Joel Kiviranta is nearing a return to the Colorado Avalanche, while Gavin Brindley has begun light drill work to recover from his injury.
DOVE VALLEY — Joel Kiviranta appears to be progressing well from his lower-body injury.
Kiviranta Close To Return
The 29-year-old suffered the injury on October 16 during Colorado’s road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Although Kiviranta was originally ruled out indefinitely, coach Jared Bednar said last week that the forward had since been given a six-to-eight-week recovery window and had reached the four-week mark. Based on that timeline, Kiviranta is now entering week five and appears to be nearing the final stretch of his rehabilitation, as he is no longer wearing a red no-contact jersey. He shed the red sweater on Friday.
Kiviranta was back on the ice Sunday morning at Family Sports Center, working through drills alongside Avalanche skills coach Mark Popovic. He wasn’t the only injured Av in attendance.
Gavin Brindley—currently sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury—also appeared for light individual work, even though he was not yet in skates. Brindley suffered the injury after being driven into the boards during the first period of Thursday’s 6–3 victory over the New York Rangers. He briefly attempted to return for warmups before the second period but ultimately headed back down the tunnel, and the Avalanche later announced he would not return to the game.
A Positive Sign
The 21-year-old Brindley—who has recorded four goals and three assists through 18 games this season—spent the session working on light stickhandling and puck-control drills. He also offered enthusiastic support for Kiviranta, cheering him on and tapping his stick against the boards each time Kiviranta found the back of the net.
Brindley’s presence on the ice, even in a limited capacity, is an encouraging development. Although the initial assumption from the replay was a possible shoulder issue, the Avalanche later clarified that he had sustained a lower-body injury. Given the nature of the incident, a hip flexor strain remains a plausible explanation. If the injury is indeed on the mild end of that spectrum, a two- to three-week recovery timeline would be reasonable. The fact that Brindley is already participating in controlled individual work suggests the injury is unlikely to be severe.
Avalanche On the Road
The rest of the team is in Chicago tonight. The NHL-leading Avalanche (15-1-5) take on Frank Nazar and the Blackhawks (10-7-4) at United Center. Coverage begins at 5 p.m. local time in Denver and 7 p.m. in Chicago.
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