WHL Stars & NHL Debuts: Miner digs deep in first appearance with the Avalanche

Denver, Colo.- Trent Miner woke up on Friday, November 15 ready to face the AHL’s Ontario Reign with his Colorado Eagles teammates at Blue Arena in Loveland, Col.

Instead, he found himself between the pipes at Ball Arena, home of the Colorado Avalanche, just hours later.

The former Vancouver Giants netminder Trent Miner made 12 stops in his NHL debut for the Avs in a relief appearance on Friday night.

The 23-year-old came off the bench after the Capitals chased Justus Annunen midway through the match in an eventual 5-2 victory for Washington.

Miner saved 12 of 13 shots in 34:58 of ice time.

🗣️ Trent Miner

The Colorado Eagles goaltender made his NHL debut today, after subbing in for Justus Annunen.

"It's pretty surreal. I found out this morning that I was coming up. Unfortunate that I had to go in, but it was a really cool experience for me."#GoAvsGo #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/fobI8rWgIX

— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports_) November 16, 2024

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound netminder spent four seasons with the Giants after being selected in the first round of the 2016 WHL Prospects Draft.

He posted a career record of 48-28-3-2 with a 2.49 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, highlighted by a 24-5-1-1 campaign in 2018-19.

Miner’s 48 wins are the fourth-most in Giants franchise history.

The Avalanche chose Miner, a Brandon, Man. product, in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

He’s since split his time between the AHL’s Eagles and the ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies and signed a one-year contract with the Avalanche prior to the start of the 2024-25 campaign.

Miner is 3-2-2 in the AHL this season with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.

Since Friday, Miner has been reassigned, but has the potential to be recalled at any time with Avalanche starter Alexander Georgiev out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.