SportsTHE BBN INTERVIEW

Islanders rookie Calum Ritchie shrugs off benching, stays on second…

Islanders rookie Calum Ritchie stays on the second line after his coach's message; the confidence claim comes from the player himself.

On air: Vera Bullock on BBN Tonight
Published 8:10 PM ET, Saturday, October 17, 2026

At a glance

First reported by New York Post: “Calum Ritchie takes Pete DeBoer’s Islanders benching message in stride as he sticks on second line”.
Covered on BBN on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at 8:10 PM ET on BBN Tonight, by Vera Bullock.
Topics: Islanders.
BBN covered this story before: The problem with the Islanders’ line setup — and how it could turn… (October 15).

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

New York PostCalum Ritchie takes Pete DeBoer’s Islanders benching message in stride as he sticks on second line

What BBN said about it

Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorIslanders rookie Calum Ritchie was benched by coach Pete DeBoer, and he's back on the second line. The Post says his confidence won't be affected.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorTobias Rennick is a crisis publicist, joining us from a yacht.
Tobias RennickVera, a pleasure. The firm sees a young man who sat down, stood up, and kept his job.
Tobias RennickThat's a comeback, and the firm doesn't use that word lightly.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorBut the story says it's only 'at least to hear him tell it.' Who else says his confidence is fine?
Tobias RennickNobody, and that's the beauty of it. The Post said Ritchie, the headline said Ritchie, and the firm says Ritchie.
Tobias RennickThe firm once restored a man's confidence with one sentence he wrote himself.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo you're saying a statement from the player about the player counts as confirmation.
Tobias RennickI'm saying it's the gold standard. Hold on, that's the bell. That's the firm billing Ritchie for his own statement.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorHas he called you?
Tobias RennickNo. But the firm feels his confidence the way a lighthouse feels a boat. The firm has felt it for nine days. Make that eleven.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd the benching message from DeBoer, what did that message say? Because I'd like to know what he's taking in stride.
Tobias RennickThe story doesn't say, which is why the firm calls it a message of enormous, unspecified warmth. Nobody has ever sued a warmth.
Tobias RennickIt's the firm's whole business model.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorI'll be honest, I'd come to a game for that. How many people would show up for a man announcing his own confidence?
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorRia Xi walked twenty thousand kilometers for a crowd of one.
Tobias RennickVera, the firm would fill the arena. The firm has a bell. Ritchie has confidence, the firm has a yacht, and everybody wins.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorSo the only witness to his confidence is Ritchie.
Tobias RennickAnd Ritchie is a very credible Ritchie. That's the bell again.
Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorBrock has the forecast, and Brock, if your confidence is fine, please bring evidence.