Calum Ritchie is aiming to make the Colorado Avalanche this fall. Even if he does and manages to stick past the nine game tryout, there’s always the chance that the team releases him to play in the World Juniors in December. The journey for Ritchie to make that squad began this past week, and the 19 year old impressed at least one prospect analyst with his performance on Saturday.

Chris Peters of FloHockey.tv has been live at the World Junior Summer Showcase Event, and was in the arena for Saturday’s matchup between Canada and the US. With the US leading 4-3, Ritchie scored a powerplay goal to tie the game up late in the third period.

Calum Ritchie (#GoAvsGo) finds the equalizer in the third period.

We have a classic Canada 🇨🇦 vs. USA 🇺🇸 battle in August. pic.twitter.com/phm9nZiN7k

— Dave Hall (@hall1289) August 3, 2024

The US eventually went on to win the game in a shootout, but Ritchie made an impression on Peters. Here’s what the analyst wrote about the performance of Colorado’s top prospect.

“Ritchie was consistently noticeable in the game, showcasing his skill and poise with the puck. He made some nice one-on-one plays and also provided some of a physical element to the game. He has some real touch on the puck, which wasn’t a surprise, but it was impressive how often he was able to extend plays and make things tough on USA’s blue line. Ritchie scored a goal on a loose puck play, too.”

Ritchie played right wing in this game on a line with Denver Barkey and Berkly Catton. Peters added that he’ll have full evaluations from everyone who participated in the showcase soon.

Just yesterday, Ritchie spoke to NHL.com about his performance last season, his summer, and what his goals are now that he’s got an entry-level contract with the Avalanche.

“[The Avalanche] expect a lot from me, and I’m really glad they can see finally a future in me,” Ritchie said. “I’m just trying to work as hard as I can and I’m going to try to see how I do at [training] camp and give myself a chance.”

Although the roster and full schedule haven’t officially been released, Ritchie should be participating in the Rookie Face-Off next month in Los Angeles for the Avalanche. The dates for that tournament are Sept. 13-16.