Despite going undrafted, the Colorado Avalanche signed the 18-year-old defenceman to a contract prior to the season.

Saige Weinstein is the perfect example of a player who has made the most of their opportunities. After going undrafted in the 2023 NHL Entry draft, the Spokane Chiefs defender earned an entry-level contract after a strong performance at both rookie and main camp this past offseason. The only U21 player the organization has signed in over a year; it is clear general manager Chris MacFarland and his staff liked what they saw and weren't willing to let him leave camp without a contract. 

"My agent called me and said, hey, Colorado is giving you an opportunity to go to the development camp, would you want to go?" said Weinstein. "It's a great team and a great organization. I ended up going there and having a good development camp and ended up getting invited back to the rookie tournament in Vegas. Then made main camp and just did my thing there and got lucky enough to get offered a contract."

Another cool perk for players being invited to camp is seeing their name on an NHL jersey for the first time. A moment that takes years of hard work and determination; it was a dream for Weinstein to get to put on his own NHL jersey. As he describes, it was a moment he won't soon forget.

"Definitely a dream come true. With everything I've been going through without getting drafted without top prospects, I think it was definitely something I really worked hard for, and I really deserved."

It is hard for any player, let alone an undrafted 18-year-old, to get offered a contract at the end of their first training camp, but that is exactly what Weinstein did. He was able to showcase his strengths on the ice, and that it was a wise decision for Colorado to invest in his development. As he states, he learned a lot from this experience and is ready to apply those lessons to his everyday life in the WHL. 

"I think it's just a small details. They're great people, and the vets were just unbelievable to me. Every practice is almost like a game. They're working hard, battling hard, and just getting better, so I think looking at those things is what you take away from that."

Weinstein's achievement serves as a good reminder that players need to make the most of their opportunities. He showed up to camp with a great attitude, let his play do the talking, and now he has signed his first NHL contract. One of the hardest-working players on a night-to-night basis, he is ready to show the rest of the NHL they made a mistake passing on him at the draft.