The Anaheim Ducks have recalled 19-year-old forward Nick Ritchie and 23-year-old center Michael Sgarbossa from the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League, the team announced on Saturday.
Ritchie was the 10th overall draft pick in the 2014 NHL draft and is in his first year of AHL play.
He leads the Gulls with nine goals and is in second on the team with 12 points in 12 games. Ritchie could have been in the OHL again this season, but he turns 20 in December and became eligible for the Ducks to keep him on the roster, even if he’s playing in the AHL.
It’s not just Ritchie, the entire Gulls team is having a strong season under new head coach Dallas Eakins. With a 9-2-0-1 record they have 19 standings points, the most in the newly christened Pacific Division. Though that puts them just behind the Ontario Reign as the AHL will determine the playoffs by win percentage with the new California teams playing fewer games than the others.
Ritchie will be making his NHL debut on Saturday if he plays.
Sgarbossa has played nine NHL games in his career and has put up two goals and six assists for the Gulls this season.
In corresponding moves the team has reassigned left wing Max Friberg and defenseman Korbinian Holzer to AHL San Diego.
ROSTER MOVES: #NHLDucks recall LW Nick Ritchie and C Michael Sgarbossa from @SDGullsAHL; reassign Max Friberg and Korbinian Holzer to SD.
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) November 14, 2015
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