The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the team has signed defenseman Jeremy Hanzel to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Hanzel, 21, has collected 50 points (13g/37a) in 58 appearances with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League in 2023-24. He paces all Seattle skaters in points and assists, and leads the club in goals by a defenseman. The blueliner has added 24 points (7g/17) on the man-advantage to lead all Thunderbirds skaters in that category.
The 6-foot-1, 192-pound defenseman recorded 48 points (13g/35a) in 66 regular-season games in 2022-23 while serving as alternate captain. He led the WHL in plus/minus rating, finishing the season +70. Hanzel appeared in 19 postseason contests, tallying 22 points (5g/17a) to help Seattle capture the Ed Chynoweth Cup as league champions.
The Coquitlam, British Columbia, native has appeared in 210 career WHL games, all with the Thunderbirds from 2020-24, registering 139 points (35g/104a). Hanzel has skated in 44 career postseason contests, collecting 35 points (7g/28a) to help the Thunderbirds reach the WHL finals in 2022 and 2023.
Selected in the sixth round (187th overall) by Colorado in the 2023 NHL Draft, Hanzel attended the Avalanche’s 2023-24 rookie and training camp. The blueliner appeared in one preseason contest with the Avs after skating in three games for Colorado at the 2023 Rookie Faceoff tournament in Las Vegas.
