“Chris is a young and talented prospect with a bright future,” said Avalanche Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic. “We are excited to have him under contract and look forward to seeing him in the upcoming preseason games.”

Bigras was Colorado’s second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft. He led all Owen Sound defensemen with 38 points (8g/30a) while adding a +35 plus/minus rating in 68 games during the 2012-13 Ontario Hockey League season. The 6-foot-1, 186-pound defenseman ranked second on the team in plus/minus, was third in assists (tied) and fifth in points. He was rated by NHL Central Scouting as the sixth-best North American defenseman in its final rankings for the 2013 Draft.

A native of Orillia, Ontario, Bigras (pronounced bee-grah) won a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2013 IIHF World Under-18 Championship in Sochi, Russia. He recorded three assists and a +8 rating in seven games at the tournament.