Colorado Eagles Complete Multiple Transactions
Nov 16, 2023
WINDSOR, CO. – The Colorado Eagles, proud AHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche, have announced that defenseman Sam Malinski has been reassigned to the Eagles by the Avalanche, while defenseman Jack Ahcan has been recalled by the team’s NHL affiliate. In addition, the Eagles have recalled defenseman Gianni Fairbrother from the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies.
Malinski has skated in one NHL game this season with Colorado and has generated three goals and three assists in 13 AHL games with the Eagles. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound blueliner joined the Eagles late last season after finishing his senior year at Cornell University, where he recorded 26 points (8g/18a) in 34 outings. Named team captain as a senior, Malinski ranked third on the team and first among defenseman in points and ranked second on the team in assists. The 25-year-old earned First-Team All-ECAC honors for the second straight year, the first Cornell defenseman to be named to the conference’s first team in consecutive seasons since 2003 (Douglas Murray). He appeared in 91 career games with the Big Red from 2019-23, totaling 65 points (17g/48a).
Ahcan has notched one goal and five assists in 14 games with the Eagles and recorded 36 points (5g/31a) in 68 contests with the AHL’s Providence Bruins during the 2022-23 season. He ranked second among Providence defensemen in points and finished tied for second on the team in assists. The 26-year-old appeared in four postseason contests with Providence, tallying two points (1g/1a) to finish tied for first among Bruins blueliners.
The Savage, Minnesota, native has appeared in 147 career regular-season AHL contests collecting 75 points (13g/62a). Ahcan has skated in nine career NHL games, tallying one point (1g/0a) and made his NHL debut on March 18, 2021 at Buffalo. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound blueliner also appeared in two ECHL contests with the Jacksonville Icemen during the 2020-21 season.
Fairbrother has eight points (1g/7a) in 28 career AHL games and has collected two assists in five ECHL games this season with Utah. He was Montreal’s third-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He missed the 2022-23 season due to a knee injury. The Vancouver, B.C., native spent four-plus seasons with the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League (2016-21), where he served as team co-captain during his final year in 2020-21. The 6-foot, 204-pound blueliner made his professional debut with the AHL’s Laval Rocket at the end of the 2020-21 campaign and spent his first full season with Laval in 2021-22.
The Eagles will be back in action when they travel to take on the San Jose Barracuda on Friday, November 17th at 8:00pm MT at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California. Tickets for all regular season games are on sale now and start at just $23. You can find more information on ticket packages, theme nights, and promotional offers, by visiting ColoradoEagles.com or by calling the ticket department at (970) 686-7468.
