Avalanche sign former USHL standout Vinnie Hinostroza to two-year deal

On July 1, Colorado signed former Waterloo Black Hawks standout Vinnie Hinostroza to a two-year deal through the 2027-28 season. The 32-year-old brings speed, flexibility and secondary scoring.

The contract is a two-way deal, with Hinostroza set to make $850,000 at the NHL level and $500,000 in the minors in the first year, plus a $600,000 guarantee. Hinostroza finished the 2025-26 season with 65 games played, six goals, 12 assists and 18 points, while also adding 41 hits, 27 blocked shots and 10:56 of average ice time per game.

His season was split between the Minnesota Wild and Florida Panthers, with Florida acquiring him from Minnesota on March 6, 2026, for future considerations. Once he joined the Panthers, Hinostroza supplied eight points in 17 games. Across seven NHL stops, including Florida, Minnesota, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Chicago and Arizona, he has now reached 477 regular-season games and 179 points.

Hinostroza also has 159 points in 188 AHL regular-season games and two AHL All-Star selections. The Milwaukee Admirals selected him for the 2025 AHL All-Star Classic in Palm Desert, California, and he answered that year with 33 regular-season points, including a natural hat trick and an assist in a 6-1 win over Grand Rapids on Dec. 20, 2024.

Hinostroza spent three seasons with the Waterloo Black Hawks from 2010 to 2013, piling up 126 points in 151 regular-season games and another seven points in six Clark Cup playoff games. He helped Waterloo reach the 2012 Clark Cup Final and was part of the club’s silver-medal finish at the 2012 Junior Club World Cup in Omsk, Russia.

USA Hockey’s player bio credits Hinostroza with scoring the semifinal game-tying goal late before converting two penalty shots to send Waterloo into that championship game. In Waterloo’s junior-era record book, which dates to the all-junior roster era beginning in 1979-80, he remains tied for ninth in career points and assists and tied for 14th in goals.