The Colorado Avalanche might get a closer look at prospect Beckett Hamilton next season. According to a report from Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, Hamilton appears to be headed toward a college commitment with the University of Denver, albeit it has not yet been officially announced.

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“I reported last week that breakout Avalanche third-rounder and Red Deer Rebels captain Beckett Hamilton was being pursued by the NCHC schools you’d expect, but there was some belief he might also sign,” Wheeler said in his report. “It’s sounding more and more like it’s going to be Denver. These things are never official until the players themselves announce it, and even then they’re liable to change, but that’s where multiple college sources think it has landed.”

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Colorado selected Hamilton No. 74 in the most recent draft. He ended up being quite the surprise at training camp, even scoring the team’s first preseason goal while playing on a line with veterans Nazem Kadri and Gabe Landeskog.

Hamilton’s season with the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels has gotten off to a roaring start. After leading the team with 62 points in 2025-26 and being named captain at the conclusion of the season, Hamilton has taken another step forward. Through his first 17 games, he has 13 goals, 14 assists, and 27 points. He ranks second on the team and in the entire league in scoring, trailing teammate Poul Anderson.

If Hamilton signs with DU and plays college hockey up the road next season, the Avalanche would be able to visit with him more regularly and review tape together from time to time. This is the approach they used with T.J. Hughes when recruiting him out of Michigan last year.

Hamilton will turn 19 in March and is likely still a ways away from becoming an NHL regular. But the early returns on him as a draft pick have been encouraging for an organization that doesn’t have much depth in its prospect pool.

Playing for David Carle and the Pioneers could help elevate his development to another level.