Avalanche Rookies Take Center Stage: Colorado’s Next Hockey Stars Begin Their Fight for a Future in the NHL
Denver, Colo. - One of the big markers of the return to hockey season is the Rookie Tournament that takes place before training camps. The Colorado Avalanche prospects officially kicked things off at Family Sports Center, the official practice facility of the Avalanche, on Thursday morning.
The Avalanche released their rookie showcase roster on September 2nd. Of the listed names on the roster, the only skater not dressing is Taylor Makar, who is recovering from what is believed to be an injury sustained during the off-season.
Among the list of participants, Linus Funck (D), a 4th round pick in this most recent NHL Entry Draft, will play before he joins the OHL's London Knights for the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Cooper Gay (F), a name to keep an eye on, made his professional debut with the Eagles after finishing his collegiate career at the University of St. Thomas. Once he joined the Eagles in Loveland, he tallied a single point in the form of a goal in two games played.
Gavin Brindley (F), also listed on Colorado's roster, will be a player to watch during this tournament. Brindley, acquired in the trade that sent Miles Wood and Charlie Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets, registered 6g/11a in 52 GP with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) last season. While nothing spectacular on the scoresheet, he's a smaller forward, listed at 5'9", and known for his speed and skills as a two-way player, making him a valuable asset in Colorado's arsenal of prospects.
Gavin Brindley is looking extra speedy today. @MileHighHockey #goavsgo
— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) September 4, 2025
Avs skill coach Mark Popovic told the players to “dig deeper.”
Everyone did. pic.twitter.com/gy3O499u6w
Nikita Prishchepov (F), who made his NHL debut in the 2024-25 season, could be facing a positive opportunity to make a case for himself as a trusted call-up this upcoming season. He did not register any points in the 10 games he played with the Avalanche last season, but totalled 9g/14a in 59 GP with the Colorado Eagles (AHL).
This most recent NHL season saw 40+ players dress for the Avalanche amid roster management due to suspensions and, mainly, injury. A tournament like this allows players to showcase their skills on a larger stage while also receiving valuable instruction from coaching and skills staff as they move on to their respective teams for the upcoming season. While Colorado's front office has spent a lot of the organization's prospect pool in trades in recent years, there's still a lot of exciting talent to keep an eye on this upcoming weekend.
Colorado's rookies will feature in two of the three games during this tournament, the first of which will occur on Friday, September 12th, at 6:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) against the Utah Mammoth's rookies. Their second appearance will come on Sunday, September 14th, at 1:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) against the Vegas Golden Knights. Both games are set to be played at South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, on Rink #2.
Maple Leafs prospect Jacob Quillan believes he can be a full-time NHL player
Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jacob Quillan hopes that he can make the jump to the NHL on a full-time basis soon.
He was announced to the 2025 Prospect Showdown roster on Tuesday alongside the Leafs’ other top prospects in Easton Cowan, Ben Danford, and Tyler Hopkins among others. Quillan and his fellow Leafs prospects will soon head to Montreal to square off against the Ottawa Senators on September 13 and the Canadiens on September 14.
When asked by reporters what he hopes to get out of the weekend festivities, Quillan simply stated that he wants to keep improving.
“Just take every opportunity I can to get better, try to prove myself, and find a spot on the team,” he said. “I put the work in every day in the gym, on the ice, nutrition stuff like that. So I think I’m looking forward to it this year.”
He is coming off his first pro season in the Leafs organization after joining towards the end of the 2023-24 campaign with the Toronto Marlies. Having spent the majority of this past season in the AHL, he recorded 37 points (18 and 19 assists) in 67 games played while going scoreless in two playoff games.
Quillan also got to make his NHL debut against the Senators on January 25th, though he only registered 5:21 of ice-time after a knee-on-knee collision with Nick Cousins that knocked him out of the game.
“I believe I can. I put the work in every day, so I’m confident in myself and my abilities,” he said on his chances of making it back to the NHL this year. “It kind of made me realize what I’m pushing towards, and it showed me how good those guys are in the NHL. They showed that I have a lot of work to do, so it’s good to get a taste of that.”
He stated that his goals for the upcoming season were to improve his all-around game with an emphasis on playing sound defensively and limiting scoring chances against. Many people in the organization are confident that he can achieve it, as Quillan mentioned that Marlies coach John Gruden told him recently that he hoped not to see him down in the AHL this year.
The focus currently is on having a good showing at the Prospect Showdown while also passing down some wisdom he learned about the pro-lifestyle to his fellow prospects.
“He’s a great player, great playmaker. Looks like he got faster this year a lot,” he said of Cowan. “It’s gonna be fun playing with him and [Borya] Valis out there. They’re two good players, so I’m excited to see what we can do.”
