The Colorado Avalanche just sent 18-year-old forward Beckett Hamilton back to the Red Deer Rebels in the WHL this Tuesday. Yeah, you heard that right, a third-round pick from this past June’s draft who just scored a goal and played with some seriously skilled guys is heading back to junior already. It feels a little wild, right? But even though he’s leaving the big club for now, Hamilton made such a splash that everyone is talking.
He Was Turning Heads From Day One
This kid didn’t just show up; he straight-up dominated the early stages. After impressing like crazy during rookie camp and a two-game tournament down in San Jose, the Avalanche rewarded him big time. For the first two days of training camp, Hamilton was actually skating alongside veterans Gabe Landeskog and Nazem Kadri. Coach Jared Bednar didn’t mince words either, saying, “He is a young kid, right? He’s got top-nine potential. That’s what he has. He’s a skill player.” Bednar added that coaches were “really impressed” with him in San Jose, calling him a “really noticeable impact player.” Seriously, everyone was raving about his rookie camp.
Scoring With the Big Boys Before He Left
The trust in Hamilton was clear when Bednar put him at center on the top line for the first preseason game. No less than Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas were his wingers! With Nathan MacKinnon getting the night off, it was a massive chance for Hamilton to play with top-tier talent against tough competition. Bednar was explicit about wanting him to “play with some skill” and “against other teams’ top guys, so he could kind of feel where his game needs to grow.” And what did Hamilton do? He scored! Necas made a sweet steal and pass, but Hamilton still had to be in the right place to finish it, which is exactly what you want to see from a young gun. Even Landeskog, who knew Hamilton from mid-August skates, gave him props: “Great kid. Just wants to learn. Just wants to get better. He’s got great hands. Sees the game well. Great shot. You can just tell the tools are there and he’s got them.”
So now Hamilton heads back to Red Deer. He knows he’s “a little ways away” from getting to the NHL, as Bednar put it, but he’s got to keep growing his game. Bednar summed it up perfectly: “But I think for a third-round pick, that’s a heck of a pick.” Keep an eye on him, because the tools are absolutely there. This isn’t goodbye, it’s more like “see you soon” for Beckett Hamilton.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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