NY Islanders Prospect Calum Ritchie Named Team MVP for the Oshawa Generals

While the Islanders battled the Columbus Blue Jackets for a playoff spot, the newest Islanders prospect Cal Ritchie was handling some business of his own. The OHL's Oshawa Generals announced, via social media, that Ritchie had won the team's MVP award for the 2024-25 season. It's the second consecutive year he's won the award.

It's easy to see why. The 20-year-old center has been dynamite for the Generals this season. After a brief stint with the NHL's Colorado Avalanche to start the year, Ritchie returned to his incumbent Oshawa Generals in late October. He's been there ever since, and he continued to play there as his rights changed hands from the Avs to the Isles.

The kid has been doing quite alright in his fourth season of junior hockey. He's recorded 15 goals and 70 points in 47 OHL games this season. He's a +28 and his 55 assists are tied for the team lead and are top-15 in the OHL. The Islanders have played host to several great Oshawa Generals including Michael Dal Colle, John Tavares, and now Cal Ritchie.

This isn't the end of Ritchie's 2024-25 season, either. With a record of 41-21-4-2, Ritchie's Generals qualified for the OHL playoffs. This means that Ritchie will have a chance to compete for the J. Ross Robertson Cup (and maybe even the Memorial Cup) before his season ends.

Players become ineligible to play OHL hockey at 20 years old, so Ritchie will be forced to graduate to professional hockey after this season. It's not impossible (some might even say likely), that Ritchie makes the Islanders out of training camp next summer.

But, for now, this moment is about Cal. Winning team MVP is not only a tremendous personal accomplishment, but an affirmation of his pedigree as an NHL prospect. It's both a moment of accomplishment and excitement for Ritchie as he looks forward to the next stages of his career.