The last two weeks have been busy for the Colorado Avalanche and were capped off with the 2024 development camp for the teams' draftees and other prospects.
After Nathan MacKinnon won the Hart Memorial Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award at the NHL Awards in Las Vegas, the team drafted nine players at the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft. Seven of those nine players attended the Avs' development camp hosted at Family Sports Ice Complex in Centennial July 3 - 5.
"Always nice to get the new draft picks in, get our first look at them. And then guys like Cal Ritchie who didn't get to do it last year — Taylor Makar, Colby Ambrosio back, older players for a repeat," director of player development Brian Willsie said. "We only get to see our college guys once a year in Denver here, so it's great to have them in."
Ritchie was injured last year and experienced camp from the sidelines but was able to play 50 games for the Oshawa Generals in the 2023-24 season.
"It's awesome to be out there and obviously it's a lot of fun being out there with the guys. It's a great learning experience and it's a lot of fun.
"Last year I learned a lot too. Ever since I've been around this organization I kind of realize how dialed in you have to kind of be and everyone's just on the ball so I just have to have really good habits here and really working on that. I think I'm starting to develop really good habits," Ritchie said.
Makar, younger brother of Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, was a seventh-round pick by the Avs in the 2021 draft and participated in last year's development camp.
"Just making more of a presence, even helping out the younger guys, getting to know the staff a little more," Makar said about the difference between this year's and last year's camps. "Just really solidifying a brand for myself of what type of player I am and that I want to be here and that's the next step for me."
Willsie and his staff worked on skating and skills drills, and the players experienced an NHL practice with head coach Jared Bednar and his staff. The camp ended with a 4-on-4 Burgundy vs White game on Friday.
"It kind of reveals itself in the game here. You notice the puck was following certain players around with Cal Ritchie and Bret Link, you know they had some chemistry on the Burgundy team, Colby (Ambrosio) and Taylor (Makar) on the White team," Willsie said after the scrimmage. "We encourage them to get noticed, all the players, whatever it may be — whether it's shutting a guy down or carrying the puck and making plays. I thought they all did well. There were times in that game where I noticed each player for doing something different. I thought they did exceptionally well and happy with the camp."
Ambrosio earned three points with the White team, while Boston Buckberger and Ritchie collected three points each and Jake Fisher scored two goals for the Burgundy team. The game ended in a 4-all tie after two 20-minute periods. Ambrosio scored the only shootout goal for the White team. Christian Humphreys and Link scored in the extra time frame to win the game (Marek Hejduk added one for good measure when there was confusion on who won the shootout).
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