DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the team has signed forward Vinnie Hinostroza to a two-year contract through the 2027-28 season.
Hinostroza, 32, split the 2025-26 season between the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers and registered 18 points (6g/12a) in 65 games between the clubs. He added 41 hits, 27 blocked shots and 10:56 of average time on ice per game over the 65 contests. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound forward was traded to the Panthers on March 6 and finished the campaign with eight points (3g/5a) in 17 games with the Cats.
A native of Chicago, Ill., Hinostroza has competed in 477 career regular-season games and has compiled 179 points (65g/114a) with the Panthers, Wild, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks and Arizona Coyotes. He’s registered double-digit goals in a season twice – topping out at 16 in 2018-19 with the Coyotes – and has gone over 20 points on four occasions, including his career-best 39 points from 2018-19. The right-shot forward has dressed in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games over his career and contributed two points (0g/2a).
During his professional career, Hinostroza has posted 159 points (62g/97a) in 188 regular-season American Hockey League contests along with three points (0g/3a) in five Calder Cup Playoff tilts. He has twice earned AHL All-Star recognition, going in 2017-18 when he played for Rockford and earning the honor again in 2024-25 as one of Milwaukee’s representatives.
Prior to turning pro, Hinostroza skated for the University of Notre Dame from 2013-15 and posted 76 points (19g/57a) in 76 games and was named to the Hockey East’s First All-Star Team his final season. He also earned Hockey East All Rookie Team honors in 2013-14. Before enrolling at Notre Dame, Hinostroza played three seasons with the United States Hockey League’s Waterloo Black Hawks (2010-13) and picked up 126 points (53g/73a) in 151 regular-season games during his USHL stint to go along with as seven points (4g/3a) in six Clark Cup Playoff showings.
Hinostroza has competed for Team USA at both the IIHF World Championship in 2016 as well as the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship. He was originally drafted by the Blackhawks in the sixth round (169th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft.
