Gavin Bayreuther
American defenseman who played for Columbus Blue Jackets from 2020 to 2023.
Gavin Bayreuther (born May 12, 1994) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently an unrestricted free agent, having most recently played for the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 2020 until 2023, Bayreuther played for the Columbus Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters.
Bayreuther grew up in Canaan, New Hampshire, with his parents, John and Jessica, and his three siblings: brothers Jack and Beckham, and a sister, Morgan. He attended Cardigan Mountain School, a preparatory middle school. As a child, he played lacrosse and soccer alongside hockey, and he later said he was “almost 90 percent sure I was going to play lacrosse instead” of pursuing hockey.
His hockey career began at the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire. In his final season there, he recorded 34 points in 29 games and was named to the New Hampshire Prep School All-State Team in 2012. That year, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him 186th overall for the 2012 NHL entry draft, but he was not selected. However, St. Lawrence University’s Saints of the NCAA’s ECAC offered him a spot.
During the offseason, the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL selected Bayreuther 37th overall in the 2012 USHL entry draft. In his first game with the RoughRiders during the 2012–13 season, he scored two goals, and through his first eight games he collected four goals and seven assists. After 19 games, on December 7, 2012, he was traded to the Fargo Force in exchange for Justin Wade. Six days later, he recorded one goal and two assists in a 4–3 win over Team USA. He finished the regular season with a combined nine goals and 24 assists in 60 games between both teams and was named to the USHL All-Rookie Team.
Bayreuther joined the Saints for the 2013–14 season. He scored his first collegiate goal in the season opener on October 11, 2013, in a 3–1 win over the Maine Black Bears. On February 7, 2014, he collected four assists in a 7–1 rout of the Princeton Tigers. By season’s end, he had nine goals and 27 assists in 38 games—Saints records for a rookie defenseman—ranking third in team scoring.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1994-05-12
- Birth Place
- Canaan, New Hampshire, U.S.
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 210
- Position
- Defense
- Shoots
- Left
- League
- NHL
- Team
- Free agent
- Prospect League
- AHL
- Former Teams
- Dallas Stars / Columbus Blue Jackets / Lausanne HC
- Draft
- Undrafted
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Bayreuther grew up in Canaan, New Hampshire, to parents John and Jessica, with two younger brothers and a sister. He attended Cardigan Mountain School and later Holderness School, where he played hockey until 2012. He was named to the New Hampshire Prep School All-State Team in his final season. He then played for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and Fargo Force of the USHL, earning a spot on the USHL All-Rookie Team. Bayreuther played four seasons at St. Lawrence University, setting the program record for most goals by a defenseman and becoming the first defenseman to lead the team in scoring. He signed with the Dallas Stars as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and made his NHL debut with them in 2018. He signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent on October 9, 2020, on a one-year entry-level contract. He was placed on waivers in January 2021 and assigned to the Cleveland Monsters, then recalled to the Blue Jackets on February 19, 2021. He played with Columbus and Cleveland until 2023.
Reader's Guide
Gavin Bayreuther's tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets was part of a journeyman professional career that began as an undrafted free agent. After establishing himself as a productive offensive defenseman in the AHL with the Texas Stars—leading their defensemen in assists and points during the 2017–18 season and reaching the Calder Cup Final—he signed with Columbus in 2020. His time with the Blue Jackets organization spanned three seasons, during which he split time between the NHL club and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. Bayreuther's career path reflects the trajectory of many undrafted college players who earn NHL opportunities through strong AHL performance. After leaving Columbus in 2023, he returned to the Texas Stars for one season, then played in Switzerland with Lausanne HC, and later returned to the NHL with the Carolina Hurricanes before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres in early 2026. His collegiate achievements at St. Lawrence University—including ECAC Rookie of the Year honors and multiple All-Star selections—underscore his development as a late-blooming prospect.
Did You Know?
- Bayreuther was almost 90 percent sure he would play lacrosse instead of hockey.
- He set the St. Lawrence University record for most goals by a defenseman.
- He was named ECAC Co-Rookie of the Year in 2014, sharing the honor with Sam Anas.
- He scored his first NHL goal on November 23, 2018, against the Ottawa Senators.
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