HIGHLANDS RANCH — First impressions still matter, even in the hockey world.

At this weekend’s Rookie Showcase at South Suburban Sports Complex, the Colorado Avalanche went 1-1, beating the Utah Mammoth on Friday before falling to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. Results in these tournaments don’t matter in the grand scheme of things, but how the players battle and respond to the environment does.

The brutal reality is that most of the players that suited up for the Avalanche over the weekend will never play in the NHL. One of the few who already has some NHL experience under his belt showed well.

Nikita Prishchepov, just 15 months removed from being Colorado’s final pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, suited up for the squad. His first professional season must be considered a success, even it was a bit uneven. The 21-year-old Russian picked up 23 points in 51 games with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL last year, but it was his 10-game tryout with the Avalanche that raised some eyebrows. The stat line isn’t that impressive, but his on-ice play was.

For new Eagles coach Mark Letestu, this weekend was his first up-close-and-personal look at the 6-foot-1 forward. Did he come as expected?

“He’s a big man,” Letestu said Sunday of Prishchepov. “What I’ve heard about him is that he’s a worker, and I think that’s something that showed up. He’s turning into a true professional and I think he’s giving himself a chance. It was good to meet him, see what he’s about, and the reports were true.”

Prishchepov was probably the best player on the ice in Friday’s 5-3 win over Utah. While most of his first professional season was spent on the wing, that’s not where he was used in the tournament. Letestu used him at center, with the Russian sealing the win with an empty-net goal late in regulation.

Where Prishchepov really excelled was on the penalty kill, which is as good a place as any to impress a new coach. He used his speed and tenacity to kill precious second off the clock, often playing keep-away from the Mammoth power play. While his work with the puck left a lot to be desired in the second game, there were plenty of positives for him to take into camp.

Someone who wasn’t making a first impression on Letestu was Gavin Brindley. That’s because the two worked together in Columbus’ system last year, as Letestu was an assistant coach for their AHL team.

Brindley was easily Colorado’s most dynamic player in the opening game against Utah, flashing his puck skills and speed throughout the game. That performance earned him a day off on Sunday, as the organization used that game as an opportunity to get a look at a few other players.

Although his first professional season didn’t go the way he wanted, the lessons he learned last year were already evident to Letestu.

“For Gavin, in particular going into year two, I think this was a good first step,” Letestu said. “The American Hockey League is a really tough league. You’re actually encouraged by some of the adversity, that it doesn’t go so well all the time. He’s taken that challenge, made the adjustments to have a better year this year.”

While Brindley is not a big guy, listed at 5-9, he’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas of the ice. He was consistently mixing it up with Utah’s Dmitri Simashev, who is listed at 6-5 and looks every bit of it.

That lack of fear will serve him well if he can carry it into main camp, which starts Thursday morning.