The Colorado Avalanche announced on social media that forward Ross Colton left Thursday’s game against Utah Hockey Club with an upper-body injury.
Ross Colton will not return to tonight's game (upper body).
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 25, 2024
It’s not clear how the injury occurred, but his last shift was midway through the second period.
Earlier in the game, Colton scored his seventh goal of the season, a one-timer off a cross-ice pass from Mikko Rantanen to make it 1-0.
Can ANYONE stop Ross Colton right now? pic.twitter.com/358GyhZlNu
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 25, 2024
The Avalanche would end up winning the game 5-1, giving them four consecutive wins.
Colton has been one of Colorado’s most productive players through their first eight games of the 2024-25 regular season. Including tonight’s goal, the Robbinsville, N.J., native has seven goals and one assist for eight points.
Now in his fifth NHL season, Colton has 71 goals and 60 assists for 131 points in 278 career regular-season games with the Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Drafted by the Lightning in the fourth round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, Colton spent the first five years of his professional career with Tampa’s organization, playing two full seasons with the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch.
In 2020-21, Colton was called up to the NHL club, scoring nine goals and three assists for 12 points in 30 games. He would dress in 23 playoff games that spring, helping the Lightning win their third Stanley Cup championship in franchise history.
After several productive seasons with Tampa Bay, he was traded to the Avalanche in exchange for their second-round pick of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
The Avalanche are now 4-4-0 after starting 0-4-0. Their next game is Sunday night at home against the Ottawa Senators. Puck drop is at 9 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. MT.
