2023 NHL DRAFT CLASS - CALUM RITCHIE

With the 2023 NHL Draft coming up later this month, we're profiling some of the players that may be of interest to the Flames when they make their selection at 16th overall. In this edition, we take a closer look at forward Calum Ritchie of the Oshawa Generals.

Height: 6'2" Weight: 185 lbs.
Position: Centre
Hometown: Oakville, Ont.
Final Ranking: 13th (North American Skaters)

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You could hear a pin drop in rinks all across Ontario.

While other sports leagues - including their CHL brethren - were assembling a plan for a safe return to the ice, the OHL was unable to overcome the grasp of COVID-19.

An entire season… washed.

It was a nightmare scenario for players like Calum Ritchie, who lost a full year of development with the NHL Draft only two years away.

So, he took matters into his own hands.

"Honestly, that year really helped me," said Ritchie, who's ranked 13th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting. "Early on, our trainers provided us with some gym equipment to help us along. I got a new rack, some bands, a new barbell and a bunch of different weights. They'd send us workouts and we would do them every day.

"We weren't on the ice for the first two, three months. There was a lot of strength building and only a little bit of skating on rollerblades. Once we got access to ice in the summer, we would be out there working on small group stuff, while also going hard in the gym.

"I gave me a different perspective on work ethic. And looking back, I think it gave me an edge on my opponents.

"That time was obviously tough on everyone for all kinds of different reasons, but I think I made the most of it. It helped get me to a place I'd never been before, physically."

You know what they say: When life gives you lemons… make lemonade.

Ritchie, 15 at the time, is known as a gym rat. Part of that comes from the pandemic 'season' that forced him to adapt - but a lot of it comes organically, having grown up in a household where the competitive climate runs hot.

Ritchie's older brother, Ethan, recently wrapped up his OHL career. He was the inspiration for Calum, who grew up watching his practices and following in his footsteps by playing minor hockey with the highly-regarded Triple-A Oakville Rangers.

Calum was never short on ambition. The fire burned bright in his belly long before the Oshawa Generals came calling with the second-overall pick in the OHL Priority Selection.

But as the stakes grew taller, both brothers began pushing each other for more.

"Everything we're doing - training, shooting, stick-handling, all that stuff... We're living and breathing hockey," Calum said. "We push each other and we love it. Being locked up at home during the pandemic, having him was huge. We were super competitive. We did everything you could possibly think of to be competitive and keep ourselves at the top of our game, physically.

"I put on a lot of weight, a lot strength that year. He's such a good athlete and he's a lot bigger than me - I hate to admit - but once I get going, hopefully I can catch up to him sometime soon."

Officially, the gap is only 11 pounds now.

Not that makes much of a difference.

The 6-foot-2, 185-lb. Calum has rocketed up the charts after coming in at 17th on Central Scouting's midterm rankings, and is a virtual lock to go in the first round on June 28 in Nashville.

And it's easy to see why.

He finished the 2022-23 season as a point-per-game player (24G, 35A) on a re-building Generals team, before helping Team Canada win bronze at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship with nine points (3G, 6A) in seven games. That put him third in team scoring behind Macklin Celebrini and fellow draft prospect Matthew Wood.

Ritchie is a talented playmaker, but prides himself most on being a sound, two-way force in the mold of Jack Eichel and Mark Scheifele. He's an unselfish player by nature, and often defers to his teammates in traffic.

"I'm constantly trying to read the play and understand the different situations on the fly," Ritchie said. "If there's a guy backdoor and I have the space to find him, I'm looking to make the pass nine times out of 10.

"Growing up, I knew the game well and always trying to study it with the help of some really good coaches. I watch a lot of hockey, too, so I think I get (my playmaking ability) from that and paying close attention to the decisions that top NHLers make."

Still, Ritchie knows there are times when he should be 'greedy.' It's a tough habit to break after years of development, but he sees the trend emerging before him. Even the NHL's top distributors are dangerous goal-scorers - and some of that open ice that exists now may not in the higher ranks, encouraging a shoot-first mentality.

"I think I have a really good shot, so that's something I want to use more of next season and beyond," he said.

"To get closer to the pro level, you have to be great at everything. I feel like I'm a pretty well-rounded player, but now I need to take those steps to become elite at my skills.

"I need to become more of an elite shooter, an elite skater… all that stuff.

"I think if I can do that, I think I'll have a good season, help my team win, and really set myself up well for the future."