Avalanche Selects Five Players At 2023 NHL Draft
Colorado Selects Two Forwards, Three Defensemen
Jun 29, 2023
NASHVILLE – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club made five selections at the 2023 NHL Draft held Wednesday and Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville
The following is a list of the Avalanche's selections at the 2023 NHL Draft.
# Rd Pick Player Pos Team (League)
1. 1 27 Calum Ritchie C Oshawa (OHL)
2. 1 31 Mikhail Gulyayev D Omskie Yastreby (MHL)
3. 5 155 Nikita Ishimnikov D Avto Yekaterinburg (MHL)
4. 6 187 Jeremy Hanzel D Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL)
5. 7 219 Maros Jedlicka C HKM Zvolen (Slovakia)
Colorado selected two forwards (two centers) and three defenseman at this year’s draft, the most blueliners the club as selected at a single draft since 2017 (Cale Makar (4th overall) and Conor Timmins (32nd overall) and Nick Leivermann).
On Tuesday, the Avalanche acquired a first round selection (31st overall, previously acquired) and a second-round pick (37th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft along with defenseman Gianni Fairbrother, from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Alex Newhook. On Wednesday, Colorado acquired Ross Colton from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for the second-round selection (37th overall) acquired via Montreal.
With its first pick of the 2023 NHL Draft (27th overall), the Avalanche selected center Calum Ritchie. Ritchie, 18, completed his second campaign with the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League in 2022-23, recording 59 points (24g/35a) in 59 regular-season games while serving as alternate captain. He appeared in five postseason outings with Oshawa, tallying six points (2g/4a).The 6-foot-2, 184-pound center has collected 104 points (43g/61a) in 124 career OHL games, all with the Generals and added 13 points (6g/7a) in 11 career postseason contests.
Also in the first round (31st overall), Colorado selected defenseman Mikhail Gulyayev from Omskie Yastreby of the MHL. Gulyayev, 18, made his debut in the Kontinental Hockey League, the top professional hockey league in Russia, during the 2022-23 campaign recording one point (1a) in 13 games for Avangard Omsk. He began the year with Omskie Krylya in the VHL, Russia’s minor league, and collected four points (4a) in 12 outings. The 5-foot-10, 172-pound defenseman skated in 22 games in the MHL, the Russian junior league, with Omskie Yastreby, tallying 25 points (2g/23a). Gulyayev helped Omskie Yastreby to the MHL final, collecting ten points (2g/8a) in 17 postseason contests. The blueliner made his debut in the MHL during the 2021-22 season, collecting 35 points (7g/28a) with Omskie Yastreby. He added five points (0g/5a) in 13 playoff outings
In the fifth round (155 overall), the Avalanche selected defenseman Nikita Ishimnikov from Avto Yekaterinburg of the MHL, the Russian junior league. Ishimnikov, 18, recorded 18 points (11g/7a) in 41 regular-season appearances for Avto Yekaterinburg in the 2022-23 campaign and collected six points (2g/4a) in seven postseason contests. He also skated in three games with Gornyak-UGMK in the VHL, Russia’s top minor league. The 6-foot-3, 194-pound blueliner has appeared in 56 career MHL contests, tallying 19 points (12g/7a).
With its fourth pick (187th overall), Colorado selected defenseman Jeremy Hanzel from the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League. Hanzel, 20, collected 48 points (13g/35a) in 66 regular-season games in 2022-23, while serving as alternate captain. He led the WHL in plus/minus rating, finishing the season +70. The 6-foot-1, 192-pound defenseman appeared in 19 postseason contests, tallying 22 points (5g/17a) to help Seattle capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions.
The Coquitlam, British Columbia, native appeared in 152 career WHL games, all with the Thunderbirds, from 2020-23, recording 89 points (22g/67a). Hanzel has skated in 44 career postseason contests, tallying 35 points (7g/28a), helping the Thunderbirds reach the WHL finals in both 2022 and 2023.
In the final round (219th overall), the Avalanche selected center Maros Jedlicka from the HKM Zvolen of the Slovakian league. Jedlicka, 20, appeared in 39 regular-season outings during the 2022-23 season, recording 35 points (17g/18a), tied for third on the team. He skated in 15 postseason contests, tallying nine points (3g/6a). The 6-foot-2, 201-pound center has appeared in 98 career regular-season games in the Slovakian league, all with HKM, collecting 77 points (35g/42a). Jedlicka has skated in 33 career postseason contests, recording 10 points (3g/7a).
Internationally, the Trnava, Slovakia, has represented his country twice at the IIHF World Junior Championship, appearing in nine games. Jedlicka is the first Slovakian native Colorado has drafted since Maximillian Pajpach in 2014.
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