Chase Bradley’s grind from Oakville High School to pro hockey showcases a relentless journey: year after year of balancing school, long weekend drives for the AYHL, then USHL and UConn, before betting on himself with a two-year Avalanche contract and a pro path that includes the Colorado Eagles and an NHL debut. His profile as a versatile, cheap depth forward fits the Avalanche’s trophy-hunting blueprint.

With Mark Letestu steering the Eagles and Jared Bednar’s insistence on players who can pop when needed, Bradley represents a strategic asset in Colorado’s pipeline. If injuries or roster needs open a lane, the 23-year-old’s gritty two-way game could land him more NHL looks as the Avalanche chase Cup contention.

Eddie Giacomin, Hockey Hall of Fame goalie and longtime Ranger, died at 86. A stickhandling pioneer, he backstopped the Rangers to four straight semifinals and the 1972 Cup Final, posting 290 wins and 54 shutouts in 610 games. He shared the 1970-71 Vezina with Villemure and had his No. 1 retired by New York in 1989. After a stint with Detroit, his legacy as a franchise cornerstone endures among Rangers fans and NHL history.

Ed Giacomin died at 86, leaving a legend-shaped mark on the New York Rangers. He anchored the crease for a decade, posting 267 wins (third in Rangers history) and 49 shutouts (second). His breakout season in 1966-67 featured 30 wins and nine shutouts, kicking off three straight seasons leading the NHL in victories and fueling a nine postseason streak for the Rangers from 1966 to 1975, capped by a 1972 Cup Final appearance.

Giacomin finished his career with Detroit, totaling 290 wins and 54 shutouts along with a 2.82 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Rangers honored him as a heart of the era, echoed by Rod Gilbert’s praise. The piece also notes Marc-André Fleury’s Penguins preseason PTO, underscoring a goaltending lineage from Giacomin’s era to today.