In the past few days, the Colorado Avalanche and some young prospects participated in the 2024 Rookie Faceoff tournament. The Avs were among seven teams invited to play in this year’s games, which the Los Angeles Kings hosted. Although Colorado’s young players didn’t win any of the three games, the experience gained from the extra ice time before the preseason is invaluable.
Every player on the tournament roster had something to gain from participating. Since the games were available for free on the team’s official websites, I made sure to watch them. Although I understand that the win/loss record isn’t the most important thing, seeing some highly-praised prospects in actual game situations was worthwhile. I’m happy to report that a few potential future Avalanche players stood out.
Calum Ritchie
Calum Ritchie had five assists on an Avalanche team with very little going for it, and he looked like the standout many expected him to be. Ritchie is an exciting young forward who played exceptionally well after returning to total health from a shoulder injury last season. He is an excellent two-way threat, shifty and skilled with the puck, and doesn’t allow more prominent, stronger players to take advantage of him. With Alex Newhook out of the Avalanche picture, it became clear that there was a real opportunity for Ritchie to become a significant contributor to the team’s middle six. The scouting reports on Ritchie laud his separation ability and his positional awareness. Those are qualities that could lead to a lot of helpers.
Ritchie’s abilities were on full display, with him making plays left and right, setting up teammates on the power play, and leading the offense whenever he had a chance. Ritchie utilized his sharp vision and patience with the puck to lure the penalty killers toward him. He then made a pass to Jason Polin, followed by a quick cross-ice pass after winning the faceoff in game one, and another cross-ice pass on the power play in game three. These plays highlight Ritchie’s potential for the future.
Sean Behrens
Sean Behrens, considered the best defensive prospect in Colorado’s pipeline, also showed some promise. He was a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and has a winner’s pedigree. Behrens won an NCAA title with the University of Denver last season, so many Avalanche fans already know his name. Behrens…
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