It has been a crazy month for Calum Ritchie; the Oakville forward had his life changed at the end of June when the Colorado Avalanche took to the stage in Nashville at the NHL draft and picked him 27th overall.
"Once I heard my name called to Colorado, I was completely ecstatic," said Ritchie about being selected to the Avalanche.
"When you hear your name, your heart just drops."
But the day started much earlier for Calum, and many events happened to him after hearing his name called.
Ritchie and his family landed in Nashville a day in advance, the only day they didn't need to worry about the draft.
The Ritchie's were able to do a lot of sightseeing, walk along the Nashville strip, and take in the beauty of one of the most famous cities in the United States.
But once the day ended and Calum woke up the next morning, the only thing that mattered was the draft.
When getting prepared for the draft, many players took the time to create customized suits.
For example, the third overall pick Adam Fantilli inscribed 50 family members on the back of his suit vest.
Calum didn't go that far, but he did have some customizations in his suit from Armour Bespoke.
On the inside lining of the suit was the Nashville skyline with a 2023 NHL DRAFT logo along with Ritchie's signature.
"When I was putting my suit on, it was pretty surreal. I've been thinking about the NHL draft since I was a little kid."
With the sightseeing over and his suit prepared, it was time to head to the draft.
Once the draft started, Calum was forced to wait for a very long time.
Most players would start to get antsy and begin to sweat with the fear of not being selected in the first round.
But Ritchie kept himself calm during the whole process.
"You obviously want to get picked, and you want to know when you're going to [get picked] and where you are going to go, but I just tried to enjoy the experience."
But his waiting would be rewarded near the end of the First Round when Avalanche General Manager Chris McFarland called his name and brought him into the Avalanche family.
Most players have draft interviews with organizations, and some can even tell which team may pick them based on those conversations.
Ritchie had a few conversations with the club throughout the year and had an interview with them at the NHL Draft Combine in Buffalo.
But other than those conversations, the two sides did not speak much before the draft.
"I would not have guessed I would be picked by Colorado if I had to [make a guess]."
It must be fate.
Ritchie was also bombarded with messages from current Avalanche players.
He initially received a text from Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon where MacKinnon wanted to talk with Ritchie on the phone.
The two chatted the next day.
Ritchie also received messages from Norris Trophy-winning defender Cale Makar, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and star forward Mikko Rantanen.
But the most important message that Ritchie received was from Avalanche veteran Andrew Cogliano.
Cogliano is recovering from an upper-body injury he sustained in the playoffs against Seattle. Ritchie is recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during his season with Oshawa.
So Cogliano took it upon himself to help Ritchie with his rehab once Calum landed in Colorado for Avalanche development camp.
Due to his injury, Calum could not take part in any on-ice skills at development camp but could participate in off-ice activities and create friendships with his future teammates.
Moving forward through the summer, Calum will be training off the ice and will start his on-ice training when doctors clear him.
He intends to join Colorado's training camp in September and looks to be a leader with the Oshawa Generals this season.
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