Injury likely to keep Calum Ritchie off Islanders' opening-night roster
New York Islanders center Calum Ritchie during warm up before of a preseason game against the New York Rangers on Sept. 25, 2025. Credit: Noah K. Murray
Calum Ritchie’s eventual Islanders debut potentially has been delayed.
There were no guarantees that the rookie center was going to make the opening-night roster, but the Islanders announced on Friday that he will be out one to two weeks after exiting Thursday night’s 4-3 preseason win in Philadelphia following the second period with a lower-body injury.
The Islanders, who went 2-2-2 in the preseason, will open the regular season on Thursday night in Pittsburgh. The initial 23-man rosters must be submitted to the NHL by Monday.
“I’m very happy with him,” coach Patrick Roy said of Ritchie before Thursday’s victory. “Whatever decision we’re going to make, he did what he had to do, make an impression and make our decision extremely difficult.”
The Islanders acquired the 20-year-old Ritchie, selected 27th overall by the Avalanche in 2023, as a key part of the return for Brock Nelson at last season’s trade deadline. He had one goal and one assist in four preseason games and showed poise with his skating, on-ice vision and playmaking skills.
His play centering lines impressed Roy enough for the coach to dismiss the idea of sliding Ritchie to wing to find him a spot. Ritchie made the Avalanche’s roster out of training camp last season and was used on the wing, scoring one goal — against the Islanders — in seven games before being returned to his junior team, Oshawa of the Ontario Hockey League. He notched 15 goals and 55 assists in 47 games.
The Islanders are deep at center with Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. They also are likely to retain wings Max Tsyplakov, Marc Gatcomb and Russian rookie Max Shabanov on their initial roster.
Given that Ritchie does not need to pass through waivers to be assigned to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, there was a good chance he was going to be the victim of a numbers game. Being unavailable for at least a week almost certainly seals that, though he cannot be sent to Bridgeport while hurt. More likely, he will start the season on injured reserve before getting some games with Bridgeport.
Still, Ritchie joining the Islanders’ lineup at some point this season seems inevitable.
“I think after last year’s experience, getting a taste of what it’s like in the NHL and then going to the World Juniors [for Team Canada], going back to the OHL, I thought I grew my game a lot,” he said before training camp opened. “I’m really confident in my abilities and I worked really hard this summer.”
Notes & quotes: Forward Jonathan Drouin (illness) missed a third practice after participating in Thursday’s morning skate . . . The Islanders departed for a team-bonding weekend on eastern Long Island immediately after practice and will skate at the Ed Westfall Arena at Peconic Ice Rinks in Calverton on Sunday. “It’s about being together and getting to know each other and talk about different things,” Roy said. “The joy, having fun, these are the things we are going to approach during those two days.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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