Ritchie Ready For Second Season With Islanders

Cal Ritchie was the center of intrigue as New York Islanders Training Camp opened last week in a very literal sense.

The 21-year-old was tapped to move to center in the wake of Mathew Barzal’s knee inflammation. It’s a responsibility Ritchie has taken seriously – especially given how many capable options the Islanders have down the middle.

“I think that's definitely a confidence boost,” Ritchie said on being chosen to play center. “But at the same time, you want to be that guy; you want to have that opportunity to prove yourself and show that you can handle it. So, I'm going to try to do that.”

So far, Ritchie has impressed. Head Coach Pete DeBoer called him “great” during the team’s first preseason game in New Jersey on Sunday, where he played in all situations and tallied an assist. He played pivot again in the team’s 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night at MSG, skating between Brayden Schenn and Matias Maccelli, who he has largely skated with during camp.

While there are more responsibilities playing center, Ritchie said DeBoer’s system puts an emphasis on the whole line.

“With Pete’s system it's pretty interchangeable defensively, so it doesn't really matter what position you are in the D-zone,” Ritchie said. “It’s just you swap in for each other and fill lanes and fill spots.  I'm just trying to work on some face-offs and stuff like that. Felt comfortable, especially playing with Maccelli and Schenn today. They're great, so it was pretty easy for me.”

Schenn has seen Ritchie raise his confidence going into his second full year.

“Towards the end of last year, he felt he built his confidence,” Schenn said. “In year two, the pace is there, he can make plays. The thing about the second year, it's always hard because people around the league start to understand who you are as a player, and you have to keep evolving and getting better. And I think day to day he comes here and tries to be the best version of himself and get better on and off the ice. And when you're a young guy and wanting to do that, you know he's a fun guy to be around.”

Schenn and Ritchie have gravitated towards each other, and the 17-year-NHL veteran is taking the young star under his wing. If there’s an area Schenn can help Ritchie, it’s faceoffs. Ritchie won 36.8% of his faceoffs last season, while Schenn won 54.1% of draws last year between the Islanders and St. Louis. The Isles will have the ability to use both players as needed, and between Schenn, Bo Horvat, JG Pageau and Casey Cizikas, Ritchie will have plenty of good teachers.

“Guys did it for me, and now it's my job to try and pay it forward,” Schenn said of helping Ritchie.  “And it's not that I know everything. I got to learn from really good people around me. The information you retain from other guys, you try and pass it on down. It goes vice versa. When you're an older player, you play with young guys. You know they grow up with learning different skill sets or things they're looking for, and they keep you young. So, it's fun being around that guy like that, and he's just a good solid teammate.”

Ritchie worked on all aspects of his game over the summer. He spent time back home, just outside of Toronto, and went north to train alongside Islanders captain Horvat in Muskoka.

“I think I was just working out a lot, trying to get stronger, trying to get in better shape, more mobile,” said Ritchie on his focus this summer. “I think trying to see the ice better, handle pucks better, make better passes, better shot. Worked on my skating a lot, battles, pretty much all around. I mean, you have to be good at everything to play in the NHL.”

As Ritchie made the jump from junior to a full-time NHLer last season, his training followed suit. DeBoer credits Ritchie’s success to his high-level training this summer.

“It was all about him using the summer to get stronger,” DeBoer said following the first preseason game. “I think up until this past summer, he still trained like a junior player, and relied on a lot of his natural abilities. He's a big-bodied kid, but I don't think he had really trained like an NHL player until this summer, and that was the goal, and he did that. Came back, he had dropped his body fat, and I think you see it on the ice, not just today, but I mean in some of the practices as well.”

Following a 30-point (13G, 17A) year across 65 games last season, Ritchie is ready for year two. Things are different for Ritchie in his second camp, but his focus remains the same: helping the team succeed.

“You still got to prove yourself every Training Camp,” Ritchie said. “I'm just not really thinking too much about the past. I'm just trying to have a strong season this year and try to help the team.”