Next to Matthew Schaefer, there was something endearingly normal about Cal Ritchie’s rookie season.
That is not to imply average, as Ritchie further entrenched himself as a key piece of the Islanders’ future, and someone who the organization believes can be a foundational player. While Schaefer seemed to arrive fully formed, Ritchie was closer to the block of clay that most rookies are.
He needed work on faceoffs, and in his play along the boards. He talked often about watching film to improve.
His skill was obvious, but tended to show in flashes. His hockey sense was a visible strength, but his confidence was up and down.
Despite some rookie struggles at times, Cal Ritchie has shown he is a key part to the Islanders’ future. Heather Khalifa for New York Post
There were nights where he looked at home in the top six and nights where it looked like he was headed for benching.
In other words: he was a 21-year-old with boundless potential, adjusting to the National Hockey League.
“As a player: big, skilled, gonna be a very good player in this league for a long time and he’s just getting his feet wet,” Brayden Schenn, assigned to mentor Ritchie after becoming an Islander at the trade deadline, said on breakup day. “I think his confidence grew over the past month and a bit. And that’s from making plays, getting opportunities, but also when you do get the opportunity, don’t get too hard on yourself that you’re gonna make a mistake. Cause mistakes happen every single night when you’re out there.
“I think he did a great job of playing a solid two-way game. He’s gonna be very good for this organization.”
After playing 65 games with the Islanders and just three with AHL Bridgeport — all at the start of the season — it was easy to look at the club’s decision to have Ritchie participate in the AHL playoffs as something of a surprise. The idea, though, is that Ritchie will only benefit from playing more, and playing playoff games in particular. So there he was Tuesday night, suiting up in Game 1 against Hershey in a top-line role on a Bridgeport team that also included the likes of Cole Eiserman, Victor Eklund, Daniil Prokhorov and Isaiah George.
Depending how the playoffs with Bridgeport go, it wouldn’t be a surprise if World Championships with Team Canada end up being a possibility too, for similar reasons.
Cal Ritchie is all smiles as he celebrates with teammates after scoring a third-period goal in the Islanders’ win over the Maple Leafs on April 9, 2026. Getty Images
“Jeff Carter and Mike Richards have done this. They won the [Calder] Cup with Philly,” general manager Mathieu Darche said. “I think Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, one year in Anaheim they went back. I think it’s great experience for him.”
Ritchie’s development, Darche said, was one of the only bright spots of the last month of the season for the Islanders. As the team was collapsing out of the playoffs, Ritchie looked more and more comfortable, and was one of their leading scorers.
“I was pretty happy with my development over the season,” Ritchie said. “I thought they did a great job with me during the extra work, extra video, all that stuff. So I can’t thank them enough.”
His rise in production did, notably, coincide with Ritchie moving full-time to wing, a necessity to accommodate Schenn’s arrival.
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Fitting Ritchie in as a center next season on a roster that also includes Schenn, Bo Horvat, Mat Barzal, Casey Cizikas, JG Pageau and Kyle MacLean — and it does sound like the plan is for Barzal to be a center in coach Pete DeBoer’s system — seems like a heavy lift, especially if he doesn’t improve substantially at the faceoff dot.
Ritchie did say, though, that DeBoer told him he sees him as a center.
“I’m excited for that opportunity,” Ritchie said. “But obviously playing on the wing with those guys, it was awesome and a good learning experience for me. I’ve never really played wing a ton in my career, so to be able to round out my game and know I can play on the wing at this level is really big for me, really important.
“I think I feel really comfortable as a center. I feel like I’m a natural center, but you gotta win faceoffs to do that. So that’s something I’m gonna work on this summer.”