It was always going to happen, but on Monday, the Colorado Avalanche made it official, signing Calum Ritchie to his three-year entry-level contract.

Ritchie was far and away the most talented player at development camp last week, and was rewarded with this deal. He told me that he’d be sticking around in Denver another week to keep working, and the organization might have had this in the plans when that was all decided.

The 19 year old is coming off a dominant season with the Oshawa Generals, where he led the team in scoring with 80 points in 50 games. Once he returned from shoulder surgery, he was one of the top players in the Ontario Hockey League. In the playoffs, he picked up 30 points in 21 games and helped Oshawa reach the OHL Final. Ritchie was Colorado’s first round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft

This entry-level won’t actually start unless Ritchie plays 10 games for the Avalanche this season. He’ll come to camp in September looking to take a spot. If he doesn’t make the team, he’ll have to go back to the OHL and play for the Generals again. There’s also a good chance he plays for Team Canada at the World Junior Championships. He did not make the team last year and would be very motivated to help out, as he’d be one of the older players on the team.

Ritchie and the Avalanche report for training camp on Sept. 19.