorado, is familiar with the experience of being a visitor in a familiar building, but there’s still that initial adjustment period.

“It is strange, you know every guy and you know their tendencies and personalities,” Drouin said. “The first couple games back in a building you’re so used to, it’s always a little weird. The first couple of shifts are always a bit different but once the game gets going you kind of forget about it.”

Drouin said he caught up with some former teammates and trainers since being back and he looks forward to quick reunions after the game.

COACHES’ CONNECTIONS

The connections to Colorado don’t end with the players – Head Coach Patrick Roy played eight years with the Avalanche (1996-2003) and coached the team from 2013-16.

Roy helped bring two Stanley Cup Championships to Colorado and when he gazes up at the rafters at the 1996 and 2001 banners, he had some fun with it.

“That’s what I said to the guys, I said look at it, hey this is me,” Roy joked. “So, I have fun with it.”

Though Roy made it clear that his sole intention is to win a hockey game against a powerhouse team, he did express his gratitude for the Avalanche organization.

“It was a privilege for me to be here in Colorado for those eight years as a player and three as a coach,” Roy said. “They helped me become the person I am.”

Islanders Assistant Coach Ray Bennett served six seasons with Colorado and ran the power play, bringing that expertise to New York. The Islanders power play is 3-for-12 in its last three games (25.0%).

DROUIN, NELSON AND THE NUMBER 29

Drouin called Nelson before taking his number 29 for the Islanders. Drouin, who wore 29 in the World Juniors, said there weren’t many numbers to pick from in the Islanders organization that weren’t already retired by the historic franchise. In a classy move, he dialed up Nelson and personally asked for his blessing before grabbing the number 29 he wore for 12 seasons as an Islander, where he ranks fifth in games played (901) and goals scored (295).

“I wanted to make sure [Nelson] was okay with it, obviously he wore it for many years on the Island, and he was fine with it,” Drouin said.

Nelson admitted the visual of seeing number 29 in an Islanders jersey still feels like a reflection of himself.

“It’s weird, a couple times I’ve seen highlights and I see 29, it takes me a split second,” Nelson said. “I feel like I’m so programmed to see 29 and think of myself. I appreciated that [Drouin] reached out, he didn’t have to do that.”

LEE ON FACING NELSON ACROSS THE ICE

Eight months removed from the trade that sent Nelson to the Avalanche, Lee reflected on the emotions of parting ways with a teammate that he not only spent 12 years sitting next to in the Isles locker room, but someone he’s grown extremely close to for over a decade.

Seeing Nelson in Denver brought some of those bittersweet emotions back to the surface.

“When it happened last year, it was pretty emotional,” Lee said. “You sit next to a guy and hang out with him for 12 years in a row, it’s a lot. At this point, it almost feels like it’s settled in, but it comes back to you a little bit when you see him and hang out, now we’ll be facing him tonight.”

Lee and other Islanders teammates spent some quality time at the Nelsons for dinner on Saturday night on an off day.

“I checked the schedule and made sure I can see some of the guys and got to see a bunch of them yesterday and it was fun to see them,” Nelson said. “It’ll be weird, it’ll be interesting to see those guys from a different perspective. It’ll be funny to line up with a couple guys that I grew up with, and are great friends with.”