Latest report exposes stunning career twist for Avalanche forward amid major deal
Photo credit: Jerome Miron / Imagn Image
A recent report uncovers a surprising and unexpected career development for Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta in the wake of his recent contract extension.
Kiviranta signed a one-year extension with the Avalanche last week.
Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta receives stunning career update.
Evan Liu from Hockey Mountain High writes that over the past two years, Kiviranta has quietly established himself as a strong and reliable presence in the Avalanche's bottom six. His 2024-25 season continued that trend and was actually one of the best of his career.
"He played a career-high 79 games, averaging 12:31 of ice time per game. He scored a whopping 16 goals, doubling his previous career high of eight. In addition, tacked on seven assists for 23 total points, more than doubling his previous career high of 11." -Liu
This season saw him record his first career game-winning goals and the second shorthanded goal of his career. He also played an impressive +15 rating while logging just 20 penalty minutes.
However, when it mattered most, Kiviranta's production dried up. In the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Dallas Stars, he went without a point in all seven games. His slump actually began late in the regular season, as he managed just two points over his final 20 games, including the postseason.
"The story of the year for Kiviranta was his streakiness of scoring. He went through impressive stretches of scoring and went quiet elsewhere. For example, in late February and early March, he scored four points in five games.
"His second year in Colorado was one to remember with a shooting percentage of 19%, and a face-off win percentage of 47.9%, also a career high." -Liu
Remember, Kiviranta began his time with the organization on a PTO with the Colorado Eagles. He worked his way up through the AHL, earning a league-minimum deal with the Avalanche, and later signed another. Now, however, he finds himself without a team.
Last week, Kiviranta signed a one-year contract while also exploring other opportunities in the free-agent market.
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