SEATTLE — Former Cornell men's hockey defenseman
Sam Malinski '23 made his NHL debut with Colorado on Monday night, as the Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken, 5-1, inside Climate Pledge Arena.
The debut for Malinski marks the 38th Cornell men's hockey alumnus to appear in an NHL regular-season game, and the 25th under
Mike Schafer '86's tenure as the Jay R. Bloom '77 Head Coach of Cornell Men's Hockey.
Malinski logged just over 12 minutes of ice time across 17 shifts while posting a plus-1 rating and recording his first shot on goal. He also had one hit on the night.
"He was better than good," Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said following the game. "He was good on the defensive side, his puck moving was solid, he was up and involved in the offensive side — which is one of his strengths to his game."
Before his first call-up to the NHL, Malinski appeared in 13 games this season with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche's AHL affiliate, where he had six points (three goals, three assists). Two of his three goals came while the Eagles were on the power play.
Malinski's next game with Colorado could come as soon as Wednesday (Nov. 15) when the Avalanche entertain Anaheim at Ball Arena in Denver. Puck drop is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (7 p.m. MT), which can be viewed live on ESPN+.
