Denver – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed the forward Casey Mittelstadt On a three-year contract until the 2026-27 season.
Mittelstadt, 25, was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabers on March 6, 2024 and suited up in 18 regular-season games for the Avalanche, scoring 10 points (4g/6a) with the club. He finished among the Avalanche leaders in goals (T-6y), aid (7y) and points (8y) since its first appearance on March 8. In 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Mittelstadt has scored nine points (3g/6a), good for Colorado’s sixth-highest total. All nine of his points came in even-strength qualifying, tying him with Mikko Rantanen for the team leader in that category. The midfielder posted a three-point streak between Games 3-5 of the first round, starting with a three-assist night in Game 3. The 2024 postseason run marked his first appearance in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Mittelstadt was drafted by Buffalo in the first round (eighth overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound forward tallied a combined 57 points (18G/39A) in 80 games between Colorado and Buffalo in 2023-24, a scoring streak that finished two points shy of his career high from 2022. -23. At the time of the trade, Mittelstadt was leading the Sabers in points (47) and assists (33) in 62 games. Mittelstadt’s total of 18 goals scored represented a career high in a single season. He scored his first goal in his second game with Colorado on March 12 at Calgary. During his first month with the Avalanche, Mittelstadt recorded a season-high five straight points (2g/3a) from March 12-22. He lit the lamp in back-to-back games from March 28-30.
“Casey has been a great fit for our lineup and a huge contributor to our team down the stretch and in the playoffs,” he said. Avalanche general manager Chris McFarland. He has improved every season and made another big leap last year. We believe he has a higher level to reach and it has been important to sign him for several years. “Casey is an exciting playmaking position player with good vision and hands, and at only 25 years old he will be a big part of our team moving forward.”
Mittelstadt enters 2024-25 with 357 NHL regular season games with the Avalanche and Sabers from 2017-24, recording 196 points (66 G/130 A). In the 2022-23 season, Mittelstadt set career highs in assists (44) and points (59) while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career. He was the only Buffalo skater to appear in all of his team’s games. The 59 points represent a 40-point improvement over his 2021-22 production (6g/13a) as well as a 34-point improvement over his previous career high of 25 points (12g/13a) from 2018-19.
During his stay in the Sabers organization, Mittelstadt also played 36 games for the AHL’s Buffalo Rochester Americans in 2019-20 collecting 25 points (9g/16a).
A native of Edina, Minnesota, Mittelstadt played one season for the NCAA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers in 2017–18 before signing his entry-level contract where he scored 30 points (11g/19a) in 34 games to rank second in Team in terms of scoring. free man. The performance earned him recognition on the All-Big Ten Rookie Team. Mittelstadt also competed for the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2016-17 before joining the Golden Gophers.
On the international stage, Mittelstadt played for Team USA at the 2018 World Junior Championships where he led the team in scoring with 11 points (4g/7a) and captured a bronze medal. He was named the best player in the tournament.
“Infuriatingly humble internet trailblazer. Twitter buff. Beer nerd. Bacon scholar. Coffee practitioner.”
