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Tag: avalanche

  • Avalanche shake off blown lead, reach Olympic break with 4-2 win against Sharks

    This Colorado Avalanche team with a multi-goal lead remains the safest bet in sports, but this one didn’t come easy.

    The Avs coughed up a two-goal advantage early in the third period, but still defeated the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, Wednesday night at Ball Arena. Colorado reaches the NHL’s break for the 2026 Winter Olympics atop the league standings with 83 points. The 37-9-9 record includes a 32-0-0 mark when leading a game by two or more goals at any point.

    Josh Manson’s blast from the top of the offensive zone gave the Avs the lead with 7:16 remaining. Valeri Nichushkin set him up with his third assist of the night.

    Nathan MacKinnon collected his second assist, which were career Nos. 700 and 701. MacKinnon wasn’t credited with a third assist, but his battle with Macklin Celebrini in the neutral zone helped create an empty-net goal for Brock Nelson with 1:17 remaining.

    San Jose struck twice in the opening four minutes to erase a two-goal deficit.

    Alexander Wennberg carried the puck into the Colorado zone on the right wing and all the way below the goal line. He turned and set up defenseman Timothy Liljegren trailing the play for a one-timer from the right point. The puck went off Parker Kelly’s stick and deflected past Mackenzie Blackwood just 43 seconds into the third.

    Philipp Kurashev evened the score at 3:34. Samuel Girard turned the puck over at the offensive blue line, which led to an odd-man rush for San Jose. Kurashev kept it himself and fooled Blackwood with his shot.

    Lehkonen opened the scoring 65 seconds into the second period. It was a wild scramble in the Sharks crease, and Lehkonen was credited with the goal. Yaroslav Askarov had lunged forward trying to make a save, and by the time the puck crossed the goal line two San Jose players were laying in the blue paint and all three Colorado top-line forwards were digging for it.

    The Finnish forward made it a 2-0 lead at 15:47 of the second. Nichushkin tried to get the puck to MacKinnon during an odd-man rush. His first attempt didn’t get there, and the second was too late for MacKinnon to shoot. He collected it, curled around to the right of the goalie and found Lehkonen in the right circle for a one-timer.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche’s record-selling Pride Night became a ‘Heated Rivalry’ celebration

    Mary Myers is a huge football fan and loves the Denver Broncos.

    As she put it though, being a women and a fan in male-dominated sports is not always welcoming. Myers and one of her best friends, Andrea Slora, are not big hockey fans. But like many other people, they are very much fans of “Heated Rivalry,” the Canadian television show that streamed on HBOMax in the United States and has become a pop culture phenomenon.

    Myers, who is bisexual, read the “Game Changers” series of books by Canadian author Rachel Reid, on which the show is based, and then was tuned in when the show premiered on Thanksgiving. She recommended it to Slora, who is queer, and both “have been consumed by it.” So much so that Myers was at Ball Arena on Monday night, wearing a sweatshirt featuring the two main characters, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, with Slora, sporting a Boston Raiders shirt with No. 81 and Rozanov on the back.

    Show’s popularity drives ticket sales

    They weren’t alone. It was Pride Night for the Colorado Avalanche, and on the concourses, it was also a celebration of the show that has brought hockey to a whole new audience. Just in the span of a five-minute interview, six people came up to Myers and Slora to compliment them on the shirts they were wearing.

    “One of my close coworkers is a huge Avs fan and she’s also queer,” Slora said. “So I was like, ‘OK, I have a spot here.’ Also, just seeing how into it she is, like she will watch the games when we’re at work and get so into it.”

    The Avalanche has had a Pride Night on the promotional schedule for nearly a decade, and the organization was one of the first sports teams to participate in the Denver Pride Parade. The team did not incorporate specific “Heated Rivalry” themes into its plans for Monday evening, but it was easily its most successful Pride Night.

    Sales on the Pride Night ticket packages were up 47% from last year, which was previously the best-selling night. A portion of the proceeds will go to You Can Play, a campaign that promotes inclusion and hopes to eradicate homophobia in sports.

    There were some allusions to the show — the phrase “Heated Rivalry” was on the scoreboard before the game with the Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings logos, and “All The Things She Said,” which has become synonymous with the show, also played in the arena shortly before puck drop.

    There’s also little question that the popularity of the show and the books helped drive the record sales.

    “Heated Rivalry has been a conversation topic in the office,” Avs marketing director Megan Boyle said. “It’s pretty cool to see how many people that have never even watched hockey or cared too much about hockey have started to take interest in hockey and the Avalanche.

    “I think it just shows that community and a sense of belonging is really important. That’s one of the biggest reasons why we continue to do Pride Night is to be part of our community.”

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche finally solve Lukas Dostal late, but Ducks prevail in shootout

    The Avalanche avoided being shutout for the first time this season, but Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal prevented them from claiming two points.

    Anaheim defeated Colorado, 2-1, in a shootout Wednesday night at Ball Arena. The Avs are now 3-1-2 on this season-long, seven-game homestand that wraps up Friday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

    “End of the day, their goalie had a big night and we had a tough time some of our execution early, so it wasn’t sustained for 60 minutes,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Then (we) got a lot of good looks and just couldn’t put them in the back of the net.”

    Dostal finished with 40 saves, including 19 in the third period and overtime. Scott Wedgewood made 16, including a pair of breakaway stops in extra time.

    It took 34 shots and more than 56 minutes for the Avalanche to solve Dostal. Artturi Lehkonen buried a one-timer on a pass from Brock Nelson with 3:39 remaining in the third period to make this a 1-1 hockey game.

    “I thought we were pretty all over it,” Nelson said. “Didn’t really give them a whole lot. They maybe had one or two little flurries, but I thought we had a fair share of good looks. Just couldn’t get one earlier to kind of crack it and get momentum.”

    While the Avs had a 20-10 lead in shots on goal through two periods, the scoring chances were pretty even. Colorado did pour on the pressure in the third, racking up an 18-3 advantage in scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

    Anaheim nearly stole a late winner in regulation, but after Wedgewood stopped the initial shot, both he and Victor Olofsson dove into the blue paint to keep the puck from crossing the goal line.

    The Avalanche tried out a new-look top line in this contest. Olofsson joined Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas on the first unit. Olofsson also joined the top power-play unit.

    Colorado’s typical top line, MacKinnon between Necas and Lehkonen, has logged the second-most minutes together at 5-on-5 of any forward trio in the NHL this season (460.8 minutes), trailing only Winnipeg’s top unit of Mark Scheifele between Kyle Connor and Gabe Vilardi (491.9 minutes), per MoneyPuck.

    “I liked (Olofsson) a lot,” Bednar said. “Victor has been playing a real good, solid 200-foot game. He started to chip in a little bit here offensively and I wanted to make a switch.

    “Sometimes it’s just good to change the mix of that top six. I want them all to be able to play with each other at different times.”

    Anaheim scored the lone goal of the opening 40 minutes on a counterattack early in the second period. Sam Malinski tried to poke the puck ahead along the left wall in the offensive zone, but Ducks captain Radko Gudas intercepted it and sent the visitors in the other direction.

    Corey Masisak

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  • How avalanches form and what to do if you find yourself in one


    How avalanches form and what to do if you find yourself in one – CBS News









































    Watch CBS News



    Four people in the U.S. have been killed in avalanches so far this year, according to the National Avalanche Center. CBS News Colorado meteorologist Joe Ruch explains the science behind avalanches and shares safety tips.

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  • Lightning coach Jon Cooper knows what Avalanche needs — a little adversity | Journal

    No one has described this Colorado Avalanche season better than Jon Cooper.

    The Tampa Bay Lightning coach was speaking to the media ahead of a Jan. 6 game against the Avalanche, and he said the phrase “three regulation losses.” It wasn’t what he said though, it was how he said it.

    There was a little chuckle. It felt inadvertent and instinctual. Like the coach who has won the Stanley Cup twice and a Four Nations gold medal couldn’t help but offer a “this doesn’t even seem possible” reaction.

    If Cooper caught one of the clips from Jared Bednar’s postgame press conference Saturday night, it probably brought a wry smile to his face … but also some long-term concern.

    Cooper has coached a team like this Avalanche bunch, one that made a historical march through the regular season. Dominant, magical, record-setting, the whole deal — except there was no storybook ending.

    The 2018-19 edition of the Lightning was a war machine. Feeding off a devastating Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference Finals the year before (sound familar), Tampa Bay roared through the season en route to a then-league record tying 62 wins. The Lightning finished with 128 points, 21 more than anyone else.

    Tampa Bay had the No. 1 offense, the No.1 power play and was tied for the best penalty kill. The Lightning were “only” tied for seventh in goals allowed per game. Nikita Kucherov paced the league with 128 points, while he, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point all finished with 40-plus goals.

    “Well, we’re going to bring back some memories here,” Cooper said when asked about his 2018-19 team and how he handled the second half of the regular season. “We didn’t run into a whole slew of adversity. To be honest, we would not play well and still win. Everything we touched turned to gold.

    “It was just one of those seasons. When you win 62 of 82, that’s kind of what has to happen.”

    And then … it all came crashing down. The Lightning took a 3-0 lead after one period of Game 1 in its opening playoff series against the Columbus Blue Jackets and then what came next was one of the most stunning collapses in sports history.

    Columbus rallied back to take Game 1, 4-3. Then it just got more progressively shocking. The Blue Jackets rolled in Game 2, winning 5-1 in front of a stunned Tampa Bay crowd.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche kills snowmobiler in Wyoming, 4th such fatality in U.S. this month


    A snowmobiler died after he was buried by an avalanche in Wyoming, authorities said Monday, marking at least the fourth person to be killed by an avalanche in Western states this month.

    Nicholas Bringhurst, 31, of Springville, Utah, was in the LaBarge Creek area of western Wyoming on Sunday when he was caught in the avalanche, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

    Bringhurst’s friend located him, dug him out of the snow and initiated CPR, the sheriff’s office said, but Bringhurst died at the scene, the office said.

    According to the Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center, a “snowmobiler triggered an avalanche on a small but steep slope” and was buried about 2 feet deep.

    The coroner’s office will determine the cause of death.

    The incident unfolded two days after two men were killed in an avalanche in central Washington state. The bodies of the two victims — identified as Paul Markoff, 38, and Erik Henne, 43 — were found with the help of K9s and air support. Two survivors were able to send a distress call on their Garmin satellite device and were later rescued.

    Last week, a snowmobiler in California’s Sierra Nevada died after being buried by an avalanche. The victim was later identified as Chris Scott Thomason, 42, of Bend, Oregon.

    Each winter, 25 to 30 people are killed by avalanches in the U.S., according to the National Avalanche Center. Utah and Washington are deemed “high risk” spots while areas of California, Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming are considered “considerable risk,” according to the center’s map.

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  • Avalanche goalie Trent Miner’s patience, hard work pay off: ‘He is a battler’

    When Trent Miner sat at his locker room stall after the best afternoon of his professional life, he really tried to keep his emotions in check.

    He answered a bunch of questions from a horde of media members on Saturday afternoon, several more than once. He was polite and concise.

    When he left Ball Arena after collecting the first NHL win and shutout in a 4-0 win for the Colorado Avalanche, he definitely had a chance to savor the moment.

    “It was exciting,” Miner said. “Talking with my family and my friends and everyone reaching out. It was pretty special to hear from everyone. I’ve been here for quite a while, so to get to do this with this group … I was very fortunate to be a part of winning that game.”

    It might finally be Avs’ Jared Bednar’s time to win the Jack Adams Award

    Miner’s first NHL win, a 29-save shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets came 26 days before his 25th birthday. It was also 2,395 days after the Avalanche selected him with the 202nd pick in the 2019 NHL draft.

    Players who go 100 picks earlier than that in NHL drafts are more likely to never play in the NHL than to have their dream come true. The 202nd guy in any draft class is a significant long shot.

    Scott Wedgewood went 84th in his draft, and it took him until his sixth post-draft season to reach the big leagues. Miner made it last year, but it took almost 14 months from his NHL debut before he got to celebrate backstopping his club to a win.

    “It was unbelievable,” Wedgewood said. “Super happy for him and everything that comes with it. When you’re a kid, you’re hoping for just one game in the NHL. You want to say I played one game. I made it. When you get the opportunity to play a couple and you don’t win, it can hurt you mentally.

    “He’s had to come in in relief. He’s played a couple back-to-backs. You start behind the eight ball with those opportunities. To see him get a clean start against a good team and he goes out there and wins us a hockey game does it in that fashion, it’s super cool. You just couldn’t be happier for him.”

    Wedgewood spent a large chunk of one season in the ECHL, but Miner has spent parts of three years in the league two rungs below the mountaintop. In his first three full seasons a pro, Miner played five, one and 18 games for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL.

    Keeler: Avalanche’s Brent Burns has become missing piece to Colorado’s Stanley Cup puzzle

    He wasn’t waiting his turn in Loveland. He was desperate to prove he could play there, let alone 50 miles south in Denver.

    That happened last year. Miner became the undisputed No. 1 goalie for the Eagles, leading them into the Calder Cup Playoffs. He made his NHL debut in relief and got his first NHL start, but the Avs lost 3-1 in Chicago.

    Earlier this year, Miner was great in relief and helped Colorado rally from a 4-1 deficit to get a point, but lost in a shootout. His first start was solid, but not what he wanted.

    Even this time up with the club, he’s had to wait. Wedgewood played four straight games, including three in four nights, after Mackenzie Blackwood was injured.

    “He’s a relentless worker and he is a battler,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Goalies may be a little different, but there’s a handful of players that come out of the ECHL and it takes them a while but then they’re grinding in the American League. When they make their to the NHL, you can pretty much guarantee the guys that do that, they’re battlers and they’re going to give it everything they’ve got.

    “He’s tried to make the most of his opportunities. When you see a player develop and you know he’s putting in all that work, it’s a great feeling as an organization. We are certainly really happy for his development and what he was able to accomplish (Saturday).”

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche earn depth-charged 4-0 victory against Columbus, led by Trent Miner, Brent Burns

    It was Next Generation day at Ball Arena, which involves kids taking over key roles during the in-game fan experience.

    It turned into a day where the Colorado Avalanche stars took a back seat to some of the “other guys” as well.

    Brent Burns scored twice, Trent Miner collected his first NHL victory and shutout with 29 saves and the bottom-six forwards were all over the scoresheet in a 4-0 win Saturday afternoon against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

    “We got contributions from a bunch of different guys tonight,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s how you win. If you want to win a lot, you’re going to win in different ways and different guys are going to be chipping in. That’s what our team has been doing a lot this year.”

    The Avs have now won the first two contests of this season-long seven-game homestand. Colorado is halfway through its home slate this season, and is 19-0-2 at Ball Arena. The Avs have also won 17 straight here, which is one one shy of the franchise record set during the 2021-22 campaign.

    Burns gave Colorado the lead at 13:58 of the opening period. Gavin Brindley took the puck off the wall after a nice pass from Valeri Nichushkin and to the net on a rush. During the ensuing scramble, the rebound of a sharp-angle Ross Colton shot kicked out to the inside edge of the right circle and Burns snapped one through all the traffic in front for his seventh goal of the season.

    His second goal of the game and eighth of the year came with Colorado’s fourth line on the ice. Brindley and Zakhar Bardakov collected assists as Burns’ perimeter shot went off the goaltender, off a Blue Jackets’ defenseman and trickled across the goal line.

    Burns is one of the great offensive defensemen on the 21st century, but his eight goals this year are already two more than his last season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s well-positioned to hit double digits for the 14th time in his career, and 15 for the ninth time isn’t out of the question.

    His two-goal game came two days after his defense partner, Josh Manson, scored twice.

    “I don’t think either shot was going at the net,” Burns said. “I wasn’t thinking about it. (Manson) even talked about it today, about how this game has a funny way of humbling you … we just talked about having a good game. It was lucky bounces, but it’s (also) forwards being in good spots.”

    Colorado’s recently formed third line produced the next two goals after Burns’ opener. Parker Kelly, up from the fourth line because of an injury to captain Gabe Landeskog, won a battle along the boards to the right of Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins. He got the puck to Jack Drury, who made a crafty little pass to Victor Olofsson for a backhanded shot and his eight goal of the season at 17:28 of the opening period.

    Olofsson, a shoot-first offensive player in his career, had gone 11 games without a goal, though Avs coach Jared Bednar has repeatedly praised his defense and all-around play in his first season with the club.

    Ilya Solovyov scored his first career NHL goal to give Colorado a 3-0 advantage midway through the second period. Olofsson led the offensive rush out of his own end, before leaving the puck for Kelly. His cross-ice pass found Solovyov, the trailing defenseman, and he buried a wrist shot from the left circle at 10:30 of the middle frame.

    It was the third straight game with a point for Solovyov. He had no goals and four assists in his first 25 career NHL games, but has a goal and two assists in his past three.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Snowmobiler dies after being trapped under snow in Nevada County avalanche


    A snowmobiler has died following an avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in the Truckee area of Nevada County, officials said Monday evening.

    The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said a call transferred from the Washoe County 911 center in the state of Nevada came in around 2:19 p.m., prompting a large, multi-agency response to the area of Castle Peak. The call reported a possible avalanche involving a group of snowmobilers, with one person initially unaccounted for.

    Approximately 45 personnel were deployed as part of the search and response effort. Crews deployed three SnoCats, three snowmobile teams, and multiple ski teams to assist in the response, the sheriff’s office said.

    Authorities said that as the situation developed, they learned the missing snowmobiler had been found buried under the snow. The sheriff’s office said fellow recreationists were able to recover the man from the snow several minutes later.

    The man was declared dead at the scene, authorities said. His name has not yet been released.

    Search efforts continued Monday night for any additional people who may have been injured or trapped. Agencies involved include the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada County Search and Rescue, Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue, Truckee Fire, and North Truckee Fire.

    Castle Peak is located just north of Boreal, Sugar Bowl and Donner ski areas.

    Authorities say more information will be provided as it becomes available.

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  • Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog leaves game after crashing into Panthers net

    Gabe Landeskog left the Colorado Avalanche’s game Sunday with the Florida Panthers after crashing into the opposing net and then the end boards behind it.

    The Avs captain was down on the ice for several minutes after he went headfirst into the net at 1:22 of the second period. His left skate appeared to stumble, then Landeskog crashed into the Florida net and then the end boards behind it.

    He was helped off the ice without using either leg to stride, and immediately down the tunnel towards the team’s locker room.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche power play springs to life, leads to 5-3 comeback win against Carolina

    RALEIGH, N.C. — If the Colorado Avalanche power play starts to get rolling, look out.

    Already the NHL’s dominant team at even strength and the No. 1-ranked penalty kill entering the day, Colorado’s power play led a dramatic third-period comeback Saturday night. The Avs scored twice in the final period with the man advantage, with a goal from ex-Carolina forward Jack Drury in between, leading to a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

    It was the 10th straight win for the Avs, who are now 31-2-7 after 40 games. The Avs now have two separate 10-game winning streaks this season.

    “It was a great effort,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “It would have been easy to pack it in, but I thought our guys, as soon as the puck hit the ice in the third, they were determined.

    “It was great to see our power play capitalize. There was a little frustration early on because of the pressure they put on you. They found a way to stick with it and get better on that unit.”

    RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 03: Brock Nelson #11 of the Colorado Avalanche chases a puck during the third period of a hockey match against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center on January 03, 2026 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen/Getty Images)

    Newly-minted Olympian Brock Nelson scored twice. Nathan MacKinnon had an empty-net goal and four points, retaking the league lead from Connor McDavid with 74. Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves in his first start since Mackenzie Blackwood was put on injured reserve Friday.

    Carolina led 3-1 heading into the third period. That lead did not last long.

    Andrei Svechnikov took a tripping penalty 11 seconds into the third period, and the Avalanche power play started the comeback. Nelson tipped a wrist shot from MacKinnon past Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen at 1:09 of the third. It was Nelson’s 17th goal of the season.

    Drury then tied this contest at 3-3 just 33 seconds later. Ross Colton set him up for a shot from the left circle and his seventh goal of the year.

    “Huge goal,” Brent Burns, another former Carolina player returning for the first time since leaving, said. “He just does so many things right, so many hard things right. He’s such a great player, smart player. I try to sit next to him just to get some IQ into my head.”

    Nelson’s 18th of the season and second of the night with the man advantage put Colorado in front at 7:30. It was one of the prettiest goals of the Avs season. It was a tic-tac-toe passing play, with Cale Makar sending the puck to MacKinnon, whose cross-ice slap-pass set up Nelson for an easy one from the right circle.

    This is only the fourth time all season the Avs have scored multiple power-play goals in a game.

    “It’s nice,” Nelson said. “Another different way to win a game for us. It was nice to get a couple and be a big difference maker in a big comeback win on the road against a good team.”

    The power play that led to Nelson’s goal did not come without a cost. Devon Toews crashed into the end boards skates first and left the game. Nikolaj Ehlers was called for tripping on the play.

    Toews was down for an extended period, but did return to the game late in the period. After the game, Bednar said he believes Toews is OK.

    Carolina has been one of the most dangerous offensive teams while killing penalties for years, and the Hurricanes grabbed the lone goal of the first period while shorthanded. Sebastian Aho deflected a MacKinnon pass to Makar, and then got a piece of Makar as he tried to move the puck to Martin Necas.

    Eric Robinson intercepted that pass and sent it to Aho, who had already taken off behind Makar and went in alone for a breakaway goal at 18:09 of the first. That was Aho’s first shorthanded goal of the season, but it was the 37th shot attempt for Carolina with him on the ice on the PK, which is tops among all forwards in the NHL.

    It was also Aho’s 300th career goal. That’s also three shorthanded goals against in seven games.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche places goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood on injured reserve

    The Colorado Avalanche has been one of the healthiest NHL teams this season, but it’s run into a mini-injury crisis.

    Mackenzie Blackwood was placed on injured reserve Friday with a lower-body injury, just the Avs are about to play three of the best teams in the Eastern Conference all away from Ball Arena. A team spokesman said Blackwood will be re-evaluated after this three-game road trip, which begins Saturday against Carolina and finishes Sunday at Florida and Tuesday against Tampa Bay.

    Blackwood, who is 13-1-1 with a league-leading 2.07 goals against average and second-best .924 save percentage, played Wednesday night against St. Louis. He made 12 saves in a 6-1 victory and spoke to the media afterwards.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche center Brock Nelson named to United States Olympic team

    Brock Nelson has earned the chance to continue a great family tradition.

    Nelson was named to the United States hockey team Friday morning for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. He will be a third-generation Olympian in his family. Nelson’s uncle, Dave Christian, won gold in 1980 with the “Miracle on Ice” team at Lake Placid.

    His grandfather and great-uncle, Bill and Roger Christian, were members of the 1960 U.S. team that won gold in Squaw Valley, Calif. One of their brothers, Gord, won a silver medal with the 1956 U.S. team in Italy.

    Nelson was a marquee acquisition for the Colorado Avalanche just before the trade deadline last season, then he signed a three-year contract with the club in early June. He has been Colorado’s No. 2 center since the day he arrived from Long Island after a long, productive tenure with the New York Islanders.

    “The center ice position is such an important position,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “You have to be a four-line team in order to win and your top six has to to be really good. If you’re missing that piece, it almost doesn’t matter how good your wingers are. We’ve got elite wingers on our second line.

    “But if you’re missing that middle piece — take (Nathan) McKinnon off the first line, put a different center there — it’s not the same. If you take Nelson off the second line, put a different center there, it’s not the same. You need the production out of those guys. You need them to be able to play against anybody, and you need them to be able to defend against anybody. Brock does that, and then he touches every aspect of our game — power play, penalty kill — on top of that.”

    Nelson’s all-around play is a huge reason why he will play for the Americans in Northern Italy. He was on Team USA for the 2025 4 Nations Face-Off this past February, which lost to Canada in overtime in the final.

    His play in that short tournament, and his age — Nelson will turn 35 years old in April — led plenty of prognosticators to leave him off projected Olympic rosters for much of the past 11 months.

    Nelson also got off to a slow start, production-wise, in his first full season with the Avalanche. But he’s been on a tear at just the right time.

    The rangy center has 16 goals and 30 points in 39 games for the Avs this season. He has 13 goals and 25 points in his past 23 contests, in which Colorado has gone 20-1-2.

    At 6-foot-4 with great skating ability, Nelson has arguably been even better on the defensive side of the puck for the Avs. Colorado has produced 61.1% of the expected goals with Nelson on the ice at 5-on-5, despite Bednar often leaning on his line to match up against the other team’s top players.

    That’s second on the team among the forwards, behind only Valeri Nichushkin, and fourth in the NHL among forwards with 300-plus minutes played at 5-on-5.

    Nelson is also third among the Avs’ forwards in time on ice on the penalty kill, which is ranked No. 1 in the NHL at 85.7%.

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche on Mammoth Mountain kills 30-year-old ski patroller

    KCRA.COM, AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION. TONIGHT WE ARE LEARNING A SKI PATROLLER CAUGHT IN AN AVALANCHE ON MAMMOTH MOUNTAIN HAS DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. 30 YEAR OLD COLE MURPHY IS BEING REMEMBERED BY HIS FAMILY FOR HIS KINDNESS AND DEVOTION, SAYING THE MOUNTAIN IS WHERE HE FELT MOST ALIVE. THE SKI RESORT SAYS TWO OF THEIR PATROLLERS WERE PERFORMING AVALANCHE MITIGATION WORK FRIDAY MORNING, WHEN THEY WERE CAUGHT IN THAT SLIDE. ONE OF THEM WAS BEING ASSESSED FOR INJURIES, BUT WE DO NOT KNOW THEIR CONDITION AT THIS POINT. MURPHY WAS HOSPITALIZED AND DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. THE RESORT WARNS ANY SKIERS TO BE MINDFUL OF DEEP SNOW

    Avalanche on Mammoth Mountain kills 30-year-old ski patroller

    Updated: 9:29 PM PST Dec 28, 2025

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    A man died after getting caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain on Friday, according to the ski resort. Cole Murphy, a 30-year-old ski patroller, was out with another patroller performing avalanche mitigation work when the avalanche happened on Lincoln Mountain. Mammoth Mountain said the two of them were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.Murphy died in the hospital on Friday, Mammoth said. The resort described him Sunday as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.” Murphy’s family provided the following statement: With hearts that are aching and full of love, we share the passing of our beloved son, Cole Murphy, who was involved in a tragic accident at Mammoth Mountain. He was just 30 years old. In these tender days, he is held close by the family and friends who cherished him deeply. Cole moved through the world with kindness, intention, and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home. Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him—it was a calling. To his ski patrol family, the ones who worked beside him, had confidence in him, and shared a bond shaped by snow, service, and unwavering camaraderie: thank you for loving him as one of your own. That brotherhood meant more to him than words can ever express.At the center of Cole’s heart was Hayley—his partner, his joy, his steady place in the world. Their love was built on adventure, laughter, and a connection that ran deep. She is forever a part of who he was, and always will be. Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit, and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went.We find ourselves without the right words, but never without love. We are profoundly grateful for the compassion, tenderness, and support that have surrounded our family during this unimaginable time. As we begin to navigate the path ahead, we carry with us the memories, the love, and the bright, enduring light that Cole brought into all of our lives.This was the second second ski patroller death on the mountain this year.Mammoth Mountain’s ski area was closed after the avalanche on Saturday and reopened on Sunday. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

    A man died after getting caught in an avalanche at Mammoth Mountain on Friday, according to the ski resort.

    Cole Murphy, a 30-year-old ski patroller, was out with another patroller performing avalanche mitigation work when the avalanche happened on Lincoln Mountain. Mammoth Mountain said the two of them were immediately taken to a nearby hospital.

    Murphy died in the hospital on Friday, Mammoth said. The resort described him Sunday as “an experienced patroller with a deep passion for the mountains and love for his career.”

    Murphy’s family provided the following statement:

    With hearts that are aching and full of love, we share the passing of our beloved son, Cole Murphy, who was involved in a tragic accident at Mammoth Mountain. He was just 30 years old. In these tender days, he is held close by the family and friends who cherished him deeply. Cole moved through the world with kindness, intention, and a wholehearted devotion to the life he chose.

    The mountain was where Cole felt most alive. It was his place of purpose, his community, and his second home. Serving on ski patrol wasn’t just a role for him—it was a calling. To his ski patrol family, the ones who worked beside him, had confidence in him, and shared a bond shaped by snow, service, and unwavering camaraderie: thank you for loving him as one of your own. That brotherhood meant more to him than words can ever express.

    At the center of Cole’s heart was Hayley—his partner, his joy, his steady place in the world. Their love was built on adventure, laughter, and a connection that ran deep. She is forever a part of who he was, and always will be. Cole also held his family close, meeting life with an easy smile, a generous spirit, and a warmth that drew people in wherever he went.

    We find ourselves without the right words, but never without love. We are profoundly grateful for the compassion, tenderness, and support that have surrounded our family during this unimaginable time. As we begin to navigate the path ahead, we carry with us the memories, the love, and the bright, enduring light that Cole brought into all of our lives.

    This was the second second ski patroller death on the mountain this year.

    Mammoth Mountain’s ski area was closed after the avalanche on Saturday and reopened on Sunday.

    See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel

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  • Like other Stanley Cup contenders, Golden Knights have had far worse injury luck than the Avalanche this season

    LAS VEGAS — The Colorado Avalanche could look across the ice Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena and see … themselves, from the past couple of seasons.

    Colorado faces the Vegas Golden Knights in a matchup of two division leaders Saturday. It could be the preview of a looming Western Conference postseason showdown.

    What it won’t be is two sides going to battle with all of its top weaponry available. The Golden Knights are trying to survive right now, with franchise center Jack Eichel, No. 1 defenseman Shea Theodore and No. 1 goalie Adin Hill all out with injuries.

    Toss in Alex Pietrangelo, who is taking the entire year off because of injury a la Gabe Landeskog, and the parallels between the 2025-26 Golden Knights and the past three additions of the Avs, which all dealt with significant availability issues, are even more similar.

    Still, the Golden Knights have been able to grind out enough points to lead the Pacific Division. Vegas, Anaheim and Edmonton all reached the holiday break level on 44 points, but the Knights have played the fewest games.

    “Teams go through adversity at different times,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “These guys are through it a little bit right now. The parody in the league is as good as it’s ever been … I do think there are some teams that usually have a big role to play that are going to finish right where you kind of expect them to.”

    To Bednar’s point, several NHL clubs considered top Stanley Cup contenders in the preseason have scuffled through the first half of the campaign. Vegas and Edmonton both have had struggles, while Florida and Tampa Bay have dealt with significant injury concerns of their own in the East.

    Colorado and Dallas have been much healthier, and those two clubs have soared above the rest in the NHL standings. But as the league gears up for the second segment of this season as a lead up to the 2026 Olympic break, the Oilers and Panthers have surged back into a playoff position, while the Lightning and Golden Knights have continued to struggle.

    “I think leadership, coaching, culture but also just having really good players and depth is big,” Avs center Jack Drury said. “Those are all well-coached teams. I think that helps a lot.”

    Vegas has teetered a bit without Eichel, though. He’s missed the past four games, which includes losses to New Jersey, Calgary and Edmonton. Mitch Marner, the marquee offseason addition for any NHL team, has spent some time at center with both Eichel and William Karlsson out of the lineup.

    Corey Masisak

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  • How Scott Wedgewood’s goalie pad color helped preserve shutout as Avs surge into holiday break

    Enough with green and red. Navy blue is the newest festive color this holiday season in Colorado.

    It might’ve even helped the Avalanche preserve its home winning streak.

    If goaltender Scott Wedgewood wasn’t dressed in dark pads to match his glove, the direction of his shutout bid Tuesday could’ve feasibly changed course. Instead, a dramatic and precarious second-period save held up to replay review, and the Avs went into their holiday break with a 1-0 win over the Utah Mammoth and a five-point cushion in the President’s Trophy race.

    “There’s only one thing you can win in the regular season, and it’s not your main goal,” Wedgewood said, “but with how hard this league is and how hard it is to win, if you can get yourself in the top seed, home ice, every advantage counts.”

    Wedgewood notched his second shutout of the year and his first with 30 or more saves (32). He faced several high-danger scoring chances from the short-handed Mammoth, none more nail-biting than a glove save with 4:45 remaining in the second period in which he was fighting against Clayton Keller’s breakaway and his own backward momentum.

    The Avs had the lead by then, courtesy of a Sam Girard backhander. Wedgewood was sliding into his net as he corralled Keller’s rebound attempt. “Where I caught it, I knew I was close and felt the post,” he said, “and it was just kind of my body weight sliding back. And I had to push my hand forward. It was a little unorthodox.”

    Ruled no goal on the ice, the play went to review — a mechanism still hindered by the NHL’s lack of puck-tracking technology that might discern more definitively whether one crossed the line. In this case, the burden of proof favored Colorado. The most decisive camera angle of the play was from above. Therein lied the problem: Looking down on it, everything blended in. The puck, the trapper, the goalie pads.

    If the glove is blue, you mustn’t disprove.

    “That color helps for sure. Because there’s a good chance that pick was in,” Avs coach Jared Bednar admitted. “But the thing is, you’ve gotta be able to see it in, right? And you need the overhead cam to do that. And it’s pretty hard to see it in if it’s in his glove, unless his whole glove crosses (the goal line) and goes in. So I was pretty confident that it wasn’t gonna count, just because you have to have definitive proof that it crossed the line, and I just think it’s very hard to get that — especially with the dark glove, dark puck.”

    Consider it a stroke of serendipity for a team — and a goalie — that has probably earned it. For the Avalanche (27-2-7), that was the theme of the NHL’s last night of action before the break. Dallas and Minnesota lost in overtime, allowing the Avs to distance themselves from both by another point in the loaded central division.

    They’re the only team to have reached 61 points before Christmas since the league instituted a holiday break in 1972-73. They’re the second-fastest team ever to 60, behind the 1929-30 Bruins. Their goal differential is 27 better than any other team. They’ve won six consecutive games and 13 straight at home. A three-day break is merited.

    “We’ve been able to stay healthy here, first half of the year,” team captain Gabe Landeskog said. “We’ve had some great individual performances, but it also feels like there are different guys stepping up every single night, and that’s what we need.”

    Wedgewood has been one to step up with remarkable consistency. If Christmas marks the unofficial halfway point of the season, then he culminated his first half with a fitting gem of a game, carrying his skaters on a rare night when the Avalanche offense didn’t look so high-powered. Utah kept the game tight in the neutral zone.

    This was only the second time through 36 games that Colorado didn’t score multiple goals. Both have been 1-0 wins — Wedgewood’s only two shutouts so far.

    Bennett Durando

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  • Nuggets’ Bruce Brown, Rockets’ Kevin Durant are former teammates. Now they have beef.

    Bruce Brown and Kevin Durant probably won’t be sending each other Christmas cards.

    They played together in Brooklyn for two years. They competed against each other in a playoff series in 2023, when the Nuggets eliminated the Suns in six games. Their relationship as former teammates has “been cool,” according to Brown. Until Dec. 20, 2025.

    “I think it’s been cut slow now, after tonight,” Brown said Saturday. “Some words were said that’s a little disrespectful. I can’t wait to see him next time.”

    After verbally sparring throughout a chippy NBA game — the Nuggets lost 115-101 to Durant’s Houston Rockets — they continued to throw jabs in their postgame interviews.

    Brown told reporters that on separate occasions, Durant said something to him and to another Nuggets player that crossed a line.

    “As a man,” Brown said, “there’s certain things you don’t say to another man.”

    Durant agrees.

    “I definitely wanted to cross the line tonight,” the two-time NBA Finals MVP said, smiling. “That’s basketball. That’s in between the lines. Ain’t no respect. Ain’t no love. Nothing. People don’t show love to me. They cross the line a lot with their physicality. It’s just part of the game. Some people can talk and play. Some people can’t. I had to learn how to talk and play as a player. So I think Bruce is probably learning the same thing.”

    Denver Nuggets guard/forward Bruce Brown (11) and Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) get chippy during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Ball Arena in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

    With 2:40 to go in the third quarter of a tight game between Western Conference title contenders, Brown grabbed an offensive rebound and made a floater. It cut Houston’s lead to 69-62 and prompted a timeout from Rockets coach Ime Udoka.

    Brown immediately located Durant, who wasn’t involved in the play, and stared him down.

    Both players declined to share the specifics of what Durant had said that offended Brown, but the Nuggets wing claimed Durant’s offensive comments had been ongoing “before and after” that moment.

    “He said it before to someone else, and then he said it to me,” Brown said.

    “Nothing that should be told to the media,” Durant added. “He knows. He understood. I understood. We know what that is. We don’t need to tell you about it.”

    The Rockets pulled away for a 16-point lead by the end of the third quarter. Durant amassed 31 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win, shooting the 3-pointer at a 5-for-6 clip. Brown compiled 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Denver.

    “We’re coming in here and playing a championship organization with arguably, in my opinion, one of the top 10 players, five players that I’ve ever seen play basketball, you know?” Durant said, referring to Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. “That’s how much respect I’ve got for these dudes, that I want to get up and bring that energy. Bring that fight. It might go across the line. But that’s basketball sometimes. So Bruce will be all right.”

    Durant continued to relish his role as the antagonist throughout the fourth quarter at Ball Arena. He and Tim Hardaway Jr. picked up matching technical fouls after Durant buried a three over the Nuggets guard. A few minutes later, Durant taunted Nuggets coach David Adelman when Adelman was ejected for arguing with the referees.

    Then with about six minutes remaining, the eighth-leading scorer in NBA history made another 3-pointer, this time over Jamal Murray. It gave Houston a 98-81 lead. Durant pointed an imaginary gun in the direction of Murray and the crowd then danced down the court.

    Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates a three-pointer during a 115-101 win over the Denver Nuggets during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Ball Arena in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)
    Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates a three-pointer during a 115-101 win over the Denver Nuggets during the second half on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at Ball Arena in Denver. (Photo by Timothy Hurst/The Denver Post)

    “Somebody in the crowd was talking crazy to me right before that,” he said. “So everybody enjoyed it. People in the stands enjoyed the game. Bruce and Tim Hardaway probably didn’t enjoy it. But I enjoy when we go back and forth. That’s basketball, you know what I’m saying? A lot of people say that’s missing from the game. When I do it, it’s a problem. But it was a fun game. Glad we got the win. I’m not celebrating like it’s the championship, but we lost two in a row (before Saturday). We wanted to win tonight.”

    Adelman said he had no issue with how Durant made fun of him after the ejection. Jokic also weighed in on the chirping.

    “They can do whatever,” he said. “I think some people like to do that. Some people don’t care. I think some people get their energy from that. So I’m OK. I don’t care.”

    Durant has long held deep admiration for Jokic, but he also bickered with Nuggets fans on social media for being too devoted to him during the 2024 Paris Olympics. People from Denver who were rooting for Jokic’s Serbian national team to beat Team USA in the semifinals of the basketball competition, Durant asserted, were “lame.” No basketball player in history has won as many Olympic gold medals as Durant, who has four.

    “A lot of people may disagree with me right now, but I feel like (Jokic and I) have a similar mentality with how we approach the work, just the game itself,” he said Saturday, smirking as if he recognized the comparison might irritate Nuggets fans. “And I can sense that from afar. So I always have respect for him. … But when we’re playing against each other, once again, we might cross the line.

    “So if that offends you, that’s on you. Next game, I’m sure Bruce will be better from that. But I crossed the line tonight.”

    When they were Brooklyn Nets teammates in 2022, Durant got annoyed at an unfiltered comment Brown made to the media about the Boston Celtics, saying that Brown’s blunt criticism gave Boston bulletin board material in a playoff series between the two teams. Brooklyn got swept.

    Durant has since been traded twice, going to Phoenix and now Houston. Brown, who won an NBA championship in Denver, reunited with the Nuggets last offseason after two years away.

    The Nuggets prevailed in overtime when they hosted Houston last Monday in another emotionally charged game, adding to the tension surrounding the Saturday rematch. Udoka was fined $25,000 by the NBA for his postgame comments about the refs after Monday’s contest, while Adelman also felt the whistle had disadvantaged his team. Jokic and backup big man Jonas Valanciunas both fouled out in the eventual win, leaving Adelman without a center at the end of overtime.

    Denver still leads the season series 2-1 after the loss on Saturday. One more regular-season meeting remains on the schedule, but it’s not until March 11, 2026.

    Bennett Durando

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  • As Jared Bednar tries new line combos, Avalanche keeps winning

    This edition of the Colorado Avalanche has been so consistently good that Jared Bednar, often a tinkerer when he’s looking for a spark, hasn’t needed to turn the line blender on very often.

    After starting 31 consecutive games with the same top line, the Avs’ top trio had a new look Saturday night in a 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators. Well, new to start a game, anyway.

    Bednar moved rookie Gavin Brindley to the top line in the middle of the previous game, a 6-2 thumping of the Florida Panthers. Brindley started a game there for the first time, bumping Martin Necas down to the third line.

    “Awesome,” Brindley said. “Playing with the best, if not one of the best players in the world. Pretty damn cool. I never thought that would come to fruition. Yeah, really cool.”

    NHL’s rash of overtime games needs a solution: Three-point games

    Bednar’s rationale was pretty simple: He liked how Brindley played with Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen the game before, and wanted to see it again. Part of the reason for the switch Thursday against the Panthers was Necas has been playing through an illness, and didn’t love how he was playing.

    It says something about how this season is going for the Avs that Necas still set up a goal and scored one, albeit one that was taken off the board because of an offsides challenge, against Florida.

    There are still 50 games left in this season, but the Avs have steamrolled their way to the top of the NHL standings. They have 53 points in 32 games, which is tied for the third-most in league history at this point.

    Bednar’s philosophy on building lines has a couple of core ideas. If he finds a line he really likes, he will stick with it for long stretches, and will likely to go back to at some point in the future. But, he also likes to tinker, and often says he wants every player to play with everyone over the course of a regular season.

    “It’s definitely a bonus,” MacKinnon said of the flexibility. “We might need different combos eventually. I think it’s good to switch things up sometimes. I thought all four lines played pretty good (Saturday night).”

    The past couple of Avalanche teams have given him good reason to shake up his lineup, either with slow starts to the season or in-season funks. The closet thing this group has had to an adverse stretch was a four-game losing streak that still involved collecting three points (0-1-3).

    So, after 30 overwhelmingly successful games, Bednar did a little tinkering. Brindley’s return to the lineup against Florida led to a few new looks. Ross Colton moved to the middle for the first time all season, centering the third line. Brindley slotted in next to him, playing with the third line for the first time.

    Jack Drury moved down to the fourth line, with Parker Kelly and Joel Kiviranta. A trio of Drury, Kelly and Logan O’Connor became of Bednar’s favorite lines last season, and they had an excellent playoff series against the Dallas Stars.

    Roster construction and O’Connor’s injuries has kept that line apart this year, but Bednar has said they will play together again at some point. And Kiviranta is a pretty similar player to O’Connor.

    Grading The Week: Avalanche need to avoid first-round dogfight vs. Dallas, Quinn Hughes in Stanley Cup Playoffs

    Drury took the demotion in stride against Florida, and then scored Colorado’s second goal against Nashville.

    “It’s easy. It’s part of being a pro,” Drury said before the Nashville game. “I’ve said this before, but there are so many good players (here), it doesn’t really matter who you are going out with. Any forward you go out with is going to be able to make plays and be smart. It’s easy.”

    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon, Brent Burns share passion for training, off-ice work: ‘I’ve already learned a lot from him’

    Nearly two years ago, Jared Bednar offered four words that summarized Nathan MacKinnon’s rise to the top of the NHL en route to his first Hart Trophy: We get in late.

    Bednar’s team altered its travel itinerary to accommodate MacKinnon’s postgame recovery routine, which several of his Colorado Avalanche teammates also partake in. It’s just part of the near mythological tale of MacKinnon’s off-ice commitment to on-ice excellence.

    Brent Burns has cultivated a similar reputation across more than two decades in the NHL. His passion for off-ice training and taking care of his body is a big part of why he has played more than 1,500 NHL games and will have a plaque inside the Great Hall at the Hockey Hall of Fame three years after he’s done playing.

    This is his first season with the Avalanche, and he’s offered an addendum to the lore of MacKinnon and his teammates’ zeal for the work they put in during the season: They get in early.

    Burns has mentioned this a few times. He’s always prided himself on being one of the first guys at the rink every morning, going back to his days with Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks. Then he signed with the Avs, and he started seeing a bunch of cars when he pulled into the Family Sports Center parking lot.

    “That’s been a huge blessing for me coming here,” Burns said. “There’s so many guys here that are so dedicated to it.”

    There were plenty of reasons to believe Burns and the Avalanche could be a good fit when he signed a one-year, incentive-laden deal on July 1. One of the most obvious: Burns is a workout warrior, a guy who has always been a leader in that aspect for every team he’s played for.

    The idea of MacKinnon and Burns being on the same team conjured up images of the scene from Step Brothers, when Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) asks Dale Doback (John C. Reilly), “Did we just become best friends?”

    While MacKinnon and Burns haven’t done any karate together in the garage, Burns has enjoyed getting a behind-the-scenes look at what helps make MacKinnon one of the best players of his generation.

    “Nate is very well known for a lot of his things and (expletive), I’ve already learned a lot from him,” Burns said. “We talk quite a bit about it. I love picking his brain.

    “This stuff changes all the time, and Nate is obviously at the tip of the spear for all of it. It’s been awesome. I love that he loves to share and lets other guys know. That’s a really great thing. A lot of us can learn a lot from a guy like that.”

    Corey Masisak

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  • Can you handle the Recyclaw? Ball Arena fans encouraged to recycle aluminum for a chance to win game-day gear

    DENVER — While it may be game on for the Nuggets or Avalanche, fans also have a chance to compete inside Ball Arena through the Recyclaw. It’s similar to an old school arcade game, but instead of accepting tokens to play the claw, fans instead need to recycle their aluminum cups or cans.

    Michael Kelley, director of strategic partnerships for Ball Corporation, explained that they are trying to show fans the changes they can make to their daily lives to have a greater impact on the Earth. Kelley explained having the Recyclaw inside Ball Arena helps show people recycling is a good thing.

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    “It’s capturing the fun and the inherent childlike quality of the game itself, but then the fun that we want to have,” Kelley said. “What we’ve learned is a lot of people want to make the right choice, they just don’t know how. So this is making it really easy to personify, here’s how you do it, what it can mean, and it’s just a fun way to do it.”

    This year marks the third season of the Recyclaw, where fans have quickly gravitated toward the game as it is filled with merchandise ranging from fanny packs and hats to signed jerseys. Kelley said about 24,000 people have played since it started attracting fans of all ages.

    aluminum cup at Ball Arena.jpg

    Maggy Wolanske

    “Kids love the Recyclaw, so I guess the best part is that we didn’t really we didn’t count on is how it spoke to the children, but it also spoke to the child in the adult,” Kelley said. “Right, it speaks to all of us, and it takes us back to a time when we were just hopeful to win something, excited to play.”

    Like moths to a lantern, it did not take long for a line to form with fans eager to play the Recyclaw. Meredith McClanahan, vice president of marketing for the Colorado Avalanche, said fans have been engaged in creating a sustainable environment in our state.

    “We’re all about fun, but we’re also about competition, so you can compete against yourself in the Recyclaw and then go back to the standings and cheer on our boys,” McClanahan said.

    playing the recyclaw.jpg

    Maggy Wolanske

    The concept behind the claw is simple, but not everyone lucks out on bringing something back to the stands. Michael Riedy with Team Aluminum was talking to fans about recycling efforts and encouraging them to go big for the signed jersey.

    “Oh, yeah, I’ve seen the strategies. It’s kind of a secret, but the last guy, he grabbed it by the end, and he picked it up, dropped it right in the box and won the jersey,” Riedy said.

    recycling at Ball Arena.jpg

    Maggy Wolanske

    While some fans are first-timers at the claw, others are Recyclaw regulars, including Eli Esperz, who was trying to earn some more merchandise. While playing, he did score some swag and earned an Avalanche beanie.

    For other fans like Stefani Higdon, she believed there was some strategy behind the claw.

    She said, “I think if you go over there, kind of group together, and you kind of just go for it, you’re bound to get something.”

    kids with the recyclaw .jpg

    Maggy Wolanske

    Whether you take home gear or not, the overall concept behind the Recyclaw is a win-win for Mother Nature.

    “The whole idea of what we do here is to take that energy in the arena and take it outside so that you can learn how to recycle and do small initiatives to make the world a better place,” Kelley said.

    Besides the Recyclaw, Aluminum Assists is another way fans can be part of the solution with sustainability efforts. This is a season-long tournament between Nuggets and Avs fans to see who is more eco-friendly. Fans can compete in challenges and earn prizes like lower-level tickets, swag bags, and more.

    Denver7 | Your Voice: Get in touch with Maggy Wolanske

    Denver7’s Maggy Wolanske is a multimedia journalist who covers topics that have an impact across Colorado, but specializes in reporting on climate and environment, as well as stories impacting animals and wildlife. If you’d like to get in touch with Maggy, fill out the form below to send her an email.

    Maggy Wolanske

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