Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) celebrates after Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) scored to tie the game at 2-2 during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin (13) celebrates after Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) scored to tie the game at 2-2 during the third period of Game 5 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., Friday, June 24, 2022. (The Gazette, Christian Murdock)
Every Friday during the offseason, beat writer Kyle Fredrickson will take you around the NHL and inside the Avalanche.
“Being back at the house we grew up in was pretty cool. It comes full circle. The memories and the hard work we all put in for all those years. The dents I put in my neighbors’ houses from pucks.” — Avalanche top-line center Nathan MacKinnon on returning to Nova Scotia to celebrate the Stanley Cup (per Sportsnet).
A parade and celebration made for a #stanleycup champion. @nhl@Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon brings the Cup home to where it all began. @HockeyHallFame pic.twitter.com/iaTHYsSb6t
— I’m the luckiest guy in Denver. The Denver Gazette hired me to document Jared Bednar, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar’s quest to defend a Stanley Cup title from inside arenas all over North America. Don't pinch me.
— I grew up with three siblings playing street hockey on rollerblades with mismatched plastic nets in our Fort Collins cul-de-sac. We paused for passing vehicles, went through pucks (tennis balls) like crazy and hardly kept score. The best.
— I’ve spent a decade in print media as a jack-of-all trades news and sports reporter: courts and crime, natural disasters, college football, preps, the NFL. What to expect from my NHL coverage? Forget clickbait hot takes and reactionary nonsense. Just fact-based storytelling to make you an Avalanche insider.
— Enough about me. Let’s talk hockey. Only 47 days remain until puck drop for the Avs’ season-opener Oct. 12 against the visiting Blackhawks. One last Blink-182 singalong, with a championship banner raised inside Ball Arena, before facing a new reality: defending the Cup.
— The Avalanche are betting favorites to repeat this season at +450, per FanDuel. But that’s no guarantee. Going back to 1926, only eight teams in NHL history (Canadiens, Flyers, Islanders, Lightning, Leafs, Oilers, Penguins and Red Wings) have won consecutive Cups.
— It’s no surprise oddsmakers project Colorado to remain on top. The Avs return the bulk of their leadership and production from a year ago, minus goalie Darcy Kuemper and second-line center Nazem Kadri. If newcomer Alexandar Georgiev thrives in net and the team finds a suitable Kadri replacement — watch out — because the other championship pieces are already in place.
Will the Avalanche repeat in 2022-23? pic.twitter.com/Lm2BINmjxJ
Pipeline ranking: The Athletic ranked every NHL team’s developmental system considering the best young players and their expectations. The Avs came in at No. 23. NHL analyst Corey Pronman wrote: “This ranking is primarily bolstered by how good Bowen Byram is.”
Russian visas: The NHL is not anticipating any Russian players, including Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin, having issues related to obtaining visas this season, according to ESPN.
Hockey Canada: The NHL is moving forward with its independent investigation of alleged sexual assault by eight members of Canada’s national team in 2018. Interviews will begin this week, according to Sportsnet.
— A potential free agent pickup for the Avalanche is off the market with Tuesday’s news that Winnipeg forward Paul Stastny has signed a 1-year deal with Carolina. Stastny could have fit in Colorado as a Kadri replacement.
— Who else is still on the FA market? Keep an eye on Pittsburgh’s Evan Rodrigues. The 29-year-old forward is another player the Avs might consider — unless new GM Chris MacFarland believes the team has enough depth to fill second-line forward roles internally.
— EA Sports announced the "NHL 23" game cover will feature Ducks forward Trevor Zegras and Canadian women’s hockey star Sarah Nurse. Why no Avalanche players? Seems like a matter of time before Makar scores the honor as one of the league’s brightest young stars.
— Tip your glass for Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price. The 35-year-old netminder is unlikely to play this year after his surgically repaired knee failed to respond to treatment this offseason. His NHL career might be over. Price ranks among Montreal sports royalty with 700 career starts in net and winning the Ted Lindsay, Jennings, Vezina and Hart Trophies in 2015.
— The NHL and its players’ association agreed to move ahead with their proposal to bring back the World Cup of Hockey. The “best-on-best" tournament between at least eight countries is expected to return in February 2024. It was last played in 2016 with Canada defeating Europe in a best-of-three final.
Mid-to-late September: NHL training camps open
Sept. 25: Avs preseason opener (split squad at Minnesota and home against Vegas)
Sept. 27: Avs preseason game at Wild
Sept. 28: Avs preseason game vs. Knights
Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin's profile on Instagram is a window into another world.
A place even the Stanley Cup can’t touch.
Some backstory: The NHL prohibited the Cup from entry into Russia this offseason with the country’s brutal war on Ukraine now entering a seventh month. It meant Nichushkin — signed to a $49 million, eight-year contract extension in July — would be the only Avalanche player to not get his day with the Cup. Tough news for a fan favorite back in Colorado and abroad.
However, on Wednesday afternoon, Nichushkin gave the world a peek into Russia’s welcome back party in his hometown of Chelyabinsk.
Nichushkin made a guest appearance at a KHL preseason game. One Instagram post shows him dropping a ceremonial first puck. He's in another post waving to the crowd with a heart emoji. The KHL also tweeted photos of Nichushkin signing fan autographs while wearing his Avalanche jersey.
Val 🖊#KHLPreseason https://t.co/PnNURUQsNa pic.twitter.com/qe64nAIOLD
The NHL is in a tough spot, toeing the line between denying Russia’s war effort while supporting its Russian players. Nichushkin didn’t make the call to invade Ukraine, for example.
Nichushkin will play this season with the NHL on his side. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPN that “safety and security” of its Russian players a top concern. Daly told the network: “We were concerned about what the reactions in North America might be, and we certainly had some on social media who were threatening.”
My hope is that Avalanche fans, and their opposing fans this season, are better than that.
Nichushkin is among the most soft-spoken players in the NHL. He’s visibly anxious in large media settings with a language barrier. It all makes Nichushkin difficult to read, especially off the ice.
COVID protocols last season did not allow beat reporters hardly any access to the rising star player. We can assume, based on his Instagram stories, Nichushkin is proud of his hometown hockey roots. Can’t blame him for that.
My goal is to learn about Nichushkin the person, not just the hockey player, over the course of this season with locker room access. It won’t be easy. But an eight-year contract suggests Nichushkin will be an essential part of the franchise moving forward.
The worldwide tour of Avalanche players and their day with the Stanley Cup has drawn to a close. Here’s a breakdown of the Top 5 things Lord Stanley did on his global summer vacation.
1. Humboldt strong. Coach Jared Bednar was permitted a second day with the Cup to visit a Saskatchewan golf tournament, honoring the families of 16 junior hockey players on the Humboldt Broncos killed in a 2018 bus crash.
2. Family fun. Defenseman Jack Johnson and his two young children ate a hot fudge ice cream sundae out of the Cup in Columbus, Ohio.
3. Newborn nap. Defenseman Cale Makar visited his home ice rink in Calgary and a 12-day-old newborn was placed atop Lord Stanley.
4. Hang loose. Defenseman Josh Manson took the Cup on a lake in Saskatchewan and proceeded to wake surf (wakeboarding without the rope) during the celebratory boat ride.
5. Thirsty dog. Forward Mikko Rantanen brought it home to Nousiainen, Finland, and let his dog drink water out of the silver bowl.
Every Friday during the offseason, Denver Gazette beat writer Kyle Fredrickson will take you around the NHL and inside the Avalanche