Avalanche announce 2026 development camp, public skates begin June 30

Colorado’s June 25 development camp announcement gave the Avalanche’s pipeline its first public checkpoint of the summer, and the roster release two days later showed exactly why it matters for the Eagles. The camp ran June 30 through July 2 at Family Sports Center in Centennial, with every on-ice session free and open to the public.

The June 28 roster included 27 players: 11 forwards, 12 defensemen and four goaltenders. Fifteen were draft selections, joined by invitees trying to force their way into Colorado’s next pro depth chart, and the timing mattered after the Avalanche used the 2026 NHL Draft to make nine picks, tying a club record for a seven-round draft format. For a system that leans on the Colorado Eagles as its AHL proving ground, that mix of drafted talent and outside competition created the first real look at which young players could translate summer potential into fall readiness.

The schedule itself was built around evaluation and instruction. Colorado opened with morning ice blocks on Tuesday, June 30 and Wednesday, July 1, then closed with a full-team session on Thursday, July 2. That structure fit Brian Willsie’s player-development model, in which the work is as much about off-ice routine, conditioning expectations and professional habits as it is about skating drills. Development camp is where prospects start learning the standards that can carry them from draft weekend to training camp, then to Colorado or to Colorado’s AHL affiliate.

The Eagles’ place in that path is easy to see. Colorado called the Eagles its proud AHL affiliate, and the organization has spent the offseason reshaping the lower half of its depth chart with four trades, two defenseman re-signings and the addition of nine draft picks. The timing also came as the Eagles locked up captain Jayson Megna through the 2026-27 season and prepared for the New Mexico Goatheads to become the club’s ECHL affiliate beginning in 2026-27, giving the Avalanche a clearer ladder from junior or amateur hockey into the AHL.

A year ago, Colorado’s development camp drew 31 players, including 15 forwards, 11 defensemen and five goaltenders, over three public skates from July 1-3 at the same Centennial facility. This year’s smaller group still carried the same purpose: identify who can climb fast enough to matter in Colorado’s next pro cycle, and who can push all the way to the Eagles before the season turns serious.