The Newest Blue Jacket: Gavin Brindley

Gavin Brindley was signed out of the University of Michigan earlier this week and will make his debut tonight

It was announced on Monday evening that the Blue Jackets had signed Gavin Brindley to his entry-level contract and he’ll join the team immediately. Those who follow the team’s prospects will certainly be aware of Brindley’s growth during the 2023-24 season, whether it be at the collegiate level or on the international stage. 

Who is Gavin Brindley?

Last summer, one of the early stories around the Blue Jackets was when the organization brought Adam Fantilli into the mix. As the third overall pick, Fantilli got quite a bit of attention league-wide. That’s typical for most players drafted that high, but this was a little different. There was the belief that if Connor Bedard wasn’t at the top of the draft, Fantilli had the talent to be a first-overall pick in most drafts. When the Blue Jackets made their second pick of the weekend though, they called the name of Fantilli’s college teammate, Gavin Brindley. 

Brindley’s father, Ryan Brindley may be familiar to a very niche crowd of hockey fans. He spent many years bouncing between the American Hockey League and the ECHL during his professional hockey career. Ironically, the elder Brindley has quite a few ties to Ohio during his career as well. He attended Miami University during his collegiate days, made his professional debut with the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL during the 1998-99 season, and also played with the AHL’s Cincinnati Mighty Ducks that same season. He returned to Ohio during the 2003-04 season as a member of the Cincinnati Cyclones before finishing off his career with the Florida Everblades.