Gavin Brindley isn’t chasing his first taste of the NHL. He’s trying to earn his way back.
That’s the mindset driving the young forward as he works in the American Hockey League, where the path is less about arrival than repetition, adjustment and proving he belongs again. Brindley already logged 56 games with the Avalanche during the 2025-26 season, then added a handful more in the 2026-27 season. He knows what it looks like at the highest level, and he knows how hard it is to stay there.
“The Avalanche have got a great team, and a lot of really good players. It'd be great to be there, but I think, you know, I’ve got to develop, and I'm still young, so, I just kind of need to keep climbing the ladder and see what happens,” Brindley said.
That climb has come with a clear lesson: the NHL and AHL demand different things, even if the game itself is the same on paper. Brindley has leaned into the chance to move between both, and he sees the value in the time spent in the minors.
“I think the NHL is different, and it's good to experience that. I think it's been good to come down here and produce and get some chemistry going with these guys,” Brindley said. “I think just getting used to the pro game and the pace of things is a big adjustment, everything's a step up when you get to the NHL.”
What he’s taken from the Avalanche is more than just game reps. Brindley said the biggest strengths in his game have been sharpened by NHL experience, especially his awareness and hockey sense.
“I think my awareness is the best part of my game. My hockey IQ, and obviously, my speed.
I’ve always kind of had that and it’s something that I’ve got to use to my advantage. But I'd say my surroundings and IQ are what I’m most proud of,” Brindley said.
He’s also had the benefit of sharing the ice with some elite company before, and he’s carried those lessons with him. Brindley won Gold at the 2023-24 USA U20 World Juniors Championship with Cutter Gauthier, Will Smith, Lane Hutson and his lifelong friend Seamus Casey. That group left an impression.
“Obviously, they're very successful players and have done a great job in the best league in the world, so it's been fun to watch those guys. We have a pretty cool bond of winning a championship together, and we had a pretty loaded team, so we were fortunate to get it done,” Brindley said.
“When you get on the ice with a lot of those guys, it's pretty special. It's pretty cool to watch these guys and see what they've been doing their whole life, translating to the NHL, and it’s just fun to watch.”
If he had to pick one former teammate to line up with again, Brindley didn’t hesitate. It’s Casey, the friend he’s known since age 4.
“My best buddy, Seamus Casey, it's always nice to play against him. I’ve known him since I was 4, we went to Michigan together, played world juniors together. It’s always special to play against him in pro, and hopefully we can play together one day,” Brindley said.
Brindley has also crossed paths with Colorado Eagles teammate Sean Behrens before. The two played together at the 2023 USA U20 World Juniors Championship, where they finished third, and that familiarity mattered when Brindley joined the Eagles.
Brindley said they “have a great relationship” and it was nice to have a friendly face around when joining the Eagles.
Leadership has become part of his game too. Brindley wore the alternate captain’s letter at the 2024 World Juniors, and he’s brought some of that same approach into the Eagles room. For him, that means helping younger players settle in and feel comfortable.
“The younger guys are great, I think, just helping those guys, helping them feel comfortable. I remember I was 19 playing in the American League, and it's not easy.
It's not easy to be playing so young, so I'm just helping those guys as much as I can. And they've been doing a great job,” Brindley said.
He’s not doing it alone. Brindley pointed to a veteran-heavy locker room that has given him a blueprint to follow.
“We’ve got a lot of great leaders, and a lot of older guys that have paved the way. Learning from guys like Megs (Jayson Megna) and Mids (Keaton Middleton), Becks (Adam Beckman) and Vin (Vinnie Hinostroza), they're all great, great leaders, so we got a lot of really good leaders in that locker room,” Brindley said. “It's been good to just ride those guys' coattails and kind of learn new things every day.”
For Brindley, the formula stays simple: work the right way, and the rest can follow. He said he’s not consumed by numbers, only by doing enough to earn the next opportunity.
“I think if you play the right way, you get rewarded. I just focus on that, and I don’t keep holding on to the little details,” Brindley said.
He wants back with the Avalanche as soon as possible, but he’s not treating the AHL like a consolation prize. Brindley sees it as part of the process, and part of the game he loves.
“I think at the end of the day, it's just another game and you know, it's the game that I love,” Brindley said. “When you play in the NHL, it's amazing and everything you've ever dreamed of. But at the same time, the American Hockey League's a great league and a great development league and I’ve still got a lot to learn.”
In Other News...
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Question About MacKinnon And Makar
The Avalanches night against Ottawa took a sharp turn when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited with lower-body injuries, leaving Colorado to absorb a hit to two of its most important players at once. MacKinnon was hurt while trying to check Artem Zub and eventually had to leave the bench, while Makar went out earlier, briefly came back for one shift and was then ruled out.
For a team that leans so heavily on both stars, the timing makes the concern obvious. Colorado can usually survive a rough stretch because MacKinnon drives the attack and Makar anchors the back end, but losing either one changes the look of the lineup fast. Losing both in the same game raises an even bigger question about how the Avalanche handle the next stretch if the injuries linger. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Brutal Problem After MacKinnon And Makar Exit
The Avalanche were already in a tricky spot against Ottawa, and the second period made it much worse when Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both exited after sustaining injuries. Makar went down while retrieving the puck without contact, while MacKinnon was hurt in a scuffle with Artum Zub, leaving Colorado suddenly scrambling for answers in the middle of a game it could not afford to lose control of.
With Josh Manson also unavailable, the Avalanche may have to reach into their depth chart for help, with Noah Juulsen and Alex Gagne among the names that could be called up. For a team built around elite pace and high-end skill, the possibility of being without two of its biggest drivers is a stark reminder of how quickly a night can change, and how thin the margin becomes when the blue line and top six are both under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Face A Real Test Without Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnons lower-body injury has put the Avalanche in an uncomfortable spot at a time when they were already leaning heavily on their top center to drive the offense. He left the game in the second period and did not return, and Colorado moved quickly to bring up Gavin Brindley from the AHLs Colorado Eagles as a short-term answer. Brindley has already been shuttled up and down multiple times this season, so this is not unfamiliar territory for him.
What changes now is the burden on everyone else. MacKinnons absence strips away the teams most reliable source of pace and production, and Brindley is being asked to help fill some of that gap with offense of his own. For a club that has built so much of its identity around MacKinnon setting the tone, the immediate question is how long Colorado can keep its game intact while waiting for more clarity on his status. [Read more 🡒]