The Colorado Eagles are bringing back a familiar name in goal, with AHL Insider Tony Androckitis reporting that the club is signing Hunter Miska to a one-year contract for the 2026-27 season.
For Miska, 31, it marks a return to an organization he once called home. He first turned pro in 2017-18 after wrapping up his only NCAA season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, where he went 27-5-5 in 39 games with a .920 save percentage and a 2.20 goals-against average. That run helped push the Bulldogs to an NCHC championship and the National Championship before the University of Denver knocked them out.
Miska entered the pro ranks as an undrafted free agent and landed with the Arizona Coyotes on a two-year entry-level deal. Most of that stretch was spent with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners, but he did get his first NHL action on November 13th, 2018, against the Detroit Red Wings. In that debut, he allowed one goal on nine shots.
When that entry-level contract expired, Miska didn’t receive a qualifying offer and moved on to the Colorado Avalanche on a one-year deal. After a strong year with AHL Colorado, the Avalanche signed him again, this time to a two-year contract. His biggest NHL workload came during that Colorado stint, when he appeared in five games in the 2020-21 season and posted a 1-1-2 record with a .838 save percentage and a 4.16 goals-against average.
After that deal ended, Miska’s career took him overseas for two years with the DEL’s Straubing Tigers and then for half a season in the KHL with Dynamo Moskva. He later came back to North America and spent time with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders before playing last season with the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies, where he finished 7-5-3 in 16 games with a .902 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average.
In Other News...
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Contract talk in the Central Division has a way of spilling over beyond one roster, and the latest cloud hanging over Minnesota could end up mattering in Denver too. The Wild are in the middle of negotiations with Quinn Hughes, and while an extension is believed to be close, nothing is finalized yet, which keeps a layer of uncertainty around a situation that has already started fueling trade speculation.
For the Avalanche, the parallel is obvious. Colorado has its own major deal to sort out with Cale Makar, and the discussions are still ongoing as the club weighs its salary-cap reality. A shorter-term arrangement has emerged as one possible way to keep things moving, which would buy time but not necessarily remove the pressure that comes with trying to keep a contender intact. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Goalie Prospect Faces A Longer Road Than Fans May Expect
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For Nabokov, the early emphasis is on learning and growing rather than rushing toward NHL expectations. He has talked about the language barrier and the physical transition as part of the challenge, which is why this season looks less like an arrival point and more like the start of a longer climb for a player Colorado still believes is worth the patience. [Read more 🡒]
Coyotes Keep A Familiar Depth Piece In Tucson
Ilya Nabokovs path into the Avalanche organization is already crowded, and it will likely start where a lot of goalie prospects do, with the AHL Eagles and a waiting game behind Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. The young netminder has made it clear he is planning to stay in North America for the long haul, giving Colorado another name to track as it continues sorting out its goaltending pipeline.
The bigger point for the Avalanche is how Nabokov fits into a system that still needs time to sort itself out. Even with his development set to unfold in the minors, the attention around him is part of a broader week in which Tucson also kept winger Tyler Tullio on a one-year deal and prospect Colin Fitzgerald mapped out his next step before heading back to the OHL. For Colorado, Nabokov remains one of the more intriguing pieces in that mix, even if the immediate job in net is spoken for. [Read more 🡒]