He spoke on the matter with Adrian Dater of the Denver Post and then watched as the news spread like wildfire. It’s possible that the Avalanche and the more famous Roy didn’t like that very much. By Tuesday night, Stephane had deleted the post, made his social networking profile private, and told the local media that his comments were taken out of context by a respectable, tenured reporter from a major newspaper.

Courtesy of Mathew Lamontagne

While Stephane was caught in the middle of a PR power struggle, the job market was quickly becoming more competitive.

The Vancouver Canucks parted ways with their Head Coach, Alain Vigneault, the following day, putting the Avalanche in quite a coaching conundrum. The could continue negotiations with Roy, wait for Phoenix Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett to become a free agent on July 1st, or continue looking into candidates like Lindy Ruff and Vigneault.

The Avalanche had a specific set of criteria in their hunt for a new leader, something that would define their identity as a club and narrow their approach to the search.

“We want a very passionate coach… We need that winning attitude down in the dressing room. I believe we have some real, quality, young players on our team. Great players that are still young, that are learning, and we want to have a coach here who’s going to lead them along,” said Joe Sakic, Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, after his hiring announcement. “We need a coach that obviously is very, I shouldn’t say passionate ’cause all coaches are passionate, but we do need a coach who obviously can understand it’s a young team, to teach them, and, at the same time, demand excellence.”

“You definitely want somebody that knows the game,” Sakic added later. “You want somebody who knows [the NHL].”

Patrick Roy turned out to be that guy, as the Colorado Avalanche announced today that he would be the new Head Coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations moving forward.

“This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization’s history,” said Avalanche President Josh Kroenke in a press release. “Patrick’s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships.”

Despite the questions surrounding his coaching potential in the NHL and whether his success in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League will translate, Roy certainly seems to fit Sakic’s ideal mold.

Few, save for maybe Jeremy Roenick, would ever question Roy’s competitive passion. After being disrespected by his coach in Montreal during a blowout game in the 1995-96 season, Roy demanded a trade. Days later he was in Denver, primed to make history.

His desire to win is limitless and is often the focus of a quality tale or two of his time between the pipes.

There is no doubt that he will bring a culture of success into the dressing room, holding his players accountable. The main concern is how the young players will respond to the newly instilled responsibility. Roy was around the Avalanche when it was a proud, winning organization and you can expect that to hold a special place in his heart as he begins the task of getting the club back into contention. He will settle for nothing less than the best, night in and night out.

“All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer,” said Sakic in a release. “Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow.”

The 47-year-old Avalanche alumni becomes the 14th coach in franchise history (sixth for the Avs) and will start his new role by analyzing his team’s specific needs before Colorado selects first overall at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

“This is an unbelievable day for me,” said Roy in a release. “It’s a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. I would like to thank Stan and Josh Kroenke for this opportunity as well as Joe Sakic for the trust they are putting in me. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am.”

The Hockey Hall of Fame inductee has spent the past eight seasons coaching (and acting as General Manager) the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL, a team he owns a stake in as well. During his time there he posted a 348-196-0 record and won the Memorial Cup once.

The four-time Stanley Cup winning netminder certainly has his work cut out for him, as the Avalanche have largely disappointed since the lockout of 2005-06 ended. Hopefully Roy will be able to solidify the struggling goaltending foundation in Denver while shoring up some cracks at the draft. With free agency and training camp to get a taste of a new team, this coming season is sure to be something.

Things are certainly going to be different when the Avalanche take the ice next October.

What do you think? Like the hiring or do you wish the Avs went with experience? Excited to see what Roy can do?

The post Sakic lands Roy as new Colorado Avalanche Head Coach appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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With the technology behind sporting equipment ever-changing, the switching of sponsoring partners a constant, and the roster of a team always in flux, most gear becomes expendable at the end of the year.

So it goes at the University of Denver, who will be hosting their Annual Athletic Equipment Sale from Wednesday, June 5th through Friday, June 7th.

The event boasts gear for the athlete in everyone. Whether it be lacrosse, basketball, hockey or more, you can be rest assured that there will be something there for you. From sticks, shafts, and balls to helmets, sweats, performance wear, and shoes, the items that help pioneer sporting excellence are available to the public for a limited time.

Get what the DU Pioneers wear. Use what they use.

Tape, socks, hockey pants, pads, skates, shirts, pants, sweatshirts, and more will be on the floor in Hamilton Gymnasium.

Oh yeah, and it’s heavily discounted as well. Everything must go and it will go at a good price.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday.

The good stuff goes quick, so make sure to get there as close to open as possible on Wednesday. And bring cash.

What do you think? Will you check it out? Have you been before?

The post DU Athletic Equipment Sale coming in June appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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“I am thrilled to announce that Joe Sakic has agreed to become Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Avalanche. In that role, Joe will be in charge of all hockey-related decisions moving forward,” said Kroenke during a press conference. “With his credentials, presence, and knowledge of the game, Joe will be a key ingredient in making sure that together we reach our future goals.”

While the Sakic news was expected, Kroenke taking over the job held by former General Manager Pierre Lacroix came as a surprise to some. Lacriox – who will stay on as an external advisor - had been pulling the strings for the Avalanche since before the franchise relocated to Denver.

“I think this was a natural evolution to what I wanted to do. It just took longer because I needed to make sure that I understood everything and this is the culmination of that learning process,” said Kroenke. “This is a proud franchise, and one we fully expect to be back in the playoffs competing for a Stanley Cup in the coming years. I was here for game seven of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals. It was the most memorable sporting experience of my life, and one that I want to experience again and again.”

“We will get back there and it starts now.”

The end of the Lacroix years is the dawn of a new era for the Colorado Avalanche. It’s uncharted territory for Denver’s professional hockey team.

And it comes with – perhaps – a renewed focus on the endgame: winning a Stanley Cup.

“We want to win and we want to compete and we want to have that chance and that’s why I’m here,” said Sakic. “We’re here for one reason and that’s the only reason I’m here and I really believe, after our conversations, that’s for us to come back and compete for a Stanley Cup year in and year out. We’re looking forward to making those things possible.”

Bringing an experienced player into the business can be a risky move for some, but this isn’t the case with Burnaby Joe. Sakic has spent the last two years learning the ropes from the man once considered the best GM in all of hockey. He was groomed for this new job.

“When I retired, Pierre Lacroix pulled me aside and told me to enjoy my retirement, take my time, but if there was ever a time that I felt that I wanted to come back and be more involved, to give him a call. And two years ago… he gave me that opportunity to come back and learn the business side and management side at my own pace,” said Sakic.

With enough experience to feel comfortable running the show, Sakic now has full control over the team.

“I have a great working relationship with Greg [Sherman]. We think alike on this and we want to move in the right direction. Obviously we have some great hockey people in our organization that care about this team and want the same thing,” said Sakic. “It’s one of those things, together, as a group, we’re all going to have a say and ideas and we’re going to do what we feel is right for the organization. When it comes down on a hockey decision, the final decision, hopefully we’ll all agree but yeah, I will be making the final decision on that.”

Allowing numbers wizard Sherman to do what he does best and work the cap, Sakic will be in charge of more of the personnel choices. For now, the only two priorities on his radar are the coaching search – which begins today – and the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, where the Colorado Avalanche hold the first overall pick.

“I’m looking forward to getting started, especially finding our next coach,” said Sakic. “We’d like to have someone hired by the draft, obviously. Starting today we’re going to really look at candidates and we’ll choose the right guy for this team.”

The criteria for a new Head Coach may have changed for the better with the addition of Kroenke and Sakic to the mix. The odds of a promotion from within the system lessen with information on what Sakic and his team will be looking for.

“We want a very passionate coach… We need that winning attitude down in the dressing room. I believe we have some real, quality, young players on our team. Great players that are still young, that are learning, and we want to have a coach here who’s going to lead them along,” said Sakic. “We need a coach that obviously is very, I shouldn’t say passionate ’cause all coaches are passionate, but we do need a coach who obviously can understand it’s a young team, to teach them, and, at the same time, demand excellence.

“You definitely want somebody that knows the game. You don’t want to just bring in some guy from junior or something. You want somebody who knows [the NHL].”

With a change in the front office, it isn’t as if the Avalanche will begin spending to the cap each season. Colorado has been a very shrewd club when it comes to spending and that has positioned them perfectly – thanks to Sherman – to pick up free agents and important puzzle pieces while still signing the core foundation to longer contracts as they age, progress, and develop. You won’t see the Avalanche making any compliance buyouts anytime soon.

“We’ve had conversations about the team’s direction as a whole. We’re not going to put ourselves in a position where we’re just spending to spend. We’ve built this team carefully. We’ve drafted very well over the last several years and I think we’re looking forward to adding other young players,” said Kroenke. “Will we be adding payroll? I think that comes as players start to mature but we want to make sure that we’re getting our young guys on the ice so they can grow and we’re going to be filling in around those guys when we deem it appropriate.”

The vote of confidence for the front office change is mirrored amongst many in the operation, including with Sherman, the lone major holdover.

“The fact that both Josh and Joe have taken on larger roles speaks to their belief of what the future capabilities of this franchise are,” said Sherman.

For Josh Kroenke, taking over a more primary role with the hockey side of things puts to bed the idea that the Denver Nuggets are the primary focus at Pepsi Center. He also knows that hard work will be required to win fans back and that is another area of focus for him moving forward.

“I think that the easiest way to a fan-base’s heart is to start winning,” said Kroenke. “We’re in this business for the fans and it wouldn’t be possible to put on the show we do out there without them.”

“I look forward to digging in to all sides of the organization now going forward. Whether it’s PR, whether it’s community relations, whether it’s fan involvement, I’m going to be putting my stamp on everything. So I’ll be evaluating everything. I can’t say as far as transparency because obviously there’s certain situations where you have to keep stuff in-house but I’m an open guy.  I have no problem with telling people what’s going on and I think that we have a great team to show and we’ll definitely be engaging people in probably in a little different manner going forward.”

After a few years of mediocrity in Denver, it sure is refreshing to hear that the team is committed to winning it all.

“I’m looking forward to helping lead this team to a championship one day,” said Sakic.

What do you think? Are you on board? Is this just superficial?

The post Colorado Avalanche place Sakic in charge, add Kroenke as President appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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With the draft over a month away, fans are left consuming any and all information about Jones. The 18-year-old rear guard was recently featured in a short documentary by ESPN. E:60 — Son of Popeye Jones discusses the younger Jones’ rise in the hockey world despite being the progeny of an NBA athlete and coach.

Check it out:

What do you think? Is Jones a done deal to Denver?

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DAY ONE

Veteran defenseman Jan Hejda and his Czech Republic club – without Milan Hejduk – got the Avalanche going on their way to a 2-0 win over Belarus. Hejda saw roughly 15 minutes of ice time in the win (22 shifts) and finished with no stats.

Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog was next to take the ice, as tournament host Sweden squared off against Switzerland. The Swedes had a bit of an inauspicious debut, dropping the contest 3-2 despite high expectations. Landeskog was largely a non-factor in the match, putting up penalty minutes on the scoresheet after a kneeing infraction in the first. Landeskog also went 1-for-2 in the face-off circle and had 19 shifts for nearly twelve minutes of ice time.

DAY TWO

Following a quiet first day for those reaping the Avs, the second day saw a much higher impact from those involved. The day started with the highly anticipated debut of team USA. Lead by former Avalanche Head Coach Joe Sacco, the U.S. team features Erik Johnson, Matt Hunwick, Aaron Palushaj and Paul Stastny.

The Austrian team came out hard and went up 2-0 early but the lead wouldn’t last. Sacco’s boys responded once in the first and then took control of the game in the second. Johnson scored two goals and Palushaj added another – the eventual game winner – on the way to a 5-3 victory.

“I got a good pass from Nick Bjugstad, Gopher-on-Gopher connection there for college hockey, and just put a one-timer through the pads there. The second one was on a power play. I got a good pass from Jamie McBain,” said Johnson of his tallies. “Didn’t have too much heat on it but it was accurate and hit the net and there was a good screen in front and that made the whole play. Just get the puck on net and good things can happen.”

Stastny, who was named Captain of the club, won 68% of his face-offs and finished with an assist. He was labeled one of the best players of the game. Hunwick had two shots on goal and was plus-one.

When asked about the pressure he faces to succeed, Johnson admitted that it’s nothing new.

“I’ve been dealing with kind of different pressures my whole career and you learn to deal with it and you learn to handle it. Obviously we have a pretty strong defensive core here and that’s probably the strength of our team,” said Johnson. “To come and contribute the first game is definitely big. To get the first one out of the way with a win, especially coming down from a two goal deficit early in the game, is big for our club. Can’t get comfortable. Just got to keep going and getting better from here.”

Highlights:

The Russian national team played next and, despite having goaltender Semyon Varlamov among their ranks, the club dressed Ilya Bryzgalov and Vasili Koshechkin instead.

The second biggest match of the second day of the tournament was easily that of Denmark versus Canada. The Canadian roster is stacked but that comes with a certain air of mystery. Canada will often underperform despite having a competitive advantage on paper.

It looked this way when Denmark got on the board in the first five minutes, capitalizing on a power play while Eric Staal was in the penalty box. Denmark managed to play a tight game in the first, but multiple penalties in the second began to unravel their game. Looking to be a hero, Matt Duchene jumped on the board first for Canada, curling from behind the net – and dodging defenders – to put a backhander up and over Simon Nielsen and into the twine.

“We were just getting out feet under us. Like I said earlier, also, it’s a lot of our first game in a long time. You play almost every other day or more during the season then you have six days off. It’s tough,” said Duchene. “We started to use the big ice a little bit more, got used to it. We started to bring guys lower and use our speed and use the open ice. We have so much skill on this team, when you have that much open ice it’s dangerous.”

From here it was all Canada as Steven Stamkos made a pretty play to pot the game winner just over a minute after Duchene’s tally. Before the match was done, Duchene fancy-danced his way through the Denmark defense, dishing a pass for a give and go goal to put the match out of reach. It was pretty.

It took a period for Canada to start clicking, but familiarity set in and the club easily took over.

“We’ve all played together at different times and we play against each other six times a year so we know what each other brings. We’re all around the same age,” said Duchene. “It looked good out there. We felt good. We felt good together and we’re going to keep getting better. We don’t have to score every game but we just got to contribute any way we can.”

Canada won 3-1 and Duchene’s two goals snagged him one of the best players honors.

Ryan O’Reilly finished with just one shot on goal and 16 shifts for nearly 13 minutes of ice time. Duchene went 60% in the circle on just six draws.

Highlights:

Day two concluded with a match between Sweden and the Czech Republic. A reversal of fortune was in order for both teams as Sweden beat their opponent 2-1 after taking an early lead. Hejda didn’t have his best game. He was on the ice for both of Sweden’s goals – the first coming from the man he was covering in front as he chased behind the net – but also played over 20 minutes in all.

Landeskog had a similarly rough go and seems to be having a hard time adjusting to the European game. The young Swede finished with two minors (high sticking and charging) through almost 15 minutes of playing time.

What do you think? How are the boys performing? To expectations? Above?

The post Avalanche WC 2013 Recap: The opening contests appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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In fact, bad luck seemed to defeat the Avalanche more often than the opposing team did during the shortened season. Many a time, when the club gave up quick goals, had flukey plays go against them, or errant penalties put them down, the Colorado Avalanche became deflated and eventually lost.

Such was the case during their season closer on Saturday evening. Tied at one, the Avalanche were swarming all over the Minnesota Wild, burying the visiting team under the weight of speed and youth. Then they got the go ahead goal, a sign from the hockey gods that they would knock the Wild out of the playoffs – forever earning the love of fans of the Columbus Blue Jackets – and perhaps kindling the beginnings of a heated rivalry with Minnesota.

Because the tally careened off of Chuck Kobasew’s skate and into the net, the play was certainly going to be reviewed. Everyone in attendance and those watching at home saw the ref signal for a goal, so there was hope that Toronto would be unable to clearly determine whether there was a distinct kicking motion involved. Rule 49 clear states that a “goal cannot be scored by an attacking player who uses a distinct kicking motion to propel the puck into the net” but that a ”puck that deflects into the net off an attacking player’s skate who does not use a distinct kicking motion is a legitimate goal.”

It turns out that the the ref signaling for a goal ultimately was not doing that at all. Instead, he was pointing out that the puck was indeed in the net and, after conversing with his colleagues, the decision was that the call would be no goal on the ice.

This meant that the War Room would need to find conclusive evidence that the puck was not kicked in. No matter which angle you looked at, and which call was made, there was no chance for the call to be overturned. Yet the fact that the call seemed to have changed as the ref skated from behind the net and over to the scorekeeper drew some ire from former Head Coach Joe Sacco.

“It was called a goal. And I got an explanation after the period, when we started the next period. My interpretation of that rule, being in the league for… over 20+ years is: once that call is made on the ice, it stands. Then you can review it in Toronto and then they’ll make the decision,” said Sacco. “What I was told was that they said it was a non-goal on the ice. That was their call was a non-goal on the ice. They then phoned Toronto and, when Toronto came to their conclusion, they decided it was a non-goal as well. So both sides had it as a non-goal but the referee called it a goal.”

“Yeah, clearly you can see it. I saw the same thing you did. So, it’s a goal. Like I said, in 25 years, I didn’t know that you could go from the goal line back to the penalty box and change your decision once it’s called on the ice. I’ve never heard of that before. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong, which I don’t think I am but that’s the wrong call.”

“That changes the game. It really does. It changes the momentum of the game because we were energized and then we lost it and they got some energy off of that play. That was a big turning point of the game. So, like I said, over twenty something years in the game in the National Hockey League, I haven’t seen that call change from the goal line. Once a call is made on the ice, it stands, and then you go to the penalty box, it changes. Now, when they review in Toronto, that’s different. They have the right to review it but, if it’s inconclusive, it stands as a goal, which it was called on the ice. But apparently it was not. Like I said, if I’m wrong, I’m wrong.”

“If it was a distinct kicking motion, that’s a pretty good move by Chucky Kobasew,” said Sacco. “I don’t know too many people who can do that.”

Other guys in the dressing room weren’t shy to talk about the controversial call after the game either.

“I’ve seen some no goals in this building that I thought were goals but that’s got to top them all. I’m not quite sure how they think that Chucky kicks that when he doesn’t even see the puck and he’s just stopping and it hits his back foot. If he did that, that’d be outstanding,” said Matt Duchene. “That’d be a pretty good skill but I think, had it been called a goal on the ice, it would have stood. It’s disappointing. I think it’s a different game.”

“I’d be pretty upset if I was Columbus or Detroit right now, especially after seeing that. It should have been 2-1 for us and I think we maybe win that game after that ‘cause they would have been pretty tight. It’s disappointing but thankfully it didn’t mean anything for us.”

The upset rose all the way to the top of the Colorado Avalanche food chain as even front office guys like Eric Lacroix and Joe Sakic voiced their displeasure with the sudden change of opinion down on the ice.

What do you think? Kick? No kick? Awesome soccer play?

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It seemed obvious then that, no matter what happened during the course of the year, the last game would be important for one of the two teams on the ice.

For the Avalanche, their struggles began with an opening night loss and carried on throughout the season. Whenever they seemed to reach .500, they would drop a handful of matches and go right back under.

Things looked up for the club after they put an end to the fantastic opening run of the Chicago Blackhawks and then defeated a hot San Jose Sharks team the following game. But an immediate loss to the Edmonton Oilers seemed to put a wrench in the gears for Colorado. It shut the team down and sent them into a dark place.

Slowly but surely they worked their way down the standings, unable to recover from the defeat. They couldn’t win on the road. They couldn’t string together any sort of meaningful winning streak. And, at some point, many in the room seemed to have accepted the inevitability of their fate and just couldn’t overcome their own shortcomings.

When veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere called his club out for this, it was as if a light was turned on. The Avalanche, who had been well on their way to a first overall draft pick, began to play a much stronger game.  They played for success now and not later, thinking maybe the momentum and positive experience could carry over to the following year.

Meanwhile the Wild were making a push for the playoffs. As April 27th came closer, the final game of the season was suddenly of the utmost importance for the Wild to make the playoffs.

With the Columbus Blue Jackets having won, the Wild needed a full two points for a chance to challenge for the Stanley Cup.

Minnesota came out early, getting on the board in the first ten minutes of the match when heavily paid forward Zach Parise clubbed a rebound past Semyon Varlamov and into the Colorado Avalanche net.

It seemed as if the Avs might be outmatched by a hungrier club, but they tallied their own near the end of the opening frame when Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog fed Ryan O’Reilly on the doorstep of the crease. O’Reilly buried his chance and made it a game once more.

That kind of never say die effort was one that Colorado exhibited well when they didn’t allow a defeatist attitude to creep in.

A bad penalty on Shane O’Brien – coupled with an overturned Avalanche goal – put the home team back on their heels in the second period after Devin Setoguchi put home a power play goal to take the lead.

From there on out, as he was apt to do, Varlamov locked down the pipes and stood on his head to keep his team in it, including on a late frame breakaway.

Like so many other losses on the season, the rest of the club sprung to life late in third period, looking to play spoiler one last time and knock the Wild onto the golf course. They fired shot after shot on goal, evening the margin, and came at Minnesota goaltender Niklas Backstrom with everything they had.

And, like so many times before, the last minute effort fell short.

The Colorado Avalanche entered the season with many question marks, and ended with as many, if not more.

Following the game, Head Coach Joe Sacco knew not of his impending release from the team. He offered up his straightforward take on the situation, namely ‘we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.’

“I’m going to go about business as usual, just like I always do. Our job here is to coach this team. I thought our staff, and myself, we do everything we can to prepare this team the best way we can and we enjoy coaching this team. I enjoy coaching this team. It’s a young group and it’s certainly headed in the right direction,” said Sacco. “As far as those decisions that will be made, those are decisions that are not in my hands. They’re out of my hands so I’m not really worried about that right now.”

A consummate professional throughout the season, Sacco was fired the next day.

For many on the Colorado Avalanche roster, the season – all the way to the final seconds – was more of a learning experience than anything else. They learned what it was like to lose. They learned what it was like to beat the best teams in the league. They learned what it was like to depend on each other and how bad it could sting when they let themselves let down. They learned about the game of hockey.

“We did learn a lot. We did learn a lot about what it takes. It’s not enough to have a bunch of good, promising young guys [on] one team. You’ve got to perform and we didn’t do that this year and we just weren’t good enough. That’s the bottom line,” said Landeskog. “We can only get better. That’s one positive. There’s been glimpses here and there where we show what levels we can take it to.”

“We’ve just got to learn how to take it to that more consistently. We haven’t been there enough this year. That’s the bottom line. It’s frustrating. It’s disappointing but it’s reality.”

Landeskog also learned the responsibility of heading up a young squad.

“I didn’t really know what to expect coming into the year. A lot of situations, you don’t really know how to handle them, you don’t really know what to say in certain situations,” said Landeskog. “I knew it was going to be a challenge. I knew there was going to be a lot of new things and I wasn’t going to be the perfect Captain from day one. From a Captain standpoint, it can only get better and I’m learning a lot.”

“From an individual standpoint, on the ice, I know I can be a lot better.”

While Landeskog has many more successful years ahead of him, the final buzzer of the losing season might have brought the end of an era for veteran forward and career Avalanche Milan Hejduk.

Unsure of his future with the club – it’s possible that the team won’t take him back – Hejduk scooped up the game puck after the whistle just in case he decides to hang them up. The decision is one that he hasn’t quite made yet.

“I don’t want to make the decision right now. Just let things settle down after the season and talk to my family obviously,” said Hejduk. “Somebody has to be interested in me too. A lot of things are in play. I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t want to really push it right now.”

When pressed about his last shift, the hometown favorite was honest as always.

“It was kind of difficult at the end,” said Hejduk.

From here the players scatter around the world for stints on national teams in the World Championship, vacations to Las Vegas and other – perhaps more relaxing – locales before starting summer workouts all over again.

The key to success for them is to build on this year and come into the next more prepared.

Having won the draft lottery, the Avalanche will make their first ever first overall draft pick in June at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. The prize is a small consolation for a year of such triumph and failure.

What do you think?

The post Last loss to Wild caps off a season of learning for Colorado Avalanche appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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As the envelopes were opened in reverse order, each club that failed to jump up brought a higher chance of the Avalanche nailing down the team’s only first overall pick since moving to Denver.

While lady luck may have not been with the Avs during the season, she was certainly with the club during the Draft Lottery as the team came out on top – edging out the front-running Florida Panthers for the coveted first selection.

“Clearly, given the talent we have on this team right now, we’re adding another elite prospect to the solid foundation that we have,” said Avalanche General Manager /Executive Vice President Greg Sherman on NHL.com. “It is certainly a big day for the franchise; it’s a big night for our fans and we’re very excited about the outcome tonight.”

Now, all eyes turn towards Rick Pracey, Director of Amateur Scouting for the Avalanche, and whether he will shoot for top ranked prospect Seth Jones. Familiar with Denver, Jones seems an absolute lock for the Avalanche, who could use his skill on the blue liner sooner than later. Even so, nobody will know the choice until Colorado makes the announcement in Newark, New Jersey on June 30th.

Perhaps landing yet another top-tier talent to accompany a young team of future superstars will help dilute the bitter taste of an abysmal season in Denver.

What do you think? Who should the Avalanche draft?

The post Colorado Avalanche win first overall draft pick appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Hot on the heels of a season that saw the Avalanche go 16-25-7 with a truncated schedule and end with the club 29th overall and on the way to yet another top-three draft pick, Sacco’s firing came quicker than many expected.

“The organization believes a change of leadership behind the bench is needed going forward,” said Avalanche General Manager/Executive Vice President Greg Sherman in a press release. “Joe has worked for this franchise for eight seasons and he is a dedicated and hard-working coach. We appreciate all he has done and wish him the best in the future.”

Even still, players were quick to his defense, saying – as they should – that the burden of this season’s failures lied solely on their own shoulders.

With Colorado unable to climb anywhere but down the standings, it would have been easy for Sacco to say that the uncertainty of his future was a distraction.

He didn’t, even at the very end.

“I’m going to go about business as usual, just like I always do. Our job here is to coach this team. I thought our staff, and myself, we do everything we can to prepare this team the best way we can and we enjoy coaching this team. I enjoy coaching this team. It’s a young group and it’s certainly headed in the right direction,” said Sacco after his team’s final game of the year. “As far as those decisions that will be made, those are decisions that are not in my hands. They’re out of my hands so I’m not really worried about that right now.”

“Well see what happens.”

For Sacco, the next step is heading up the roster for USA Hockey at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championship next week in Scandinavia. The coaching decision seemed controversial to some but
an advisory group consisting of NHL scouts Brian Burke and Don Waddell and General Managers Stan Bowman, Paul Holmgren, Dean Lombardi, David Poile, Ray Shero, and Dale Tallon decided him the top candidate for the job, no doubt due to his ability to work with young talent.

Current Avalanche defensemen Erik Johnson and Matt Hunwick and forwards Paul Stastny and Aaron Palushaj are among those on the roster for the national team.

Sacco finished his tenure with the Avalanche with a record of 130-134-30 in three and a half (four) seasons.

The Avalanche have not announced a replacement.

The Denver Post is also reporting that Eric Lacroix has left the club.

Sacco’s firing may aid Sherman in keeping his job.

What do you think? Did he deserve it? Who would you replace him with?

The post Avalanche fires Sacco; World Championship next for him appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Voted on by members of the Professional Hockey Writer’s Association, the Masterton Trophy is awarded to the NHL player who “best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey.”

Based on this criteria, the Colorado chapter of the PHWA nominated Colorado Avalanche netminder Jean-Sebastien Giguere to the ballot for his efforts both on and off of the ice this year.

Starting the season in a backup capacity, Giguere was used solely as a means to settle the club down when the game seemed to be getting away from them. He played in only a handful of games early on in the season, allowing the primary workload to be handled by his goaltending parter, Semyon Varlamov.

Playing second fiddle was something that Giguere had planned on as he entered his second season with the Avalanche. He even discussed other ways to help the club during an early season interview.

“You have to find another way to contribute. You have to try to be vocal, try to be supportive of the guys, try to practice hard, to keep sharp but to keep them sharp too,” said Giguere. “You have to try to find another role. It’s not always easy or as much fun but it’s important nevertheless.”

Despite not seeing much ice time, Giguere focused on helping his teammates mentally. As a veteran, he’s been in many situations that the young players on the team have not. This allowed him to offer up a balanced perspective when things got tough, especially with Varlamov – who proved enigmatic during the season.

“[I] try to keep it positive, keep it light. As a goalie sometimes you tend to see the dark side of things. I try to make him see the good side of things, try to not beat himself up because, whichever situation he might be in, I’ve been there before,” said Giguere. “So I try to use that and try to move forward as a goalie tandem.”

During the course of the season, Giguere’s mother, Gisele, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, became increasingly sick. So much so that Giguere had to take an absence from the team to attend to her. While away, Giguere was forced to accept the pending passing of his mother before returning to the club. Even through this increase in stress, he managed to stay focused on the game at hand and the season, despite the internal struggles that the Avalanche were going through.

The hardship wasn’t over though as, just a few weeks later, Gisele passed away. Again Giguere had to leave the team, this time for the funeral, but he returned as strong as ever and put up yet another of his season-long strong performances. This time at Joe Louis Arena against the Detroit Red Wings.

Even while dealing with the loss of a family member, Giguere rose up out of the ashes of the Colorado Avalanche, who had played their way right out of the postseason, and became a vocal leader for the team.

Although criticized by some for his comments about certain teammates and their trip to Las Vegas, Giguere’s fervor and passion for the game, along with the newfound sense of accountability instilled in the dressing room, transformed the Avalanche at the end of the season. Giguere put his money where his mouth was and stood on his head out on the ice as well, helping his team to a 3-0-2 record with him between the pipes in his last five starts.

He provided the kind of professionalism and leadership that was absent on the dwindling club and challenged them to throw aside a culture of losing and embrace a winning tradition that could possibly carry over to the following season.

Giguere also put in work off the ice, away from the rink, both during the season and before, including working with the Jessica Redfield Ghawi Foundation and A Precious Child.

It is because of this that Giguere is in consideration for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. He has some stiff competition but he deserved the chance. He earned it.

What do you think?

The post Avalanche goaltender Giguere up for Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Trying to keep their head above water in the playoff race as the season wears down, every point is the difference between staying up and falling down for St. Louis. Despite playing with passion and putting forth a hard-hitting effort, they couldn’t contain Avalanche forward Jamie McGinn and his teammates, who skated to a 5-3 victory at Pepsi Center.

“We know they’re a heavy team and they’re going to be pushing for their playoff lives right now so we knew we had to come out, play strong, and play a full sixty minutes,” said McGinn. “It was a good start by the squad and we continued right through the whole game.”

Helping his team play spoiler, McGinn skated his way to a two tally night. He put the first of the game home after redirecting a pass from Aaron Palushaj into the twine with the turn of his skate and later helped the Avalanche take a two goal lead in the second, giving his club a major boost on the power play.

“We could feel the energy in here and the energy in the crowd tonight,” said McGinn. “We have a chance to play the spoiler role and we want to make it tough on these guys to get in the playoffs.”

The Blues managed to put three of their own away, from David Backes, Jaden Schwartz, and Kevin Shattenkirk, but the effort just wouldn’t be enough for them to overcome a hungry, more tenacious Avalanche team.

“When we play our systems, when we play hard, we can beat anyone,” said McGinn. “It’s an example tonight. It’s an example against other big teams but we just seem to not do it every night. But the right team showed up tonight and we got the two points.”

“It was a good game for Ginner. It was a good game for our team in general though,” said Sacco. “It was a good one.”

Backed by another in a string of stellar starts from Avalanche goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the home team managed to chase the opposing netminder – Brian Elliott – from the game after putting home four goals on 19 shots.

“Probably not my best game this year but I thought we played really well,” said Giguere. “After they scored that third goal, sometimes this year we have a tendency to get on our heel, but we went right back on the attack and scored that big goal that sealed it for us.”

The Avalanche have performed admirably with the veteran Giguere between pipes, posting a 3-0-2 record since he called them out for lack of motivation.

“Jiggy’s played well. What can you say? And we’ve been winning with him in the net,” said Sacco. “Jiggy’s been great for us all season long. He’s played really well when he’s stepped in.”

Colorado’s victory kept the Blues from clinching a playoff berth.

“We just didn’t play as good as a team. That’s not how we wanted to play and obviously it’s frustrating not getting a win and clinching a playoff sport like we had a chance to do tonight,” said Elliott. “So that’s what’s frustrating.”

Both teams face off again on Tuesday night, in St. Louis.

What do you think of the effort?

The post Avalanche stifle the Blues in 5-3 win appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Despite a 2-0-2 push following harsh words from veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Colorado Avalanche fell back into familiar territory as they were easily overcome by an Edmonton Oilers team doing their best to take home their fourth-straight first overall draft pick.

Seeing his first start after a five game absence, netminder Semyon Varlamov gave up the first goal two and a half minutes into the contest. Something he’s been known to do on a consistent basis this season.

Even after his club tied it up, Varlamov just couldn’t keep the Avalanche in it. He gave up all four goals on the evening, two in the first and two in the second, on his way to his 19th loss of the season – his sixth in his last seven starts.

Quick to Varlamov’s defense, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Shane O’Brien thinks the problem lies elsewhere.

“We’ve two good goalies. Varly’s been good all year. We’ve given up some pretty quality chances where he’s made some saves that there’s some guys in the league that couldn’t make that save,” said O’Brien. “And Jiggy’s come in, when he’s played, he’s played well. Jiggy’s a competitor. Anytime he gets in there he’s going to compete as hard as he can.

“Goaltending’s definitely not been our problem this year. They’ve both been great. When you continue to give up quality chances in the middle of the ice, it doesn’t matter who’s in net, they’re going to score goals. So we haven’t been nearly good enough defensively. Those two guys have battled as hard as they could for us all year. It’s definitely not goaltending.”

While the defense has certainly been on the hook this year for a number of soft plays and continued chances for opposing shooters, the goaltending situation has almost certainly been a tale of two tenders.

“When you’re having the kind of year we’re having and you make those kinds of mistakes, it always ends up in the back of your net for some reason,” said O’Brien. “Obviously no one’s happy and it’s frustrating.”

Giguere was 4-4-4 entering the night, with a 2.73 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. Varlamov finished the game 10-19-3 on the season with a 3.06 goals against average and a .901 save percentage.

It doesn’t help when the other team’s keeper has a history of shaming the Colorado Avalanche into submission. Devan Dubnyk is now 7-3-1 against the Avs and entered the game averaging 2.03 goals allowed to Colorado while also having stopped .940 of all of their chances.

“They’ve had our number all year but yeah, anytime we’ve played against him, he’s looked good. He’s big. He competes. We just don’t get enough traffic in front of him,” said O’Brien. “But they’ve had our number all year so we’ve got to figure something out. But yeah, he’s a pretty good goalie.”

For Dubnyk, there isn’t a concrete reason why he plays better against the Avalanche than any other team. It’s just something that happens.

“They got a lot of skill over there and they always put a lot of pucks at the net. It’s always a game that you’re going to have to be sharp for,” said Dubnyk. “It’s funny how it goes sometimes. For whatever reason you have teams or buildings that you feel good in and, luckily for me, this is a building that I feel comfortable in. But you need to concentrate and make sure it stays that way going forward.

“It’s not really something you think about. It’s not like they’re easy games when we play them, by any means. But if you can take a team like that, that you feel comfortable against or, like I said, or a building, then it’s just a good opportunity to take that and try to carry that good feeling every time you play.”

The loss to the 23rd place Oilers did help the Avalanche in one respect. It kept them second to last in the NHL, just ahead of the Florida Panthers, and well on their way to a first overall draft pick.

The Avalanche have an 11 a.m. practice tomorrow before taking on the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night – Military Appreciation night – at the Pepsi Center. The contest is their second to last home game of the shortened season.

What do you think?

The post ‘A tale of two tenders’ the story in 4-1 Avalanche defeat appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Milan Hejduk | Courtesy of Lindsey Akiyama

Out recently with a shoulder injury, many are wondering if this is it for the 37-year-old winger from the Czech Republic. Hejduk has seen his role diminish with the team over the course of the last year. His ice time began to dwindle, his role on the club became that of a bottom pairing most frequently, and he even surrendered the team captaincy to sophomore Gabriel Landeskog over the summer.

He’s like Batman setting the stage for Robin.

Then you add injury to the mix and it suddenly seems that the lifetime Avalanche might be finished after the next five games.

That then raises the bigger question: if Hejduk does feel up to another season in Denver, will the organization even invite him back? Or will he be forced to hang up his skates?

There certainly has been some success in the over-40 club in the NHL this season. Both Jaromir Jagr and Teemu Selanne have done well given the propensity towards hockey being a young man’s game.

Despite the what-ifs, Hejduk will return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup tonight, after being absent since March 30th, as the club takes on the Edmonton Oilers at home.

“He’s been out, obviously, the last little while here so it’s an opportunity to get him back in there again and get him going,” said Head Coach Joe Sacco following the morning skate. “Hopefully he’ll make a good, positive contribution to our lineup tonight. He obviously brings some leadership to our lineup and hopefully he’ll have some good energy and give us a spark too as well.”

For Sacco, the game plan involves preparation for the kind of play that the Oilers bring with them. Regardless of standings, this match becomes about bragging rights for who is rebuilding more effectively. Youth versus youth with a sprinkling of leadership.

“They’re a team that thrives off of turnovers. They have a real good quick transition game and we don’t want to feed their fire,” said Sacco. ”They’re a dangerous team. That’s the best way to put it. I think that, with the offensive players they have over there, they’re capable of hurting you… if you’re not ready to play the game the right way against them. We’re going to try to check well tonight. We’re going to try to do a good job neutralizing their speed through the neutral zone and try to do a good job at defending the rush against them.”

With the task set for the five skaters on the ice, the Colorado Avalanche will look for some solid goaltending in the return of Semyon Varlamov to the cage. Sidelined recently with hip and groin issues, Varlamov now has to come in and pick up where Jean-Sebastien Giguere left off in a stretch of good performances, both in net and out. Sacco is banking on Varlamov rebounding with a strong showing of his own, silencing critics who say he’s been soft of late while rising up to meet some semblance of the high expectations of his talent.

“I think it [Varly's play] dropped a bit. I think it’s fair to say. He had that one real strong game against Nashville where he shutout Nashville here at home. But he’s had some ups and downs. Lately it’s been a little more down but it’s a good time for him now,” said Sacco. “He’s healthy again. He was battling with a little bit of groin and hip issues there while he was playing too but it’s a good time for him right now, in the course of these last five games, to get his game back on track, be real solid in there for us, and be the type of goaltender that we hope that he can be and that we think he can be. Solid, give us a chance to win, just like Jiggy’s been doing.”

“Jiggy’s been playing well, gives us a chance to win every time he’s in there. We’re just asking the same thing from Varly. Get in there, compete, and battle. Battle just like everyone else has been battling lately here.”

What do you think? Is this Hejduk’s last year? Can the Avs match the Oilers? Is Varlamov performing well enough?

The post Hejduk, Varlamov return as Avalanche face Oilers appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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When starting goaltender Semyon Varlamov recently went down with a hip injury, current Lake Erie Monsters netminder Sami Aittokallio got the call up. At the time, it seemed unlikely that Aittokallio would see his NHL debut as the Avalanche are known for never playing prospective keepers.

Yet with back-to-back road games on the docket, Aittokallio was given a chance to show fans and management the goods when he was announced as the club’s starter against the Los Angeles Kings. Aittokallio was quick on his feet, aggressive with the puck, and superbly confident out on the ice. Even so, the 20-year-old Finnish tender didn’t get quite the auspicious start that many had hoped he would when he was sniped by Kings forward Jeff Carter on an early power play.

“On Carter’s power-play goal from the right wing at 5:27, Aittokallio was just slightly off his angle. His pads and upper body was opened up towards the middle of the ice, almost as if he was “cheating” just a bit, expecting a pass to Mike Richards, who was cutting through the low slot,” wrote goalie scout Justin Goldman in a report for McKeen’s Hockey. “Because Aittokallio wasn’t fully square to the puck, the slight deflection off Erik Johnson’s stick blade caused the puck to move against Aittokallio’s grain, as he dropped and leaned to his right. There was a bit of excess coverage with his right elbow and blocker before the shot was released, which was visual proof he was just an inch or two off his angle.”

The Kings would get on the board again a few minutes later, putting the Avs in a 2-0 hole early in the first period.

“Richards quickly made it 2-0 when he picked up a loose puck just above the hash marks and fired a wrist shot through traffic and over Aittokallio’s glove. Sami was in a deep crouch and up on his skates just inside the blue paint when the shot was fired, but his glove was very low to the ice,” wrote Goldman. “When the shot was released, his hand was way too low to react in time to get a piece. This was a high-quality scoring chance off a broken play fired from the “danger zone” through a few bodies, so this was not not one you could fault him for.”

Aittokallio battled back though, shutting down the next seven shots in the frame and allowing his club to slowly take over the game in the ensuing forty minutes of play.

“I felt pretty good. Obviously I got lots of shots at the beginning of the game. I think that was probably good thing,” said Aittokallio. “I really felt good and I wasn’t nervous at all. It was more like I really wanted to play and I wanted to enjoy every second I was out there.”

With the Avalanche having come back to tie the game in the first six minutes of the third, Aittokallio looked primed for a heated finish in a tight contest. Instead, during a routine push from one side of the net to the other, Aittokallio’s leg locked up, forcing him to the ice with the weight of his own momentum. Unable to get back up, Aittokallio had to signal the officials to stop the game so he could be treated by a trainer. The young goaltender ended up leaving the match with a severe leg cramp due to dehydration.

“It was too bad I couldn’t finish but maybe next time,” said Aittokallio, who admitted to enjoying every second of his first start.

There seemed little to adjust to for the 6-foot-1, 174 pound puck stopper, who felt that the level of competition between the AHL and the NHL was minute.

“It’s not that big difference,” said Aittokallio. “A little bit faster but, after all, it’s not that big difference.”

Veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who came in as relief after the cramps took hold, also liked the showing from the prospect. He lauded the effort of the young goaltender in bouncing back from the early deficit and ultimately helping his team to overtime.

“It was a very difficult start for him. Back-to-back against the Stanley Cup Champion. It doesn’t get much harder than that but he did a great job,” said Giguere. “He really gave us a chance in the first. Even though we were down two-nothing after the first, I thought it could have been a lot worse. He made some big save and it’s what gave us a chance, at the end, to come back and get a big point.”

“I would have hoped for him to be able to finish a game. I think he would have deserved that but I’m sure the next one will be even better.”

Overall the NHL debut was a resounding success and offered a bright spot on the horizon for a team that hasn’t had much to celebrate this season, especially in the goaltending department. It also caught the eye of Goldman, who liked what he saw.

“At the tender age of 20, there’s no denying his debut was quite impressive,” wrote Goldman. “Ultimately, what I saw in Sami’s debut was fairly consistent with what I expected. Quick down low, aggressive, tenacious, and made in the image and likeness of so many raw-skilled Finnish prospects before him.”

“While you may see many athletic goalies utilize their flexibility to spread out wide when setting up for a shot, I liked the fact that Sami stayed fairly narrow and upright with his stance. This kept him from getting “locked in” with a wide stance, therefore he could use the shuffles and hop-steps to adjust his lateral positioning with ease and precision. Both goals in the game beat him high to the glove side, so aside from the rebounds, he was solid down low.”

The team element of play isn’t lost on the future of Avalanche netminding either. Down early, teammate Patrick Bordeleau jumped off the bench during a break, skated over to Aittokallio, and gave him a quick pat on the butt and some words of encouragement to keep him going. That kind of support is important for a team.

“Well of course it’s a big thing that guys trust me. We always need whole team to come up and get those win,” said Aittokallio. “So it’s a big thing we have all guys here doing same thing and all guys want to win.”

What do you think? Like the future of the net?

The post Aittokallio a bright spot on Avalanche’s horizon appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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In front of a few of Colorado’s bravest drivers and most diehard Avalanche fans – including the ladies of the Hockey in Heels event – the home team played with the reckless abandon afforded to them by having been eliminated from a postseason berth.

They were hitting, they were fighting, they were burying their opponent in a classic, back-and-forth game of puck on the pond.

Welcome to Colorado in April.

The blizzard that was.

As such, it was fitting for grinder Cody McLeod to step in and take over. Hot off of a tally in the game before, McLeod found himself playing on a line with Ryan O’Reilly and Avalanche Captain Gabriel Landeskog.

Parked in front of the net and taking the usual abuse as a result, McLeod scored the first goal of the game when he hammered in a rebound from a Landeskog shot. His partners had just run some mean puck control in the offensive zone and McLeod capitalized on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s failure to eat up the initial shot.

As the game mattered more to the Blue Jackets, they would naturally retaliate moments later, taking advantage of a defensive miscue to sneak one in past Jean-Sebastien Giguere – who has started regularly since calling the team out for accepting a culture of losing.

Columbus added another for good measure, attempting to pull away but McLeod would strike again. Standing just outside the blue paint, McLeod tipped in a Tyson Barrie shot from a bad angle. The puck bounced over a fallen Bobrovsky and into the twine to tie the match.

“I think we just kind of kept it simple and threw pucks at the net tonight. It was a great play by Barrie to throw it at the net,” said McLeod. “That’s how you’re going to get chances against that team. You work hard. They’re a cycling, grinding team.”

“It was a hard fought game. I thought our guys played hard for the most part. We got some great play from some guys, again, that have been playing well lately,” said Head Coach Joe Sacco. “Cody McLeod’s been really battling, playing hard out there. I thought that line was real good tonight.”

Both teams struck again in the third, Colorado on the power play and Columbus with less than two minutes remaining, to force bonus hockey.

“It’s just too bad we gave up that goal with a minute and a half or two minutes to go,” said McLeod. ” I think for 40 minutes, we played well. The chances we give up. We can’t give up a breakaway there with a minute and half to go there in the period.”

“The next shift, you just can’t afford to do that. A young mistake on the back end, you give up a breakaway,” said Sacco. “It’s unfortunate ’cause we battled hard. We competed.”

Despite the falling flakes outside and an active but small crowd, the Avalanche would run dry in overtime, losing 4-3 after Nick Foligno caught Giguere cheating on an odd-man rush.

“I guess I have that bad habit of always looking for the pass. They always say look for the shot first and if there is none there, throw a pass over but I was looking for [RJ Umberger],” said Foligno. “He wasn’t open so I just figured I’d shoot five-hole and catch him before he went down and, luckily, it was was able to sneak through his legs.”

Foligno’s goal brought Columbus one game closer to making the postseason.

“There’s no quit on this team. It’s what is going to allow us to hopefully get into the playoffs and have a real good push at the stretch here,” said Foligno.

“We really thought we weren’t going to give them any points. I talked to you guys this morning about that and trying to play the spoiler role there and what they did to us last year,” said Sacco. “So that stings. That still stings a little bit right now, that part. It is an example of a team that, they work hard and they’re fairly structured and they’ve got great goaltending.”

“Obviously we wanted those two points badly tonight and didn’t want to give them any.”

What do you think?

The post McLeod nets two in 4-3 Avalanche loss appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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“It’s always an honor to be able to represent your country in any manner. I was able to do it as a player a few times and now as a coach. It’s an honor,” said Sacco. “I’m thrilled that they asked me. I’d rather be coaching here [with the Avalanche], in the playoffs, but that’s not the position we’re in right now. But I’m excited about the opportunity that USA Hockey has given me and looking forward to it.”

Set to take place in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden from May 3rd to the 19th, Sacco will again work with a group of the top United States-born players – including NHLers not in the playoffs – as he looks to make Team USA one to beat in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Championships.

Sacco is no stranger to the international tournament. He was assistant coach for Team USA in both 2009 and 2010 and also competed in the event himself in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2002. He also played in the 1992 Winter Olympics.

Although the Colorado Avalanche are currently fighting it out for last place in the NHL, it wasn’t long ago that the man behind the bench was nominated for the Jack Adams award for Coach of the Year. Sacco took a team that finished in last place in the Western Conference and brought them into the playoffs the following season, the only time the Avalanche have seen a postseason birth during his tenure.

As controversial as the decision to name Sacco Head Coach may seem, an advisory group consisting of NHL scouts Brian Burke and Don Waddell and General Managers Stan Bowman, Paul Holmgren, Dean Lombardi, David Poile, Ray Shero, and Dale Tallon decided him the top choice for the job.

The news certainly seems to be quite the vote of confidence in Sacco’s abilities to lead a team of youth and talent on the icy field of competition.

It also helps that they know he will be available come May.

What do you think? Like the decision?

The post Colorado Avalanche’s Sacco named Head Coach of Team USA appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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The Thunder Bay, Ontario native would go on to coach his ever-changing group to two consecutive National Championship wins, three WCHA regular season titles, four Broadmoor trophies, four WCHA Coach of the Year honors, and twelve straight 20-win seasons. During his tenure in town, the Pioneers would fall under 20 wins just five times.

Despite being one of the greatest coaches in all of Denver sports history, Gwozdecky was fired by the University of Denver on April 1st, a fitting time considering the implications. Apparently his litany of accolades wasn’t enough for management and select donors. While exact details are unclear, it seems that Denver’s first round bow-out of the NCAA tournament this season, coupled with a contract set to expire next year and an inability to collect National Championships like toenail clippings, lead to a differing of opinions between the once prestigious University and the celebrated coach.

“At first I was shocked. He had one year left, I guess, on his deal. I think a lot of people, the guys I talked to – ex-players and stuff – feel kind of upset a little bit. Especially being alumni,” said former Pioneers Captain and current Denver Cutthroats Captain Aaron MacKenzie. “I don’t know how things shook out there but I think it’s going to be a big loss for DU.”

“I thought it was awful. Everyone I’ve talked to, all my teammates, all the alumni that I’ve been close with, we’re all so disappointed, obviously,” said former Pio and current Allen Americans forward Anthony Maiani. “Gwozdecky’s done so much for the program and everything, not only winning and losing, but he’s built all of us guys. [He taught us] great character on and off the ice, in the classroom, the community. He’s been great for us.”

Heralded for his work on the ice, many players were quick to point out the importance of Gwozdecky’s efforts away from the rink. The coach played a major role in shaping each class of players into men, primed for success during and after college – an aspect not often seen by fans of the team.

“He taught you a lot about the game but a lot of the stuff off the ice, I thought, was more important than even just the coaching, the exes and ohs, and stuff like that,” said MacKenzie, a Thunder Bay native himself. “He was a good hockey guy but he was just a good person trying to teach guys to be leaders.”

“He was very professional in everything he did. That was the one thing that he brought to the players. ‘Be professional, not only on the ice, but off the ice,’” said another former DU Captain and current Cutthroats forward Gabe Gauthier. “He conducted himself that way in press conferences, even meeting with alumni and boosters. He was a first class guy and that’s what he brought to the players that all went through DU. That’s why we were all successful as men, not only as players.”

“Guys respected him. When Coach came in the locker room, no one said a word. Everyone listened,” said MacKenzie. “When he spoke it kind of meant something. To be there for 19 years and have that over and over with every single class, it just kind of speaks to the person he is.”

Whether it was molding future champions or building a powerhouse from the ground up, Gwozdecky’s tenure with DU was a work of art. He worked with a dedicated coaching staff to recruit top-notch, well rounded players that would go through Denver’s system with pride.

“Obviously you don’t want to see a coach or anybody get fired but, just for the time he was there, he turned that whole University around in the hockey program. I know before I got recruited, no one knew Denver University was even Division I,” said Gauthier. “He did a lot special things for that program, even in the early ’90′s and in the 2000′s with all the success and it just kept going.”

Gwozdecky managed to create a Colorado connection with the school, bringing in local players to represent their home team, guys like Drew, Nick, and Quentin Shore. He also spent time working with alumni, fostering a relationship between the past, present, and future of the program.

“He’s done a lot for DU, which is probably one of the better sports programs in all of Colorado,” said MacKenzie. “He’ll be tough to replace for sure.”

Now, as the University – who has certainly cast themselves in the role of the villain in all of this – has announced 43-year-old Jim Montgomery as the new head coach, many are wondering what the future looks like for DU. The school has lost Nick Shore and Juho Olkinoura to the NHL and Scott Mayfield to the AHL. More could follow.

They also saw one prospect, Gage Ausmus, change his mind about coming to Denver. He decommited instead, according to Andrew Weiss of Future Considerations.

Some are beginning to think that the the switch in coaching has to do with the direction of the sports program at DU. While certainly secondary to the hockey program, there has been a big push for Basketball to take over during the last five years.

As the microscope stays on the University of Denver, there are also questions about what the next steps for Gwozdecky will be. Whether it is the NHL, the NCAA, or beyond, the coach has no desire to hang up his skates just yet.

“I’m not done coaching. I’ve spent the last 34 years coaching, mentoring, teaching young people, to assist them in developing a more mature attitude towards life,” said Gwozdecky during a press conference at DU. “I’m excited to explore the many avenues that may be available to me. I repeat, I am not done coaching.”

While there is little information about where the great coach will go next, there is no doubt that he will achieve great things once he gets there.

“He’ll do well wherever he goes,” said MacKenzie. “I’m sure of that.”

“It’s just one of those things. It’s tough to hear about but, with his coaching ability and just the way he conducts himself, I have no doubt that he’ll find another spot somewhere,” said Gauthier. “It’ll be interesting to see where he goes.”

“He’s definitely well respected. Guys love him. I love him,” said Maiani. “It’s tough. It sucks.”

What do you think?

The post Firing George Gwozdecky a bad choice for DU? appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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The Avalanche had another test of their mettle on Saturday afternoon as they faced the third place Vancouver Canucks with only pride on the line. And maybe a little chance at vengeance.

Colorado came out hot in the first period, scoring a goal less than two minutes into the match. Vancouver defenseman Kevin Bieksa, trying to clear the puck out of the corner, sent it right to the tape of Avs Captain Gabriel Landeskog’s stick instead. All alone in the slot and coasting towards the net, Landeskog snapped it home behind goaltender Cory Schneider to take the lead.

Yet as good as the Avalanche played in the first, they were equally as bad in the second. The home team’s breakdown came to a head when they allowed Vancouver to score back-to-back tallies, blowing the lead and looking as if the game was over.

“They got a little bit lucky. They got got a couple bounces and took two leads tonight but we stuck with it. We knew we were playing a decent game,” said Avalanche forward P.A. Parenteau. “We finally got rewarded in the third period. That’s the bottom of the story tonight.”

The Avalanche never quit, never gave up, and instead found goals from Cody McLeod, Parenteau, and defenseman Jan Hejda to come out with a 4-3 victory over the Canucks.

Tied and with overtime looking certain, Hejda blasted a shot from the point up and over Schneider’s blocker and into the netting with just seven seconds remaining in the match.

“It was simple. I just closed my eyes and shoot it,” joked Hejda after the win. “There’s not too much time for shots. Usually the teams are doing a great job at blocking the shots so I’m trying to shoot one-timers all the time and this one was one of the good ones.”

Hejda’s last second score brought Colorado their first regulation win over the Canucks since October 3rd, 2010. It was his first allowed goal of the year.

“I don’t think they played their best game today. Second period wasn’t that great but we just said, before the third period, we said that we have to keep it simple,” said Hejda. “We did it and, especially for the third period, we stay with our game plan.”

“They came out in the third. We maybe thought they were going to fold but they came out hard. They outcompeted us,” said Henrik Sedin. “That is why they beat us. You can blame it on a system, or turnovers, or whatever, but they outworked us.”

It’s safe to say the the young Avalanche squad has more than responded to Giguere’s call to arms from earlier in the week. They took five of six points from teams in a fight for playoff positioning, playing spoiler as the year winds down.

Giguere couldn’t be happier.

“I was hoping. I was hoping guys would respond that way. I’m proud of the guys. I’m proud of the guys for the way that they’ve responded,” said Giguere. “There was a lot of pressure on everybody after that day. It was one of those days. I’m not sure what was I thinking but hopefully it was a step in the right direction.

“We’re showing some leadership. We’re showing some character. We’re battling to get some wins. The game isn’t perfect, but at least we’re finding ways to be there at the end, like we were tonight.”

McLeod’s goal showcased a softer-handed side of the scrappy pugilist. The grinder made a finesse move to freeze Schneider before putting the puck in five-hole.

The Avalanche have practice on Sunday before taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday night at Pepsi Center.

What do you think of the win? How about the last week? Think Giguere nailed it?

The post Avalanche defeat Canucks for first time since 2010 appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Drafted 22nd overall by the Quebec Nordiques, Foote went on to play seventeen seasons with the Nordiques/Avalanche, winning two Stanley Cups and nine consecutive division titles during his tenure. Foote ceremoniously returned to Denver following a two season stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets, earning the team captaincy for two seasons (2009-11) and providing invaluable leadership to a squad that was constantly getting younger.

In 1,154 games played in the NHL, Foote put up 66 goals, 242 assists, and finished plus-99 with 1,534 penalty minutes. He also featured in three Winter Olympic games (1998, 2002, 2006) and came away with a gold medal during the ’02 games in Salt Lake City, Utah.

A stay-at-home tough guy who didn’t take guff from anyone, Foote was known for his punishing play in his own defensive zone. He went out like this in a blaze of glory during his last game at home, in front of a packed house, at the conclusion of the 2010-11 season.

Standing on one foot, the veteran got a standing ovation as he abused poor Edmonton Oilers forward Teemu Hartikainen in typical wrecking-ball fashion during his final shift in a burgundy sweater.

Adam Foote’s number, 52, will join the ranks of other Colorado Avalanche greats including Joe Sakic, Patrick Roy, Peter Forsberg, and Ray Bourque.

The news of his retirement ceremony comes less than a week before Foote will be inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. He will be in good company, as Steve Atwater (Denver Broncos), Don Baylor (Colorado Rockies), Don Cockcroft (Cleveland Browns), Steve Jones (golf), and Stan Williams (Brooklyn Dodgers) will also be welcomed into the history books in Colorado.

What do you think about the announcement? Will you go to the game?

The post Colorado Avalanche to retire Adam Foote’s jersey appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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Photo courtesy of bicameral | Flickr.com

The Avalanche entered the game at a crossroads, a moral juxtaposition which would never be admitted.

Do they lose and keep their last place designation, bringing with it a higher chance at the first overall draft pick in franchise history? Or do they try their hardest to prove to anyone still paying attention that they won’t quit, even on a season that quit on them months ago?

The thing about Colorado’s motivations to win is that, even with hearts full of desire, the club cannot muster the effort required to take home a victory, let alone on the regular.

Given a chance to play spoiler against the Detroit Red Wings and the Phoenix Coyotes, two teams on the playoff bubble, they couldn’t. With no pressure left on the year they dropped a heartbreaker in overtime after failing to convert in the third one night and simply did not show up to what could have been an easy match in the desert during the next.

Following a 3-1 loss to the equally lowly Flames, Colorado Avalanche veteran Jean-Sebastien Giguere pulled back the curtain, showing the world behind the facade for a minute while allowing fans a chance to see how badly things have gotten.

“Some guys are more worried about their Vegas trip at the end of season than playing the remaining games. Quite frankly I don’t care about your Vegas trip right now. It’s not constructive,” said Giguere following yet another defeat in a string of up and down performances. “It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed to be here right now. It’s not even funny.”

Maybe the #SuckForSeth and Road to Thirty movements aren’t too far off of reality. After all, the Avalanche seem content with half-efforts and near misses in the win column.

“We have to find a way to get out of this losing mentality. It starts by me and then the next guy beside me and everybody’s got to do their part,” said Giguere. “We talk about it everyday. At some point we have to understand. There’s no more excuse. It’s not about being young. We have to put our head in the game.”

When asked if it was a of lack of talent or a problem with attitude, the response was simple.

“It’s not talent,” said Giguere.

The issue is both more basic and more complex than that.

“I think it comes down to us not playing very well defensively. We spend too much time in our own zone and that’s hard. That’s why it’s hard. We know we can score some goals. We have some offensive tools,” said Giguere. “We talk about it everyday. At some point we have to understand. There’s no more excuse. It’s not about being young. We have to put our head into the game.”

A funk has settled into the Avalanche dressing room. You can feel it when entering. You can taste it while standing. You can hear it in the silences. It’s everywhere.

There is no light at the end of the tunnel, whether before a game or after another in a long list of losses.

“Nobody wants to be in this situation. Definitely this is not fun. We are losing and losing is not fun. To try to stay loose is kind of easy to say but hard to do,” said Jan Hejda after his club’s morning skate.

Hejda admitted that, while he knows that the team needs to relax and play loose, it just isn’t something that seems plausible right now.

“It feels like it’s not even possible. Of course everybody trying hard to score and win the games but, once we are one or two goals down on the game, it’s like we have everything on our shoulders,” said Hejda. “It’s just pushing and pushing and we can’t score. We have to play more loose but I don’t see how right now.

“Once you win two, three, four games in a row, everything change. You go on the ice, you know it’s going to be a fun game. You know we’re going to score some goals. Right now we just don’t have this. Right now, everybody trying to defend. Everybody just scared to play.

“It’s not time to be scared right now but this is part of the game. Everything is mental.”

Age is obviously an issue. If players are looking forward to Vegas and not the chance to keep an opponent out of the playoffs, it’s not the older guys. To them, every game is important until the season is over.

For now it seems that playing a full 60 minutes for some is less about the desire to win and more about getting another black stain of a year over with.

Gone are the ‘we won’t lose this game’ rallying cries and comeback efforts. They have been replaced with ‘we’re down early, it’s over’ lamentations.

Those that want to win show up. The rest are mailing it in. So, for now, the promise of
drafting a defenseman – Seth Jones – who can one day shore up a glaring weakness is the only thing that fans have to look forward to.

And even that isn’t a sure thing.

That is unless veterans like Giguere and Hejda can inspire their teammates to do better, want more, and aim higher.

What do you think?

The post Colorado Avalanche quitting on the season? appeared first on Hockey on the Rocks.

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