Colorado Avalanche ink rookie forward Gavin Brindley to 2-year extension following overtime winner

The Colorado Avalanche have rewarded the recent success of rookie forward Gavin Brindley with a two-year contract extension, the hockey team announced Tuesday.

The Avs are the best team in hockey as of this online publication, and that has included positive contribution from 21-year-old Brindley in his rookie campaign. 

Boasting a single game with the Columbus Blue Jackets before he was traded to the Avs in the offseason, Brindley has 5 points in 14 games played this season. That included scoring his first NHL goal in the first Avs game of the season and scoring a recent overtime winner to continue the Avs' dominance in the league.  

"The tally made Brindley the seventh-youngest player in Avalanche/Nordiques history (21 years, 35 days) to record an overtime goal for the franchise," according to the Avalanche."  

Brindley is originally from Southwest Florida, having grown up in the Fort Myers area. He is now part of a small group of active NHLers who hail from the Sunshine State. 

Brindley spent his development period in hockey in the USHL with the Tri-City Storm and then went on to become a member of the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey program for two seasons. Both seasons saw him produce close to or more than a point per game at the collegiate level. 

The rookie has also represented the United States at the national stage multiple times as a junior, including as a member of the 2024 Team USA gold medalists during the IIHF World Junior Championship. He recorded 6 goals and 4 assists in the 7 games that contributed to the gold run. 

Brindley has made an impact in the Avs lineup on the bottom forward line, averaging just under 9 minutes of ice time per game. He has played at right wing with linemates Zakhar Bardakov (center) and Park Kelly (left wing). Together, the Avs fourth-line skaters have combined for 20 points on the season. 

According to PuckPedia.com, Brindley will receive $925,000 for the 2025-26 regular season before his two-year deal kicks in. The new deal will be $875,000 annually, which is the new league minimum agreed upon in the updated NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement.