He delivered his first-career goal in overtime on Sunday. And now, it's Gavin Brindley’s time to shine.

The Colorado Avalanche have locked up one of their promising young forwards, signing the 21-year-old Brindley to a two-year extension that will keep him in Denver through the 2027–28 campaign.

NHL (@NHL) on X GAVIN BRINDLEY IS YOUR OT HERO!! 😱 The @Avalanche win it in @Energizer overtime!

Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) on X Gavin Brindley is staying in Colorado ✍️

The Stud Muffin Is Staying

Brindley has quickly become a stud for this Avalanche team. After earning a spot on the Opening Night roster, the Fort Myers native has chipped in five points (3 goals, 2 assists) across his first 14 games. He enters tonight riding a two-game goal streak despite missing the previous two games after sustaining a concussion against the Vegas Golden Knights on October 31.

After arriving from Columbus in June, the rookie managed just one assist in his first 10 games. But once he scored his first NHL goal on October 11 in Colorado’s 5–4 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars, something clicked. Aside from Halloween night—when he absorbed a hard hit from Ivan Barbashev—Brindley has been flying, both literally and figuratively. Over his last four outings, he’s produced at a point-per-game pace, collecting two goals and two assists during that stretch.

A second-round pick (34th overall) of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, Brindley turned pro after two years at the University of Michigan. He signed with Columbus in April 2024 and spent the 2024–25 season developing with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he posted  17 points (six goals, 11) in 52 games and appeared in four playoff contests. His NHL debut came late that season, on April 16 against Carolina, though his first goal didn’t arrive until this fall—Oct. 11, 2025, in an Avalanche sweater against Dallas.

Before turning pro, Brindley logged 91 points in 81 games for Michigan, and as a sophomore in 2023–24 became the Big Ten’s Player of the Year after putting up 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 40 games. He led the conference in scoring, earned First Team All-American honors, and led the Wolverines with 29 points.

Brindley has also built an impressive résumé on the international stage. He played a pivotal role in the United States’ gold-medal run at the 2024 World Junior Championship, finishing second on the team with 10 points in seven games. He added a bronze medal at the 2023 World Juniors, a silver at the 2022 U-18 World Championship, and later represented Team USA once more at the 2024 IIHF Men’s World Championship.

Brindley also honed his talents with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm from 2020 to 2022, producing 64 points in 102 games and earning a spot on the league’s All-Rookie Second Team in 2020–21.

Secured in Colorado for the next two seasons, Brindley looks poised to deliver even more in the years to come.

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