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Tag: Cale Makar

  • Renck: This was no miracle — only prideful Americans who ‘are best in the world’

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    The face of American hockey has a bloody lip, missing teeth and disheveled hair.

    Jack Hughes represents the best of us. Grit, toughness, pride, the willingness to sacrifice for others, no matter how messy or irrational.

    Forty-six years to the day of The Miracle on Ice, the Americans transformed hockey into a three-hour anthem in Italy.

    No politics, no posturing, no whining, just winning.

    U-S-A! 2, Canada 1.

    Former captain Mike Mike Eruzione was right. This was their team. This was their time. We will never forget 1980. But we no longer have to live in the past. Or have a Netflix account.

    The golden glow is back, returned by a spirited group of muckers, grinders and a breathtaking goalie.

    “It’s all about our country. I love the USA. I love my teammates. I am so proud of the Americans today. Unbelievable game by (Connor) Hellebuyck. He was our best player by a mile,” Hughes said on the NBC broadcast. “The USA Hockey brotherhood means so much. We are such a team. The brotherhood is so strong.”

    The Americans followed a script that creates goosebumps.

    They were underdogs, facing a Canadian team that boasted a battery of future Hall of Famers, including the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

    Their roster was questioned, built in the image of Ford rather than Ferrari. Team USA general manager Bill Guerin wanted brawn and size, preferring players capable of preventing Canadian goals more than scoring them.

    They were inspired, hanging the No 13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau in their locker room. Johnny and his brother Matthew were killed by a drunk driver in 2024. The Gaudreau family traveled to Milan on Friday and watched from the stands at Santagiulia Arena, eyes watering as former NHL teammates honored his memory.

    United States players pose for pictures with the jersey of the late Johnny Gaudreau (13) with his daughter Noa and son Johnny after their win over Canada in the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    We all agree the Canadians probably beat the Americans in a best-of-seven series. But in one game, with all the pressure on the opponent, the U.S. relied on togetherness, leaned on chemistry built in the 4 Nations Face-Off.

    It is the beauty of the sport. The numbers can be lopsided. But it only takes one shift, one shot to change the outcome.

    It came at the 1:41 mark of overtime. In the required 3-on-3 format — a game like this deserved an even strength ending — Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski and delivered the golden goal, sneaking it past Jordan Binnington.

    I screamed at the TV as many did across the country at breakfast watch parties. It was a primal outburst of appreciation and admiration.

    Canada had won every Olympics featuring NHL players. Their best was always better than everyone else. In 2010 in Vancouver, in 2014 in Sochi and at the 4 Nations last year.

    And they were the best team on the ice for two periods, even without injured captain Sidney Crosby.

    But they were playing with no elasticity, with the weight of a country that views hockey gold like the United States views Olympic basketball championships — as a birthright.

    The Americans’ plan was simple, if not unrealistic. Get ahead early, and survive the onslaught.

    Matt Boldy scored six minutes in. In a frenetic pace that even hardened commentators had never seen, Boldy chased down a bouncing puck and knifed between the Avs’ Makar and Devon Toews to score. It was the type of goal you see to win games, not start them, a testament to the magnitude of the matchup.

    United States' Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States’ Matt Boldy (12) scores against Canada goalkeeper Jordan Binnington (50) during the first period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    How did he keep it on his stick and find the back of the net?

    “I don’t know,” Boldy admitted.

    The final two periods also defied explanation.

    The Canadians tilted the ice, and took aim at Hellebuyck. They outshot the Americans 33-18 over the last 40 minutes in regulation. Only one squirted through, Makar’s laser from top of the right faceoff circle.

    MacKinnon had chances, his rockets stoned or too wide. Connor McDavid raced free midway through the second period, failed to shift down and managed only a nudge into Hellebuyck’s pads. Macklin Celebrini, the future of the NHL, was left wanting on a breakaway.

    But the one everyone will be talking about forever was Hellebuyck’s denial of Toews.All alone just outside the crease, Toews had the puck with an open net. He swatted it and somehow a falling, bending, twitching Hellebuyck raised his stick for the deflection.

    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada's Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men's ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
    United States goalkeeper Connor Hellebuyck (37) uses his stick to block a shot by Canada’s Devon Toews (7) during the third period of the men’s ice hockey gold medal game at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

    This is when momentum became a movement. The Americans understood it. Hellebuyck was holding onto the rope. He needed someone, anyone, to tug with him.

    Hughes, 24, arrived straight out of central casting.

    He was a former No. 1 overall pick, who spent the early part of his career burdened by expectations. He has only reached the playoffs once with the New Jersey Devils.

    But he was from a family of patriots.

    His brother Quinn scored the overtime winner when USA defeated Sweden in the quarterfinals. Their mother Ellen Weinberg-Hughes worked as a consultant for the women’s gold medal team.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Lehkonen scores 2 goals and MacKinnon reaches 700 assists as Avalanche sink Sharks, 4-2

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    DENVER (AP) — Josh Manson scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in their final game before the Olympic break Wednesday night.

    Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists for Colorado to reach another career milestone.

    MacKinnon joined Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history with 700 assists. Sakic, the team president, finished his career with 1,016.

    Brock Nelson scored an empty-net goal, Valeri Nichushkin had three assists and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots for the Avalanche.

    Timothy Liljegren and Philippe Kurashev scored 2:51 apart early in the third to tie it for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves, but San Jose enters the three-week break on a four-game skid.

    Manson broke the tie when his one-timer from the point got by a screened Askarov at 12:44. Askarov later went off for an extra skater, and Nelson scored his 29th goal at 18:43.

    Colorado has stumbled since starting the season with just two regulation losses through the first 39 games. The Avs had gone 5-7-2 since Jan. 4 before beating San Jose and had their 11-point lead over Minnesota in the Central Division reduced to five.

    Colorado, which has played three fewer games than the Wild, has 83 points heading into the Olympic break.

    Lehkonen, who will play for Finland in Italy, gave the Avs a 1-0 lead early in the second after a battle in San Jose’s crease. The goal was upheld upon review, but his second and 19th of the season was a clean wrister from the right circle on MacKinnon’s 700th assist.

    Liljegren scored his first goal of the season 43 seconds into the third period and Kurashev tied it at 3:34 when he scored his seventh.

    Up next

    Sharks: Host the Calgary Flames on Feb. 26.

    Avalanche: Host the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 26.

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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    The Associated Press

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  • Josh Manson has 2 goals, 2 assists and a fight as Avalanche rout Senators 8-2

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    DENVER (AP) — Defenseman Josh Manson had two goals, two assists and a fight as the Colorado Avalanche beat Ottawa 8-2 on Thursday night for their seventh straight victory over the Senators.

    Brock Nelson added two goals, and Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas and Brent Burns also scored for the Avalanche to open a seven-game homestand. The Avalanche are 18-0-2 at Ball Arena this season.

    Colorado tied a franchise record for goals in a period with six in the second. The last time Colorado scored that many during a period was Nov. 7, 2019, against Nashville in the second.

    The game turned chippy in the third, with Ottawa’s Nick Cousins and Ridly Greig drawing misconduct penalties.

    Manson got into a first-period fight with defenseman Tyler Kleven and moments after getting out of the penalty box scored the first goal of the game. He had an assist on Makar’s goal in the second period to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick. It was Manson’s first career two-goal game.

    Scott Wedgewood finished with 29 saves to help the Avalanche snap a two-game slide.

    Shane Pinto and Brady Tkachuk scored for a Senators team that lost 3-1 in Utah the night before.

    The momentum swung when Ottawa appeared to make it a one-goal game in the second only to have the goal negated after Colorado successfully challenged for offside.

    Starting Ottawa goaltender Leevi Merilainen was pulled early in the second after giving up his third goal. Backup Mads Sogaard surrendered five goals before Merilainen returned to the net for the third.

    MacKinnon had a goal and three assists. It was his 312th multi-point game, trailing only Peter Stastny (313) and Joe Sakic (473) for most in franchise history.

    Up next

    Senators: Host Florida on Saturday night.

    Avalanche: Host Columbus on Saturday.
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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

    Coloradans making a difference | Denver7 featured videos

    Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what’s right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.

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    The Associated Press

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  • Colorado Sports Hall of Fame tabs Avalanche star Cale Makar as Pro Athlete of the Year

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    On the fast-track to another Norris Trophy, Cale Makar received another distinction on Tuesday for his body of work in 2025.

    The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame named Makar its Pro Athlete of the Year after the Avalanche star defenseman became only the fourth player in the 21st century to win at least two Norris Trophies. Makar also finished sixth in voting for the Hart Trophy, the NHL MVP, in 2024-25 while leading the league’s defensemen with 30 goals and 92 points.

    In addition to Makar’s selection, the Hall also announced honors for five other individuals on Tuesday who will be recognized alongside the six-member Hall of Fame class at the banquet in April.

    Regis University catcher Adam Paniagua and CSU Pueblo shot putter Katherine Higgins were named College Athletes of the Year, Legend softball/flag football star Lucy Thompson and Montrose running back Elijah Womack are the High School Athletes of the Year, and Ri Armstrong earned the Athlete with Disabilities Award.

    Paniagua hit .448 with 27 homers, 100 RBIs and a .970 slugging percentage, leading Division II in the latter two categories to earn first-team All-American honors. He was a catalyst behind Regis’ program-record 35 victories in 2025. Higgins won the Division II women’s shot put national title.

    Thompson was a two-sport star last fall for Legend, helping the Titans to state runner-up finishes in both softball and flag football. The shortstop is committed to Nebraska, and on the gridiron, she led the state with 1,970 receiving yards while racking up 32 TDs. Womack was also a force, with 2,157 yards rushing and 33 TDs a year after posting a state-best 2,285 rushing yards while helping Montrose to deep playoff runs both seasons.

    Armstrong, who competed in slalom and giant slalom in the Paralympics in 1980 and ’84, has been a volunteer for the National Sports Center for the Disabled for the last 38 years as one of the organization’s most influential instructors.

    Last year, the Hall named a trio of Colorado stars as Pro Athlete of the Year: the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic (2023-24 NBA MVP), the Broncos’ Pat Surtain II (2024 NFL Defensive Player of the Year) and the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon (2023-24 NHL MVP).

    The Hall’s 61st annual awards banquet and Hall of Fame induction is April 16 at the Hilton Denver City Center. Tickets are $250 each and sponsor tables start at $3,000.

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    Kyle Newman

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

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    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.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • Avalanche center Brock Nelson named to United States Olympic team

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    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%.

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    Corey Masisak

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  • MacKinnon scores 400th goal and Nichushkin nets hat trick as Avalanche rout Blues 6-1

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    DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including his 400th career goal, and Valeri Nichushkin netted his second NHL hat trick as the Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 6-1 on Wednesday night for their ninth straight win.

    MacKinnon became the third player in franchise history to reach 400 goals and first to score them all for the Avalanche. Joe Sakic had 625 goals, the first 233 coming with the Quebec Nordiques before the team moved to Colorado. Michel Goulet is second in club history with 456, all for Quebec.

    MacKinnon, who added two assists, leads the NHL with 34 goals. His 70 points were tied with Edmonton star Connor McDavid for most in the league.

    Nichushkin scored twice during a four-goal barrage in the first 4:39 of the game and finished with three goals. Brock Nelson scored later on a power play for Colorado, and Mackenzie Blackwood turned away 12 shots.

    Colorado has won 15 straight at home, where it is 17-0-2, and has just two regulation losses (30-2-7) this season. The Avalanche’s 69 points tied the 1929-30 Boston Bruins for the most through 39 games.

    Jordan Binnington allowed four goals on the first eight shots he faced and finished with 37 saves. Dalibor Dvorsky scored for St. Louis, which has dropped two straight. The Blues’ 13 shots on goal were a season low.

    Nichushkin made it 1-0 a minute in, and MacKinnon scored his first of the game at 3:13. Nichushkin got his second of the night 13 seconds later, and MacKinnon’s slap shot 1:13 after that capped the early scoring.

    It was the fastest four goals to start a game in franchise history and third in NHL history.

    Nelson, who got his 300th career assist on Nichushkin’s first goal, scored midway through the game. Nichushkin scored 1:34 after Dvorsky spoiled Blackwood’s shutout bid with his sixth of the season.

    Up next

    Blues: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

    Avalanche: At the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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    By Michael Kelly, Associated Press

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  • Brock Nelson has 4 points as surging Avs beat Canadiens 7-2

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    DENVER (AP) — Brock Nelson had two goals and two assists to reach 600 points for his career, Gabriel Landeskog also scored twice, and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 7-2 on Saturday.

    Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists for Colorado to extend his NHL goals lead to 20 and his points lead to 44.

    Colorado, which had its 10-game winning streak snapped with a shootout loss at Minnesota on Friday, has a 16-game point streak (13-0-3). The Avalanche have won eight in a row at home and have just one regulation loss in 25 games (18-1-6).

    Brent Burns and Devon Toews also had goals for Colorado.

    Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson scored for Montreal, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.

    Nelson got his milestone point when he beat Jakub Dobes with a wrister 7:32 into the game. He assisted on Landeskog’s first goal and Burns’ goal 50 seconds into the second before making it 4-0 at 3:55 of the second period.

    Mackenzie Blackwood made 21 saves but fell short of his bid for a third consecutive shutout when Demidov scored at 8:27 of the second period. That ended a shutout streak of 174 minutes, 31 seconds.

    Blackwood made several great saves early, including one with his left pad to deny Josh Anderson midway through the first period.

    Dobes stopped 29 shots.

    Nelson was initially awarded Colorado’s second goal but it was later given to Landeskog, who was upended by Anderson as they battled in the crease.

    The Canadiens challenged for goaltender interference but it was ruled that Anderson’s actions caused the interference.

    Colorado donned blue Quebec jerseys to commemorate the Nordiques’ Adams Division rivalry with Montreal. The Avalanche are celebrating their 30th season since relocating from Quebec to Denver.

    Up next

    Canadiens: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night.

    Avalanche: Host Vancouver on Tuesday night.

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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    The Associated Press

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  • Avalanche win 10th straight, shut out Sharks 6-0

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    DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 18th goal, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 26 shots he faced and the red-hot Colorado Avalanche rolled past the San Jose Sharks 6-0 on Wednesday night for their 10th consecutive victory.

    The Avalanche’s win streak is the longest by an NHL team this season and is tied for the second-longest in franchise history. They also extended their point streak to an NHL-high 14 games, with a 12-0-2 record in that time.

    Artturi Lehkonen, Ross Colton, Sam Malinski, Josh Manson and Joel Kiviranta also scored for Colorado, which had three goals in 76 seconds in the second period to stretch its lead to 5-0.

    The Avalanche recorded a shutout for the third-consecutive game, the first time they’ve done so since the 2001-02 season. They’ve gone 189 minutes and 17 seconds without allowing a goal. It was the second shutout in as many starts for Blackwood, who had given up 10 goals in his previous three appearances this season.

    MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Martin Necas were among the nine Colorado players with an assist. Makar’s assist was his 21st of the season, the second-most in the NHL.

    The Sharks were the last team the Avalanche had failed to beat, losing 3-2 in overtime against San Jose on Nov. 1.

    Yaroslav Askarov was pulled from the game in the second period after giving up four goals on 19 shots. Nine seconds later, his replacement, Alex Nedeljkovic, allowed a goal on the first shot he faced.

    In the shutout loss, Macklin Celebrini’s five-game point streak was snapped.

    Up next

    Avalanche: At Minnesota on Friday.

    Sharks: Host Vancouver on Friday.

    ___

    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

    Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | November 27, 5am

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    The Associated Press

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  • Avs betting Gavin Brindley, fresh off two-year extension, isn’t close to reaching his ceiling

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    On Sunday in Vancouver, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar showed his faith in Gavin Brindley.

    On Tuesday in Denver, the Colorado front office followed suit.

    Two days after Bednar moved the fourth-line forward to the first line in the third period and then sent him back onto the ice for overtime, resulting in Brindley’s first career game-winning goal, the Avs announced they signed Brindley to a two-year extension.

    That extension, which carries an average annual value of $875,000 and runs through the 2027-28 season, is evidence that Colorado believes the 21-year-old can emerge as a fixture in the offense over the next three years.

    “I think he can be a (first- or second-line) forward in this league,” Bednar said. “He plays bigger than his size, the motor, the relentlessness, the skill level and the brain to go with it is all there. His (ceiling) is really high. He’s being used in that (fourth-line) role because there’s guys I trust higher in the lineup, and who have played those roles before.

    “… (What he did in Vancouver), that’s repeatable from him. We’ll keep trying to move him up when he’s really going, or when other guys are struggling. If not, he just makes our team deeper and more dangerous offensively when he’s playing in the bottom six (forwards).”

    Considering where Brindley’s stock was just five months ago when the Avs traded for him, Tuesday’s announcement speaks to the strong impression he’s made in his short time in Colorado.

    The Avs sent forwards Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to the Blue Jackets on June 27 in a cap-clearing move, and got Brindley and two draft picks in return. Taken No. 34 overall by Columbus in 2023, Brindley was coming off a poor debut in his first full professional season for the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. In 52 games, he tallied 17 points, including only six goals.

    That made him expendable in a trade that Brindley says “definitely put a chip on my shoulder.”

    “Coming off last year, not the best year for myself, I just got back to my game and got back to what I know works,” Brindley said. “I had a lot of different emotions after the trade. There’s positives and negatives to getting traded that young, but (in retrospect), it’s good to go through it early, experience that, experience the downs of last year, learn from it and get better and grow.”

    Brindley said extension talks between his agent and the Avs heated up over the last few weeks and came to a head on Monday. In 14 games entering Tuesday night’s showdown with Anaheim, Brindley had five points (three goals, two assists) while becoming a lineup regular. That’s in stark contrast to the previous two years, when he barely got a cup of coffee with Columbus (one game in 2023-24) in the NHL.

    Parker Kelly, who plays on the fourth line with Brindley, noted that Brindley “has done a great job of coming in and picking up what we’ve built here.”

    “Gavin’s been making plays and obviously we saw him get onto the top line (in Vancouver) and then he buries the game-winner in overtime,” Kelly said. “He was probably our best player throughout the majority of that game.

    “But where I’ve really seen his growth (on the fourth line) is his understanding of the game. … Sometimes he just needs to make the safe play, and he’s been doing a really good job of picking his spots, making plays when he can and being smart with the puck when he doesn’t have plays to make.”

    Brindley has also earned roles on both the penalty kill and the power play — he’s now on the second unit for the latter. That’s another indication of Bednar’s growing trust in the young forward, who would’ve entered restricted free agency this summer without an extension.

    “He’s a well-rounded player who is willing to learn and add to his toolbox to be able to get more minutes,” Bednar said.

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    Kyle Newman

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  • Nathan MacKinnon has 2 goals and 2 assists in the Avalanche’s 9-1 romp over the Oilers

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    EDMONTON, Alberta — Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists, Cale Makar, Parker Kelly and Jack Drury also scored twice and the Western Conference-leading Colorado Avalanche embarrassed the Edmonton Oilers 9-1 on Saturday night.

    Gavin Brindley also scored, Scott Wedgewood made 23 saves and Devon Toews had three assists. The Avalanche have earned at least a point in six straight games to improve to 9-1-5.

    Connor McDavid scored for Edmonton. The Oilers have dropped three straight to fall to 6-6-4.

    Stuart Skinner allowed four goals on 13 shots before being replaced by Calvin Pickard, who made 17 stops.

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  • Jarvis has short-hander, lone shootout score in Hurricanes’ 5-4 victory over Avalanche

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    DENVER (AP) — Seth Jarvis had a short-handed goal and led off the shootout with the only goal in the tiebreaker, helping the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on Thursday night.

    The old World Hockey Association rivals wore throwback uniforms, with the Avalanche dressed as the Quebec Nordiques, and the Hurricanes the Hartford Whalers.

    Frederik Andersen made 44 saves for Carolina, which was playing the fifth game of a six-game trip. Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho and Logan Stankoven also scored as the Hurricanes built a 4-1 lead.

    Valeri Nichushkin scored twice for Colorado, tying it at 4 on a power play with 5:11 left regulation. Parker Kelly and Martin Necas also scored.

    Up next

    Hurricanes: At Dallas on Saturday night.

    Avalanche: At Boston on Saturday.

    ___

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  • Avalanche Journal: Five thoughts on Colorado’s fast, drama-free start

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    Jared Bednar, an avid angler, likes to compare his hockey team over a long season to a boat.

    He sees it like this: The team builds its identity and what it wants to be over the first part of the season, and then there are aspects that just break during the grind of 82 games — kind of like a well-used fishing vessel. How quickly the club fixes the issues and regains its optimal performance is a big part of a successful campaign.

    The Colorado Avalanche left the dock with a major leak last season. Fixing the boat on the fly was an all-hands-on-deck situation, from the coaching staff to the front office.

    The start of the 2025-26 season has been a complete 180. The Avs were 4-0-1 heading into a Saturday night contest at Ball Arena with the Boston Bruins, and the one blemish might have been the best overall performance considering the foe.

    Colorado’s NHL team is relatively healthy, stable and off to a strong start. The Avs allowed eight goals in the season opener last year. They’ve allowed eight total in the first five contests.

    “Overall, a pretty good start, being able to win hockey games without really having played our best as a team,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “If you can figure out your game as a team while winning, and kind of go through some of those growing pains at the start of the season while racking up some points, I think that’s a positive thing.

    “And I think we are only scratching the surface.”

    Here are some observations from the first five-game segment of this Stanley Cup-or-bust season in Denver.

    1. Nathan MacKinnon is already in Hart Trophy finalist form

    Natural Stat Trick had MacKinnon on the ice for 17 scoring chances in Buffalo. He took 17 shifts in the game. The 2024 league MVP has been on the ice for 49 scoring chances at 5-on-5, which is tied for third among forwards. The two players ahead of him and the one who is even are all on the two-time defending champs, the Florida Panthers, who have also played an extra game.

    The Avs have outscored the opposition 7-0 at even strength with MacKinnon on the ice, 10-0 overall. Those are just some numbers in a small sample size.

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  • Valeri Nichushkin scores twice, Avalanche beat Blue Jackets 4-1 for fourth win of the season

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    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals, Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 on Thursday night to open the season on a five-game points streak.

    Nichushkin scored in the second period on a tip-in and added an empty-net goal with just under two minutes left to cap the Avalanche’s fourth win in five games (4-0-1) to open the season.

    Colorado’s Cale Makar scored in the second period to reach 434 points, third-most by a defenseman through 400 games in NHL history behind Bobby Orr (508) and Paul Coffey (475). The goal was Makar’s 118th, moving him ahead of George Boucher for fifth-most by a defenseman through 400 games.

    Brock Nelson also scored for Colorado.

    Columbus’ Ivan Provorov had a goal in his 700th career game and Elvis Merzļikins had 32 saves.

    Columbus signed Cam Atkinson to a one-day contract so he could retire with the team before the game and Provorov opened the scoring early in the second period, beating Wedgewood to the stick side on a wrist shot from the left circle.

    Makar tied it midway through the period, sending a wrist shot over Merzļikins’ shoulder from the left circle.

    Nelson scored his first of the season a little over a minute later, deflecting a shot by Brent Burns through Merzļikins’ pads. Burns became the second 40-year-old in Avalanche history with a point streak of at least three games, joining Ray Bourque (2000-01).

    Nichushkin made it 3-1 with four seconds left in the period, deflecting Sam Malinski’s shot from between the circles past Merzļikins. Nichushkin skated the puck into the goal for his second of the season after Columbus pulled Merzļikins.

    Up next

    Avalanche: Host Boston on Saturday night.

    Blue Jackets: Host Tampa Bay on Saturday night.

    ___

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  • Rantanen, Robertson score in shootout, Stars top Avs, 5-4 on Saturday night

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    DENVER (AP) — Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen scored shootout goals, Jake Oettinger stopped Nathan MacKinnon on Colorado’s final shot, and the Dallas Stars beat the Avalanche 5-4 on Saturday night.

    Oettinger had 35 saves through overtime and two more in the shootout for Dallas, which spoiled a milestone night for Brent Burns, who had an assist for his first point in a Colorado sweater.

    Burns became the eighth defenseman to play in 1,500 career games and he extended his ironman streak in the NHL at 928 games, the longest active one in the NHL and fourth longest in league history.

    Thomas Harley had a goal and an assist and Nathan Bastian and Robertson scored 3:03 apart in the second period to give Dallas a 3-2 lead.

    Rantanen helped eliminate his former team in Game 7 of the first round last spring with a third-period hat trick. He got the better of the Avalanche again, beating Scott Wedgewood for the deciding goal in the shootout.

    Wedgewood stopped 18 shots and one in the shootout.

    Saturday night had a playoff feel, with a fight, shoving matches and momentum swings throughout the night. Marty Necas and MacKinnon had a goal and two assists each for Colorado, but both were stopped by Oettinger in the shootout.

    Artturi Lehkonen tied it 3-all 34 seconds into the third but Wyatt Johnston answered with a breakaway goal 1:24 later.

    MacKinnon tied it with a power-play goal midway through the third period

    Gavin Brindley gave Colorado a 2-1 lead midway through the second period with his first career goal after Necas had answered Harley’s goal with his third of the season.

    Up next

    Stars: Host the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night in their home opener.

    Avalanche: On the road at the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.

    ___

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    Denver 7+ Colorado News Latest Headlines | October 13, 7am

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  • MacKinnon scores go-ahead goal early in 3rd, Avalanche beat Mammoth 2-1 in home opener

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    DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period on a power play, Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Utah Mammoth 2-1 on Thursday night.

    Ross Colton also scored for the Avalanche, who followed a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles on Tuesday with a successful home opener. Colorado is starting its 30th season since relocating from Quebec in 1995.

    Dylan Guenther scored for Utah in its first regular-season game as the Mammoth. Guenther had a team-high seven shots on goal, including a breakaway that Wedgewood stopped.

    Utah pulled goaltender Karel Vejmelka with more than a minute remaining but couldn’t score the tying goal. Vejmelka made 23 saves.

    MacKinnon took a pass from Cale Makar and lined a shot into the upper corner of the net with 17:08 remaining. The fast-skating MacKinnon led the NHL in home scoring last season with 68 points (21 goals, 47 assists).

    Guenther tied it at 1 with 2:12 remaining in the second period. He sent a shot from inside the blue line on a power play that tied up Wedgewood. Guenther led Utah with 12 power-play goals last season.

    A precision passing display by the Avalanche’s third line got them on the board in the first period. Victor Olofsson sent a pass across the ice to Jack Drury, who sent it back to Colton for the score.

    Defenseman Dmitri Simashev was one of five players who made their Mammoth debut Thursday. Simashev, the sixth overall pick in 2023, spent last season helping Lokomotiv Yaroslavl capture the KHL’s Gagarin Cup.

    Up next

    Mammoth: At Nashville on Saturday night.

    Avalanche: Host Dallas on Saturday night in a rematch of a first-round series last season the Stars won in seven games.

    ___

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  • Martin Necas scores 2 goals, and the Avalanche rout the Kings 4-1 in a dominant season opener

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Martin Necas scored two goals, Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to become the leading scorer in Avalanche history, and Colorado opened the regular season with a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday night.

    Sam Malinski and Artturi Lehkonen also scored during Colorado’s three-goal second period. Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves during a commanding performance by the Avalanche in their first game back from their disappointing first-round playoff exit to Dallas.

    Kevin Fiala scored a power-play goal with 4:53 left for the Kings, who matched the franchise records for victories and points last season before their fourth consecutive first-round playoff loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

    Darcy Kuemper stopped 19 shots for Los Angeles, which made only a few changes under new general manager Ken Holland — but the defense-first club looked slow during the Avs’ second period.

    Anze Kopitar began his 20th and final NHL season after the Los Angeles captain announced his impending retirement last month.

    Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog played in his first season opener since October 2021 and his first regular-season game since March 10, 2022. He missed the past three regular seasons due to multiple knee surgeries, only returning for the playoffs last April.

    MacKinnon’s first assist was his 1,016th point in 871 games, pushing him past Joe Sakic’s 1,015 points in 870 games for the Avalanche — although Sakic scored an additional 626 points before his Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver.

    This game was played exactly 30 years after the Avalanche visited the Forum in Inglewood for their first road game following relocation.

    Lehkonen made it 3-0 on a rebound after Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar made a stunning drive to the net. Necas added a power-play goal in the third.

    The Kings surprised their fans by wearing a previously unannounced third jersey for the game after warming up in their regular home sweaters. The new jersey is black and silver with the historic crown logo blown up into the main crest.

    Up next

    Avalanche: Host Mammoth on Thursday.

    Kings: At Golden Knights on Wednesday.

    ___

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  • Keeler: Avalanche roster hasn’t been this old since 2007. Will time, and Stanley Cup, finally be on GM Chris MacFarland’s side?

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    The Condor hung up his wings for good Monday. If Eric Johnson turning 37 makes you feel old, imagine how it makes him feel.

    “You snap your fingers and your career is over, and it’s so short in the big picture of your life,” Johnson, who patrolled the Avalanche’s blue line from 2011-2023 and then again for a smidge earlier this year, mused at Family Sports Center. “And it’s so short in the big picture of your life, that I just figured that, ‘Why not come to the rink every day like it’s the best day ever?’ I hope that rubbed off on people over time.”

    RELATED: Meet the 2025-26 Colorado Avalanche: A breakdown of the complete team roster

    Sure did. But seeing the affable EJ call time on a stellar run was also a reminder, and not a sunny one, that the Avs’ current core is creeping closer to the end of the movie than the beginning.

    Brent Burns isn’t the only greybeard in the building. Colorado, per EliteProspects.com, opens the 2025-26 season on late Tuesday in Los Angeles with the fourth-oldest roster in the NHL at an average age of 29.17 years. It’s the third-oldest in the Western Conference behind Winnipeg (30.17 years) and the Kings, their first-night sparring partner (29.74).

    The Avs’ roster as of Monday morning featured nine players 30 or older. It’s the first time a Colorado roster sported an average age over 29, according to the Elite Prospects database, since 2006-07. Joe Sakic was 38 then. That group totaled 95 points but missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Quebec City.

    Coach Jared Bednar is juggling a few katanas while the Sword of Damocles dangles over his head this season. But load management is among the trickiest, given the annual grind of the Western Conference and the usual stratospheric stakes.

    Push the guys in order to snatch home ice? Or ease things up with the marathon of 7-8 months in mind? When your captain’s still testing a new knee on the fly, there’s no easy answer.

    “I think Bedsy and the staff … are going to be smart, particularly with (Gabe) Landeskog, right?” Avs general manager Chris MacFarland replied Monday when I asked about the load. “We’re going to glean information on how (Gabe) does in back-to-backs, or three (games in four days), or four (in six days) and his practice schedule …  He’s a really important player. So I think we’ll just we’ll glean that information … and we’ll read and react off that.”

    For years, C-Mac’s Avs were young, to paraphrase noted philosopher Bob Seger, and they were strong, running against the wind. Only those winds blow even harder now, and they’re not so young anymore. Big Val Nichushkin turns 31 in March. Landeskog turns 33 in November. Brock Nelson turns 34 next month. Among the defense, Josh Manson turns 34 on Tuesday. Devon Toews turns 32 in February. Burns turns 41 in March.

    Time is no longer on Bednar’s side. At one point Monday, MacFarland even sounded reflective, if slightly defensive, about the expiration date on what should’ve been an NHL dynasty.

    “COVID hurt us,” MacFarland said. “There’s no ifs or buts about it. And then the uncertainty of Gabe’s situation and the unfortunate stuff with Val. But that stuff’s in the past.

    “I think our guys, what Bedsy and our players have done is, that they have a chance. I think the organization’s job is to try and give them as good a chance as possible, and their play dictates that. I think over the last seven, eight years, their play (has) consistently dictated that. Hopefully, it will continue to do so this year as well.”

    To his credit, MacFarland has been as dedicated to tweaking and shuffling the fringes of his roster as former Nuggets GM Calvin Booth was to sitting on his hands. Better to try and fail than to shrug, as Booth did, while Father Time coldly ripped the pages from Nikola Jokic’s desk calendar.

    But Avs 1.1 (2023) and 1.2 (2024) never got as close as version 1.0 (2022 Stanley Cup champs) did in terms of bottling that combo of strong health, strong depth, strong special teams, strong goaltending, strong intangibles and strong matchups.

    Although 1.3 (2025), on paper, flew awfully close. Wise puckheads looked at Stars-Avs last spring and declared that the winner was easily bound for, at worst, a Western Conference final — and that we were getting a main event far, far too early. They were right, in hindsight. Not that it should make anyone in burgundy and blue feel any better.

    A long Cup run is a marathon, a two-month, uphill march of sweat, blood, guts, focus and willpower. It’s a battle of attrition and desperation; a story that inevitably demands a dozen hands and five or six heroes.

    Lord Stanley is one of the hardest trophies in sports to win and even harder to keep. And yet the fact that the Florida Panthers have made it look even easier than the Lightning did does not reflect as kindly on MacFarland and Bednar, who have been good at their jobs at the same time some peers have been great.

    It’s not unfair to assume the pair’s window might have already come and gone. If you’re curious, the last 14 teams with an average age of 29 or more from 2020-21 through 2024-25 averaged 95.2 points during the regular season. Eight of the 14 “old” squads reached the playoffs. And four of those eight got bounced out of the bracket in the first round.

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  • Keeler: Nathan MacKinnon says Game 7 loss to Dallas ‘like getting over a breakup.’ Now Avalanche star is healed, out for revenge

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    The ghost in the stall meant one thing: Nathan MacKinnon isn’t done haunting the NHL yet.

    As the Avalanche locker room opened for media a few Fridays ago during training camp, the big names crisscrossed, de-taped and unwound. Captain Gabe Landeskog held court at one end. Newbie Brent Burns grinned toothlessly at the other.

    “Every day, you see (MacKinnon) do 10-12 things that are like, ‘Holy (expletive),’” Burns, a veteran defenseman who came over from Carolina, cackled. “And usually I’m at the wrong end of it. So it’s not good.”

    Practice had just ended. MacKinnon’s skates were inside his locker. The rest of him was gone. Grinding.

    “Working out,” an Avs staffer told me.

    Twenty minutes became 25.

    “He’s riding the bike now,” another staffer said. “Will be a bit of time.”

    Twenty-five minutes became 30.

    Then 35. Then 40. Then 45.

    My phone buzzed.

    “He’s on the way,” a voice said.

    Think this man is easing up at age 30? Think he’s satisfied with one Stanley Cup?

    You must be joking.

    “I enjoy the day-to-day grind of it,” the Avs’ iconic center explained. “I enjoy working out. I enjoy skating with guys back home —  just relaxing and working hard and trying to get better. So that kind of keeps me in the moment. ”

    The rocket never rests. MacKinnon stands 6-foot in socks. But if carrying the Avs on his back, if dragging them kicking and screaming, gets Colorado another Stanley Cup in 2026, he’s good with that, too. Hop on.

    “Just trying to get my mind and body ready for a long season,” MacKinnon continued. “Each day I come here, I’m just trying to get a little better. Just try to win every day I have. And hopefully that takes me and the team to a good spot.”

    He’s in a better place than last May. That’s when old friend Mikko Rantanen, in what we hope doesn’t become a recurring theme, tore into MacKinnon’s chest and ripped his heart out. Rantanen, a stalwart of the Avs’ 2022 Cup champs, scored a hat trick to lead his new team, the Dallas Stars, to a maddening, series-clinching Game 7 win over his old one.

    “It’s like getting over a breakup,” MacKinnon said of last season’s ignominious end. “It just takes a long time. Time heals everything.”

    Including the Avs. Last spring’s wounds are this fall’s scars. Last October’s concerns are this year’s colonnades.

    Landeskog, the Captain, is back from the jump. So is big Valeri Nichushkin.

    Brock Nelson signed a 3-year extension to nip that nagging “2C” question in the bud. New winger Victor Olofsson can hit a flea from 50 yards out. Burns brings 6-foot-5 beef to the blue line, to say nothing of the best dang beard in pro hockey.

    “I think when you all lose together, you’re in a painful experience together, I think you can come out of it stronger,” MacKinnon said of the Avs’ first-round elimination by a depleted Stars roster. “No one (in this locker room) was blaming each other; it was all on each other. I think it was a tough loss. We lost to a really good team. But I think we’ll be better because of it.”

    Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) takes the puck down ice against Dallas Stars center Mikael Granlund (64) and Esa Lindell (23) in the first period of game four of the first round of the NHL playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)

    One Cup? For Nate, it’s not enough. It was never enough.

    Mighty MacK’s good pal Sidney Crosby went seven years between championships. Colorado’s Burgundy Bolide turned 30 on Sept. 1. Father Time is the only dude MacKinnon can’t beat to the goal line.

    “This is our fourth year (since 2022), so you just never know when it’s going to come,” the Avs center mused. “It’s just … sometimes, you win a couple in a row. Sometimes, it took (the Penguins) seven. And (then) they won two in a row. Hopefully, that happens for us one day. But I like where we’re at.”

    Enter Burns. Enter Olofsson. Enter new assistant coach Dave Hakstol to help put some pep back into Colorado’s special teams. The Avs’ power play buzzsaw of the ’22 postseason was positively toothless in ’25 against the Stars.

    “It’s not a ton of turnover, like last season (when) we had like nine new guys,” MacKinnon said. “Most of those guys are back. So I think it’s going to be a positive year — positive that we have so many returning guys.”

    The negative? Landy turns 33 in November. Val turns 31 in March. Nelson’s 34th birthday falls on Oct. 15. Burns is lurching toward 41.

    There’s a lot of mileage in that locker room. And an awful lot of tread worn off an awful lot of tires.

    “I won’t look at Nate any differently if he wins one (Cup) or if he wins three,” Eddie Olczyk, the Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT analyst, told me by phone. “He’s won. He’s separated himself from many, many great players who have played this game.

    “In terms of game-breakers and difference-makers, (the Avs) have two of the very best at different positions in (MacKinnon) and (defenseman) Cale Makar. But you need to stay healthy.”

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  • Avalanche Journal: Has Cale Makar passed Patrick Roy for final spot on Colorado’s Mount Rushmore?

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    Sometimes, just the reactions to a question confirm it is a good one.

    “You’re throwing yourself into the fire with that one, so have fun with that.”

    “You are making me think way too hard too early in the morning.” (For context, this was said at 11 a.m.)

    “So anyway … good luck with that. It does seem like an impossible question.”

    Here is the question: A proverbial Mount Rushmore for the Colorado Avalanche includes Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Nathan MacKinnon and …?

    Here are the choices: One of the two greatest goaltenders in the history of the sport, who backstopped the Avs to a pair of Stanley Cup championships? Or the best defenseman on the planet right now, who might spend his entire career with the franchise and end up as one of the best to ever do it at his position as well?

    Patrick Roy? Or Cale Makar? This is intended to be a lighthearted, fun debate.

    But also, choose your fighter.

    “Anytime you’re trying to pick four guys from a historic franchise with some really historic teams, it’s going to be difficult,” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said. “Nobody’s going to be happy, no matter what you write. Cale is a name that should obviously be in consideration. By the end of his career, he is probably one of the first names on that list.

    “There’s great players that you’re able to put on, and 10 others that probably deserve to be.”

    Sakic and Forsberg are obvious as icons who came with the franchise from Quebec City, and two of the most popular players in league history. MacKinnon has already surpassed Forsberg — at least in the latter’s eyes — and cemented his place with league MVP honors in 2024.

    Makar, predictably, quickly deferred to Roy. MacKinnon, full transparency here, wasn’t even asked to chime in. Both of those guys are humble about their legacies and accomplishments, almost to a fault.

    “I don’t think I compare to (Roy) at all,” Makar said. “In terms of achievements and stuff, he’s on a completely different level. I appreciate your confidence in me, but I don’t know if I’m quite there yet.”

    Both MacKinnon and Makar often reject the idea of being compared to past Avs greats because of one number: Two. As in, those guys won two titles, and they only have one to this point.

    Makar may also be comparing his career to the totality of Roy’s, but that is where the case for the future Hall of Famer begins.

    Roy won the Stanley Cup four times. He is the only three-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner in league history. He won the Vezina Trophy three times. Those accomplishments do dwarf what Makar has done so far.

    But Roy entered the NHL in 1985. Nearly 54 percent of his regular-season games came with Montreal. All three of his Vezina wins and two of the three Conn Smythe honors came with the Canadiens, in 1986 and 1993.

    The trade, from Montreal to Colorado, is one of the most important moments in franchise history. His addition helped Sakic, Forsberg and Co. win the Stanley Cup in the first season in Denver. It made the Avs a Cup contender for all of his eight seasons with the club, until his retirement in 2003.

    Two championships, six trips to the conference finals, every career franchise record of note for goalies that exists, just an icon of the sport —it’s a good argument. Hard to knock it.

    “I am always partial to … like, who is on Mount Rushmore right now?” NHL Network analyst Brian Boyle said. “They’re all dead. All former Presidents. We did this at NHL Network for the whole league, and for me, it’s Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. This is Founding Fathers type of stuff.

    “So to me, it’s Joe Sakic. It’s Peter Forsberg, who was my favorite player to watch. It’s Patty Roy. He was that guy. And Nate, well, he’s a different animal. Cale is right there, too. I think it’s close. I think they might be carving out some stone soon, but I think it’s Patty Roy right now.”

    Boyle makes a strong point about the essence of what a Mount Rushmore could or should be. Maybe every team’s “Mount Rushmore” should be older players who established the franchise’s footing.

    But … that’s not really how people look at this sometimes silly, always engaging idea. And further to Boyle’s thoughts, this isn’t really a debate about Roy vs. Makar.

    It’s really a debate about time. It’s about when, not if. Has Makar accomplished enough in his career to nudge Roy from this fictional mountain?

    “I’m very biased, but I’m spoiled to watch Cale and his entire career,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “Every shift, every practice, every game, therefore I’m picking Cale because of the way he can impact both sides of the puck.

    “It’s a pretty good problem to have, to be picking between the two of those guys.”

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