The Colorado Avalanche reassigned 18-year-old forward Beckett Hamilton to the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League on Tuesday.
Hamilton, a third-round pick in this past June’s draft, played in one preseason game and scored a goal. But his performance throughout camp was what really stood out.
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After impressing during rookie camp and the two-game tournament in San Jose, Hamilton was rewarded by skating alongside veterans Gabe Landeskog and Nazem Kadri during the first two days of training camp.
“He is a young kid, right? He’s got top-nine potential. That’s what he has. He’s a skill player,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “But coaches were really impressed with him in San Jose and what he did there. They thought he was a really noticeable impact player for the games he played. I talked to Jussi [Ahokas] about him, and everyone raved about his rookie camp. So I thought he did a nice job in practices.”
Hamilton skated with a younger group on the third day of camp. But for the first preseason game, Bednar put him at center on the top line alongside Artturi Lehkonen and Martin Necas.
With Nathan MacKinnon getting the night off, it allowed Hamilton to play with some of the team’s most skilled players against tougher competition.
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“We spent some time talking before the game about what I want to see,” Bednar said. “I played him with Lehky and Marty because I wanted him to play with some skill, and I wanted him to play against other teams’ top guys, so he could kind of feel where his game needs to grow. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
His goal came after a nice steal and pass from Necas. But Hamilton still had to be in the right place at the right time to finish the play, another encouraging sign for a young player who still has plenty of development ahead of him.
Now, he’ll return to Red Deer and continue that development in the WHL.
“He’s aware that he’s a little ways away from getting to the NHL,” Bednar said. “He’s going back to junior. We’ll see what his plan is after that for the next year. I’m sure colleges will be after him as well. He has to keep growing his game. But I think for a third-round pick, that’s a heck of a pick.”
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Hamilton also earned praise from Landeskog, who had gotten to know the young forward before training camp began.
“In mid-to-late August, he came in for a week and skated before he had his main camp with his WHL team. So it was good to meet him then,” Landeskog said. “When we started skating together in training camp, we were already kind of familiar with each other. 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. It’s just a matter of gaining experience. The only way you gain experience is by playing.”
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