Islanders Prospect Report: May 5, 2025

Welcome to the Islanders Prospect Report, a weekly roundup of the Islanders' junior, collegiate and European prospects. Visit our In the System page for more prospect content.

RITCHIE AND NURMI TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD IN OHL FINALS

One winner takes all, one Isles prospect takes all.

Calum Ritchie and the Oshawa Generals will face off against Jesse Nurmi and the London Knights in the OHL Finals, ensuring at least one New York Islanders prospect will be an OHL champion and qualify for the Memorial Cup.

Nurmi and the Knights continued their playoff dominance with a sweep over the Kitchener Rangers and their 12^th consecutive playoff win to remain undefeated in the postseason. Ritchie and the Generals also completed a sweep to advance to the OHL Finals, as they put away the Barrie Colts in four games.

Both Isles prospects have had impressive outings in these playoffs. Ritchie recorded his fifth career three-point game with a goal and two assists in the series-clincher, which resulted in an 8-4 win over the Colts on Thursday. Ritchie converted a feed from the low left dot and ripped a shot late in the third for the Generals’ eighth goal of the game and his sixth of the playoffs.

Nurmi has also been providing offense for the Knights, as he potted his second goal of the playoffs on Wednesday. The Isles’ 2023 fourth-round pick (113th overall) snapped a shot in the slot to take a three-goal lead in an eventual 4-2 win in Game Four, sending the Knights to the Finals for the second consecutive year. The Finnish winger has seven points (2G, 5A) through 12 games of his first career OHL playoff run.

The Generals and Knights will face off for Game One of the OHL Finals on Thursday at 7 p.m.

London is the OHL's reigning champion, as Isaiah George – who was drafted by the Islanders in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft (98^th overall) – and the Knights were victorious in the OHL Finals and made it all the way to the Memorial Cup Finals, but fell in the final game.

VEILLEUX AND LUMBERJACKS ADVANCE TO THE USHL FINALS

Xavier Veilleux and the Muskegon Lumberjacks have punched their ticket to the Clark Cup Championship with a dominant 3-0 series win over the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Veilleux and the Lumberjacks advanced with a 3-1 win on Tuesday. Veilleux, who was drafted by the Isles in the sixth round of the 2024 NHL Draft (179th overall), recorded two shots in the win. The defenseman has six points (2G, 4A) in the postseason, which marks a career high.

The best-of-five Clark Cup Championship series begins on Friday against the Waterloo Black Hawks. The Lumberjacks are vying for their first Clark Cup in franchise history and marks the first career finals appearance for Veilleux.

STATS

CHL:

Jesse Nurmi | London (OHL) | 58GP, 9G, 22A, 31P, 10PIM

Jesse Nurmi | London (Playoffs) | 12GP, 2G, 5A, 7P, 7PIM

Calum Ritchie | Oshawa (OHL) | 47GP, 15G, 55A, 70P, 50PIM

Calum Ritchie | Oshawa (Playoffs) | 16GP, 6G, 14A, 20P, 18PIM

USHL:

Xavier Veilleux | Muskegon Lumberjacks | 61GP, 8G, 33A, 41P, 30PIM

Xavier Veilleux | Muskegon (Playoffs) | 9GP, 2G, 4A, 6P, 2PIM