BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Teddy Lechner was beginning to feel a little restless as he and his brother, Henry, tuned in Saturday, June 27, to watch the final six rounds of the NHL Draft, so in an effort to avoid fixating on whether or not his name was going to be called, the two brothers decided it might be best to go golfing.
Later that day on the course, around the sixth hole, they were sitting in the golf cart waiting for the group in front of them to move.
Suddenly, Teddy’s phone lit up, a moment he’ll never forget.
“I feel my phone start buzzing, and I look. And it’s the Avs,” Lechner said. “I just picked up the phone, and it was an amazing moment.”
Teddy Lechner skates with the puck during the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colo.
Colorado Eagles
The 17-year-old defenseman had been selected by the Colorado Avalanche at No. 152 overall in the fifth round of the NHL Draft.
In doing so, Lechner became the first player with Augustana ties — past, present or future — to hear their name called on draft day. He’s expected to join the Vikings’ program as early as 2027-28.
“It’s been a dream come true. That’s what I’ve been dreaming of my whole life and kind of the goal of why I play hockey,” Lechner said. “That’s where you want to make it, so to have that moment, especially to be with my brother, it’s pretty special.”
Three days later, Lechner was showcasing his talents at the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp.
Lechner was one of 27 Avs prospects who were invited to attend the team’s three-day dev camp last week at the Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colorado. He also received a text message of congratulations from former Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson, a fellow Bloomington native who played two seasons of high school hockey for the same Academy of Holy Angels program as Lechner.
Competing against some of the game’s top prospects reinforced Lechner’s belief that he belongs at that level. Rather than being intimidated by bigger, stronger players, he left camp with renewed confidence in his game and a determination to trust the abilities that made him an NHL draft pick.
“It was a great experience seeing the other draft picks and kids they picked in previous years and kids they invited,” Lechner said. “Those are some of the top kids for their age group, top kids who play college, and it’s my goal to play in college at a high level and hopefully move on. But I think it was good for me to go against these kids who have multiple years of experience in college and even some who have won national championships.
“I think that was good for me to kind of go and learn their habits that make them good defensemen and try to add that to my game as best as I can and then obviously just have fun. We had some pretty cool stuff off the ice, and I was just kind of enjoying the whole process of it.”
Teddy Lechner skates the ice during the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colo.
Colorado Eagles
Lechner played his final season of prep hockey in 2025-26, during which he amassed 38 points (seven goals, 31 assists) for a Holy Angels squad that saw its season end in a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker versus Edina in the semifinals of the Section 6AA tournament.
He’ll finish out his senior year of high school in 2026-27 in Muskegon, where he tallied four assists in 35 games last season for a Lumberjacks team that finished runner-up to Sioux Falls in its quest to win back-to-back USHL Clark Cup championships.
“I definitely felt I adapted pretty quickly to the pace of the game compared to high school and kind of put myself in a good position to be in the lineup every night and get some good minutes,” said Lechner, who appeared in 14 of Muskegon’s 16 playoff games this past spring. “Obviously to have all that playoff experience that we did this year is going to help me.”
Throughout the recruiting process, Lechner took his time after schools like Minnesota, Wisconsin and Minnesota Duluth began to express interest.
But all along, Lechner kept his sights set on Garrett Raboin’s AU program, which was in on him from the start and had extended an offer on their first encounter.
“I kind of had to come to a decision where this offer was too good to pass up on,” Lechner said. “Rabs is a great coach. You see his track record at Minnesota and how many defensemen he’s sent on to the next level, so I think it was really the best decision for me.”
Teddy Lechner skates with the puck during the Colorado Avalanche’s development camp Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colo.
Colorado Eagles
Lechner says he and his family toured the Augustana campus last July on an official visit. The facilities left a lasting impression.
“It was amazing there,” Lechner said. “The rink obviously is the new rink. It’s one of the attractions there on campus, and it’s going to be an awesome atmosphere.
“They already have that thing packed almost every home game, so to hear that place roaring after a goal is going to be pretty sweet.”
At 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Lechner takes great pride in locking down the defensive zone while using his exceptional vision and skating ability to find attackers in transition. His breakouts are clean, and the physical side of his game has continued to blossom.
“I would definitely say all-around work is kind of the big thing this offseason,” Lechner said. “I think that comes with just getting stronger.
“I think that’s a big focus of mine this offseason because that obviously comes with harder shots from the point and being able to get that through, and then growing the lower half of my body is going to help me with skating stride and just being more powerful on those first three steps.”