Kevin Porter Kevin Porter ( born March 12 , 1986 ) is an American professional ice hockey center currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . Playing career . Amateur . Porter was drafted in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft by the Phoenix Coyotes in the fourth round , 119th overall . Drafted after two seasons selected to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor , Michigan as an skilled undersized scorer , Porter was then recruited to the University of Michigan hockey program in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association . In his 2004 – 05 freshman season with the Wolverines , Porter scored 11 goals in 39 games to finish with 24 points , second among Wolverine rookies to fellow USNTDP product and Coyotes draft pick , Chad Kolarik . Establishing his scoring touch as a sophomore with 38 points in 39 games , Kevin returned as a junior to lead the Wolverines with 24 goals and place second among points with 58 to earn player of the Month award ( November ) and nomination to the CCHA Second All - Star Team . With the departure of prolific Michigan scorer T . J . Hensick , Porter returned to captain the Wolverines for his senior year in 2007 – 08 . For the fourth consecutive season Porter improved his season totals posting 33 goals and 63 points in 43 games to lead the U of M and place second only to Nathan Gerbe in the NCAA . He set a NCAA Tournament record with four goals in the East Regional Semi - Final against Niagara , as he captained the Wolverines to the Frozen four for the first time since 2003 . Named as the University of Michigan Male sports person of the Year , Porter ' s standout season was also awarded with selection to the CCHA First All - Star Team , CCHA Player of the Year and the NCAA West First All - American Team to culminate in winning the Hobey Baker Award as the top collegiate player in the NCAA . Professional . Shortly after completing his collegiate career , on April 14 , 2008 , Porter signed a three - year entry level contract with the Coyotes . He then joined the Coyotes affiliate , the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League , for their first - round play - off run . In the 2008 – 09 season , Porter made the Coyotes opening season roster and made his NHL debut in a 3 – 1 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 11 , 2008 , picking up an assist , his first NHL point . Porter scored his first career NHL goal on October 30 , 2008 , in a 4 – 1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins . At the turn of the year with an reduced role offensively , Porter was assigned by the Coyotes to the AHL for the majority of the remaining season and developed a scoring touch to lead the Rampage in Plus / minus ( + 7 ) . He finished his first professional season with 5 goals for 10 points in 34 games with the Coyotes . Porter was assigned to the Rampage to start the 2009 – 10 season . He was recalled by the Coyotes on numerous occasions but was limited to just 4 games . On March 3 , 2010 , while with the Rampage , Porter was traded by the Coyotes , along with Peter Mueller , to the Colorado Avalanche for forward Wojtek Wolski . After skating in four games with Avalanche affiliate , the Lake Erie Monsters , Porter received his first recall to Colorado on March 11 , 2010 , where he made his Avalanche debut in a 3 - 0 victory over the Florida Panthers . Used in a checking line role , Porter scored his first goal in his 8th game with the Avalanche against his former team , the Coyotes , in a 6 - 2 loss on March 28 , 2010 . He finished the season making his NHL post season debut in four games against the San Jose Sharks before re - signing with the Avalanche as a restricted free agent to a one - year contract on June 17 , 2010 . International play . A product of the USNTDP system , Porter made his international debut with the United States as a young 17 year old in the 2003 World Under 18 Championships in Yaroslavl , Russia . After posting 2 points in 6 games to finish out of the medals , in fourth place , Kevin returned in his final year with the Development Program to play in the succeeding 2004 World Under 18 Championships in Minsk , Belarus . In a prominent senior role , Kevin scored 2 goals and 6 assists to place second on the team with 8 points as USA went on to claim the Silver medal , losing 3 - 2 to Russia in the final on April 18 , 2004 . During a successful freshman year with the University of Michigan , Porter was added to the Team USA side hosting the 2005 World Junior Championships in Grand Forks , North Dakota . Porter amassed 3 goals and 5 points in 7 games . He scored in the Bronze medal game against the Czech Republic , however again missed the medals and finished fourth . Porter was selected to his fourth junior tournament as a sophomore with Team USA at the 2006 World Junior Championships in Vancouver , Canada . As Captain of the United States , he led the team to a second consecutive fourth place finish , compiling 6 points in 7 games to be named as Team USA ' s best forward by his fellow teammates .