CHL Prospect Pipeline: Colorado Avalanche
CHL Prospect Pipeline highlights those who played in 2022-23, who were born in 2002 or later, and are signed by or on the reserve list of an NHL club.
Jeremy Hanzel (D) — Seattle Thunderbirds
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (187th overall)
CHL career stats: 152GP | 22G | 67A | 89PTS
Hanzel owned the best +/- in the CHL last season as he was an incredible +70 on the Thunderbirds blue line as he was an integral part of their run to a WHL championship. Offensively, Hanzel contributed a career high 13 goals and 48 points in the regular season while in the playoffs, his 22 points (five goals) ranked third among all WHL d-men.
#Smashville prospect Reid Schaefer puts it in Jeremy Hanzel's wheelhouse and he gets the @SeattleTbirds level in Game 2! #RoadtoMemorialCup pic.twitter.com/0yorHfanNl
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 14, 2023
Cal Ritchie (F) — Oshawa Generals
Acquired: 2023 NHL Draft (27th overall)
CHL career stats: 124GP | 43G | 61A | 104PTS
Ritchie played at a point-per-game pace in his second OHL campaign as he tallied 59 points (24 goals) in 59 games. The Oakville, ON., native battled injuries all year but persevered in his draft year and was rewarded as a first round selection.
Over the past 12 months, Ritchie also represented Canada twice: he won gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he led the tournament in scoring with 10 points and then collected a bronze medal at the 2023 U18 Worlds.
Cal Ritchie is taking advantage of the national spotlight tonight 🤩 #CHLonTSN pic.twitter.com/xHU9hFZssX
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) January 14, 2023
Ivan Zhigalov (G) — Kingston Frontenacs
Acquired: 2022 NHL Draft (225th overall)
CHL career stats: 87GP | 42-33-4 | 3.21 GAA | .891 save percentage
The final pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, Zhigalov spent last season in the OHL after he was claimed off of import waives by the Fronts from Sherbrooke. The Belarus native won 16 games for Kingston while his 1,222 saves were the seventh most in the OHL.