Star Hockey Player Surpasses Obstacles, Leads Team to Triumph!
After signing the college free agent last year, the organization has hardly played him.
Cooper Gay takes a shot against the Henderson Silver Knights on January 18, 2026. | Courtesy of Colorado Eagles One player this season has fallen from grace in the Colorado Avalanche organization. Over the summer, we had ranked Cooper Gay at 15th on the Top 25 Under 25 and thoughts of him making his NHL debut.
Now, the Avalanche may think otherwise. He was a prized free-agent signing, and now is unlikely to crack the lineup at the highest level. Last Season At the end of the 2024-25 season, Gay came into the organization with a splash.
After being signed by the Avalanche on March 26, 2025 , he reported to the Colorado Eagles on an amateur tryout. The Colorado Eagles slotted the former St. Thomas forward into the lineup for two games.
Gay would score his first professional goal on his first shot in the AHL. He also brought a heavy presence to the lineup that had not really been there for the Eagles. This Season It was thought that Gay was going to play a bottom-six role in the Eagles lineup this season, especially with Matt Stienburg out of the lineup.