DENVER — Doubt Gavin Brindley at your own peril.

Some of his Michigan teammates learned their lesson late in his freshman season. Brindley was a little late getting ready for a Big Ten tournament semifinal matchup with archrival Ohio State. His coach said Brindley might have had a skate issue.

A couple of his friends on the team gave him some grief about it.

“All he did was go out and score on the first shift on the rush on a pass from (Adam Fantilli), bar down,” Michigan coach Brandon Naurato said. “He looked at the boys on the bench and said, ‘Don’t ever tell me I’m not ready again.’”

That was one of many highlights for Brindley during a successful two-year run with the Wolverines. The No. 34 pick in the 2023 NHL draft, Brindley joined the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate last season.

It didn’t go as planned, and then Brindley was traded to the Avalanche in the offseason. Brindley turns 21 years old next month, but he’s facing a new challenge and a new opportunity as one of Colorado’s top prospects.

“There’s a lot of opportunity here,” Brindley said. “I’m just going to play my game and be myself. It’s such a fine line and a small margin to make it to the NHL. I’m just going to do everything I can to make it.

“It’s pro hockey. Things are going to happen. Obviously, I didn’t expect that (trade) to happen, but I’ve loved it here so far. It’s been a treat to be here, and I’m very thankful.”

Brindley was with Fantilli, a rising star for the Blue Jackets and one of several Wolverines who have found their way to Buckeyes country, when he found out about the trade. He had hoped to be part of the solution in Columbus, especially after a huge sophomore season in Ann Arbor that earned him Big Ten player of the year honors.

His first foray into professional hockey began with an early-season injury, and he never really got untracked after that. Brindley finished with six goals and 17 points in 52 games for the Cleveland Monsters.

“The American Hockey League is a really tough league,” said Mark Letestu, who was an assistant for the Monsters last year but is the new Colorado Eagles head coach. “You’re actually encouraged by some of the adversity, that it doesn’t go so well all the time. What I’ve seen Gavin have to go through, where it didn’t go as well as he wanted to, didn’t score as many points. It wasn’t like being at Michigan. You can tell he put the work in in the summer. He didn’t pout. He knew exactly what he had to do to get better.”

Letestu compared the situation, with both he and Brindley joining the organization, to being each other’s security blanket. Avs director of player development Brian Willsie saw the pair chatting with each other during practice Thursday and had an “oh yeah” moment.

The familiarity could help them both. This is Letestu’s first head coaching gig after more than 500 NHL games as a player and four years on the Monsters’ staff. It’s also a chance for Brindley to get back on a path to the NHL.

“He’s awesome. I think just having kind of that player-to-player mindset — he’s played the game for a long time and his hockey knowledge is off the charts,” Brindley said of Letestu. “Being able to communicate with him on a daily basis is great for the forwards. I think just knowing the ins and outs of the game and helping the transition to pro for younger guys is huge. And I think he’s going to do an unbelievable job.”

Brindley skipped his senior year of high school and played his freshman season at Michigan before being eligible for the NHL draft. He was one of the youngest players in the AHL last year, and still will be at 21 this season.

Every person in the Colorado organization who has spoken about Brindley since the trade mentions two traits immediately: skill and competitiveness. Naurato described him as someone with infectious energy, a leader who brings teammates into the battle.

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 173 pounds, he’s had to overcome plenty of doubts about his size.

“He’s been dealing with that his whole life,” Naurato said. “He’s used to it. He’s been through every emotion with, ‘I’m too small.’ His competitiveness — pound-for-pound, he’s one of the toughest kids I know. He competes, whether it’s someone his size or someone who has 40 pounds and six inches on him. The skillset — I believe in him, but that’s what he’ll have to prove at the NHL level, that his skill translates to that league.”

Brindley looked fast, full of energy and willing to compete for the Avs’ prospects in a 5-3 win Friday night against Utah in the 2025 Rookie Showcase. He had an assist, but also made several other standout plays.

Letestu noted the improvements in his game, comparing it to his play with the Monsters last season. If Brindley does take a big step forward with the Eagles this year, Naurato certainly won’t be surprised.

He’s also learned his lesson with this player.

“He had one goal his freshman year at Christmas,” Naurato said. “It wasn’t because of lack of opportunity, but you know how it goes. Maybe a guy is squeezing his stick.

“I’ll never forget, looking at him and saying, ‘Look, you have one goal. Here’s how we’re going to get you more and here’s the plan.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, I’m good. I’m fine. I believe in myself.’ He ended up scoring (11) in the second half was a point-per-game guy. It was full credit to him. Just the self-belief that he has — because he is definitely also a worker — is so impressive.”

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