It’s a rare night where the Colorado Avalanche have a game to play at home in Denver and only those attending the match will be able to see what happens.

Due to the fact that NBC Sports has flexed away from the Columbus Blue Jackets at Avalanche broadcast, the Altitude staff pretty much has the night off. What does that mean for fans of the local NHL team?

An impromptu meet and greet with the on air personalities and other Avalanche staff. Propagated by Marc Moser, one of the few guys who still has a lot of work to do, fans will have access to guys including Peter McNab, Mike Haynes, Kyle Keefe, Mark Bertagnolli, and more. The only thing that fans need to do is show up.

The Avs game after party will take place at the Tailgate, which is where Braun’s used to be, across from the Pepsi Center. If you have any questions or desire a rare chance to meet the press, head over there after Colorado’s latest most important game of the season and connect with those in the know over food and drinks.

What do you think? Are you going?

The Burgundy Brigade is proud to present another exclusive game of the month ticket offer for February. Join your fellow Brigadiers upstairs as the Colorado Avalanche take on the Carolina Hurricanes on February 10th. In conjunction with Ladies Night, taking place downstairs, we’re happy to offer fans additional seating options.

This exclusive offer is available to for Avalanche fans looking to bring noise to the Pepsi Center. Unite with a growing community of passionate Avalanche fans and help cheer the boys to another victory!

Looking for somewhere fun to watch this week’s 2011 NHL Entry Draft? Want to be surrounded by fellow fans and friends as the team selects the important Jenga pieces that could bring a Stanley Cup back to Denver?

Look no further as there are not one, but two Colorado Avalanche draft parties to choose from.

Being hosted by the organization itself, the Official Avs Draft Party will take place on Friday – obviously – at Govnr’s Park Tavern in Denver. The festivities kick off at 5 pm and you can be sure to find a packed house,  even if they do offer a Detroit Red Wings Happy Hour…

The second draft party is being hosted by the good folks over at Mile High Hockey and will take place at 5pm at the Fox and Hound in Littleton. MHH is promising draft audio through the 11th pick and a hearty crowd of Avalanche elite amongst the various food and drink specials.

So whether you want to celebrate the draft officially or unofficially, you have options to chose from. Be sure to head out and watch the picks with company!

What do you think? Which draft party are you going to?

The Avalanche Guild is proud to offer fans across the Front Range with an awesome discount ticket special for Friday’s home game against Henrik Lundqvist, Marian Gaborik, Sean Avery and the New York Rangers. After the Avs game, we’ll be hosting our fourth After-Hours game of the year between two Beer and Blades adult hockey teams!

Click below to support their event, our program and to save money on tickets to the game.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

The Avalanche Guild is getting ready to host our third After-Hours game of the season on Thursday night following the Avs vs. Canucks game at Pepsi Center. As such, we have awesome discount tickets available for the game that you won’t find anywhere else. So support The Jury adult hockey team and purchase your tickets using the flyer below.

UPPER & LOWER LEVEL TICKETS
ADT CLUB LEVEL TICKETS

The Avalanche Guild is proud to offer special discounted tickets to Saturday’s (Oct. 30) game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Come see Rick Nash, Nikita Filatov and Steve Mason take on your beloved Avalanche at a great deal and support our After-Hours program and the Old Style adult hockey teams!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

Just a heads up that our next Live Guild Chat of the season is set up for 7:30p MST tonight. We’ll be covering the Avalanche @ Canucks game and providing insight and analysis on your Colorado Avalanche! As always, we’ll also answer fantasy and other goalie-related questions and discussing the current state of the Colorado Avalanche for most of the night!

Click above to enter our Live Chat Room and thanks for joining! If you haven’t joined one of our chats before, they are a lot of fun and can be very resourceful if you have specific questions about the Colorado Avalanche. It’s also a great way to meet other Avalanche fans and Avs bloggers as well.

Remember we host these Live Guild Chats for every Avalanche road game, as it is one of our finest traditions here at The Avalanche Guild. So be sure to join us and we look forward to getting to know you as the season gets underway.

The Avalanche Guild would like to send a special thanks to the entire Mile High Hockey contingency for their excellent support of our After-Hours program and for their awesome sportsmanship on Pepsi Center yesterday afternoon.

We kicked off our fourth season of After-Hours games with a new annual event that pins two popular Avalanche websites against each other. Mile High Hockey vs. The Avs Guild included a few other Avalanche websites as well, like The Burgundy Blog and Avs Weekly. The game brought 30 local Avs fans together for a friendly game of shinny on Pepsi Center ice prior to the Avs game against the Sharks.

Derek Bell, who writes for MHH, drove all the way from Washington (with a pit stop in Las Vegas) to play in this game and he did a great job of spearheading his team’s efforts. A true leader on and off the ice, Bell did a great job between the pipes for MHH despite the lack of oxygen and air in his lungs. We saw shades of Patrick Roy in his style, as his white and blue Koho pads stopped tons of shots from our crew. 

You can also check out a quick video Bell shot before the game started right here!

The game was very evenly matched. Both teams traded chances up and down the ice as the game was clean and the pace was fast for the entire 60 minutes. The Avs Guild would score a late short-handed goal off the stick of Andy Robbins from Avs Weekly and it was just enough to give The Avs Guild a 4-3 victory over Mile High Hockey. Ben Vernelson III was forced to make a few frantic saves in the final minute to sustain the one goal lead and John Wheeler was mere inches from tying the game.

For myself, the event was one of the most memorable in After-Hours history. It was a time-consuming process getting two teams together in just a few weeks into the season, but the support that came through both sides in the final days leading up to the game was monumental and heart-warming. The whole game was a true reflection of the passionate fan base that exists in Colorado and within both websites’ following.

I loved having the opportunity to stand behind both benches and do some coaching for fun. I spent the first period coaching The Avs Guild team, but most of the guys on our team were very good friends of mine and I knew they understood my style. I made a trade after the first, sending Wheeler over to Mile High Hockey to even out the teams just a bit, and then I shifted to the Mile High Hockey bench to coach them for the second and third. What a great group of guys! Tons of communication, plenty of laughs, a ton of support along the boards and overall just a solid hockey team.

Overall, it was an awesome way to kick off the fourth season of our exclusive on-ice event and because of everyone’s support, we are already planning the second-annual Avalanche Blogger Battle for sometime next season. Thanks for the great support and we’ll see you guys next time!

And of course, a special thanks to the 15 guys that joined forces to make up The Avs Guild team. It was great to bring some of my good friends and closest followers together for this awesome event!

THE AVS GUILD TEAM
1. BEN VERNELSON – G
2. JOHN WHEELER
3. RICHARD WOLDSETH
4. RYAN BOULDING
5. JONATHAN GEBHART
6. RICKY GRASSO
7. ANDY ROBBINS
8. MIKE LEE
9. KYLE SEE
10. SEAN HUTCHENS
11. ANTHONY ROMERO
12. JEFFERY GEIL
13. SHANE WAKELAND
14. SHAUN HOLLIS
15. DEREK PATTON

At today’s final Colorado Avalanche Training Camp session, none of the usual Sunday morning sentiments of peace, compassion and good will towards our fellow man were shared on the ice. Not a drop of civility was found, for we were all amongst wolves.

Without warning, this year’s training camp ignited a fire that set the entire group of veterans and prospects aflame. No time off for good behavior, no holding back. Just 56 players fighting for exposure like a pack of bloodthirsty, savage beasts.

And it was quite an awesome spectacle to watch.

Two sets of three scrimmages in consecutive days goes a long way in elevating the pace, flow and speed at which everyone performs. And while most other teams in the league eased their way into the pace of a pre-season game, the Avalanche players’ intensity escalated to the point where they are two steps ahead of the pack.

In the race to October, the Avs are already set up in the starting block. But everyone else is still tying their shoes.

The schedule over the last week has been hectic. A rookie camp from Tuesday to Thursday. Physicals and tests on Friday. Scrimmages on Saturday and Sunday. A fan-friendly Burgundy-White game in Broomfield on Monday. The first team flight and pre-season game in St. Louis on Tuesday, then right back here to Denver for a game against the Kings on Wednesday.

In order to truly understand what kind of impact the “two-day camp dynamic” has on this year’s Avalanche team, Tuesday’s pre-season opener against the Blues and Wednesday night’s game against the Kings will provide the answers. For how they skate and execute compared to the Blues and the Kings will go a long way in determining if the pros outweigh the cons.

To give you an example of the difference in camp structures, the Blues held two practices on Saturday, then one big scrimmage sandwiched in between two more practices today. Instead of a more glorified scrimmage game tomorrow, they will hold two more practices. And then again on Tuesday morning. Guess which team might have the better wheels on Tuesday night?

Because the two-day dynamic was at the forefront of my analysis over the last five days, I’ll review today’s camp with this in mind and drop some of my scouting notes by position. Guess which one comes first? Yep. I’ll post reviews on the forwards and defensemen on Monday, just in case any cuts are made. Enjoy! 

GOALTENDING

The two-day dynamic has a bigger influence on the goalies than any other position. Timing and confidence is everything, so to be lacking in either of those areas will certainly lend a hand to struggling. Even more important, however, is the negative effect of almost no one-on-one time with the goalie coach.

Fortunately, it happened last season with Jocelyn Thibault. For two days, he ran drills with Billy Sauer, Peter Delmas, Tyler Weiman, Trevor Cann and Peter Budaj. The comments below were the opening paragraph of my goaltending recap of last year’s training camp:

“A prospect can improve at an incredibly fast rate when someone that mastered the position at the NHL level is constantly providing that prospect with feedback. Especially with a position like goaltending, one that relies on non-stop progression and refinement, having a goalie consultant that understands the nature of the game (especially in 2009) and can relate to today’s elite puck stoppers is the most important factor in developing the goalie depth chart.”

This year, however, I did not see Kirk McLean do any legitimate goaltending drills with the prospects, neither during Rookie Camp or at any point this weekend. This lack of goalie-specific training over the last five days seriously affects two goalie prospects that have tremendous long-term value. Can you guess who I’m speaking of? You got it – Brandon Maxwell and Calvin Pickard.

Simply put, both goalies struggled in training camp, but not because they lack skill or confidence. It was simply due to the extreme jump that comes from facing shots at the major-junior level (Pickard plays in the WHL, Maxwell in the OHL), taking the summer off, then facing shots at the NHL level. That alone is an extremely tough task. But having to do it without the valuable advice that comes from an NHL goalie coach is nearly impossible.

You will hear and read a lot of things about the performances of Maxwell, Pickard and Cann. Very few, if any, will be positive. But trust me – even without goalie-specific drills with McLean - they all did plenty of things that impressed the coaching and scouting staff.

CALVIN PICKARD- Pickard impressed me because of his durability, steadiness and overall net presence. He is definitely poised to be the better than his brother, Chet, who is battling for a spot behind Pekka Rinne in Nashville. He’s definitely plays the calm butterfly style and does an excellent job of sealing holes and letting the puck hit him. He works very hard to see the puck around bodies and create his own flawless lines of sight. That work ethic is one of his best assets. He played 62 games last season with the Seattle Thunderbirds, so he can handle a heavy workload and he can execute with high levels of energy regardless of how many shots he faces.

Was he scrambly at times? Absolutely. Did he give up bad rebounds? Sure did. But did any of that come from a lack of talent? not even close. It comes from the jump in pace and speed that comes from NHL shooters. And even though the competition caused his confidence to wane over the weekend, that work ethic and positive attitude never dropped at all. He made big saves on breakaways on a number of occasions in this year’s camp and he displayed to me exactly what makes him such a tremendous prospect. One or two more years in Seattle, maybe a little more weight and refinement and he will be primed and ready to begin his pro career in the AHL.

If you look at the two photos included here, you’ll notice some of what I mean. In the first one above, he’s frozen solid on a shot that beats him low glove side. The inability to track the puck with his eyes causes him to tense up and brace for a shot. And that means he’s not executing correctly. In the shot below, he reacts to a Kyle Quincey blast by standing up and trying to re-direct the puck with his blocker and stick. Instead of butterflying and getting a pad behind the shot, he stands up and whiffs completely. The result? A puck in the back of the net.

These shots only represent a small sample of goals that resulted from a lack of timing and experience. At his age, one can’t expect him to have the ability or wherewithal to execute at this level. But in most instances, including the photo below, he displayed outstanding net coverage and showed why he plays bigger than his size would predict.

BRANDON MAXWELL - Maxwell impressed me this weekend because of his refined technique and style. He has faster footwork and a tighter stance. Last season, I considered him a “calm butterfly” goalie that relied more on solid positioning than reactions. He was what you would call a passive goalie, one that waits for the puck to hit him instead of flashing feet and hands in order to take away space.

This season, he had a much better balance of both. And that balance is what every goalie needs to be truly successful in the NHL. His stance and execution in this year’s camp was much more active and his faster feet allowed him to be better positioned to make those second and third saves. Overall, I could clearly see vast improvements in most areas of his game. This is a luxury that comes with playing in the CHL. He played close to 50 games and faced a ton of shots against the best players in his age range.

The areas in which he struggled during camp included shots up high – namely glove side - and deflections. These just so happen to be the two areas that are exposed the most when timing and confidence is not where it needs to be. Therefore, I took nothing negative away from most of the goals he allowed in the warm-ups and scrimmages. But breaking down his performance from a technique and skill standpoint (a la our patented scouting charts), the grades and ratings went up in almost every category.

TREVOR CANN -Cann impressed me because of his adjusted mechanics and improved skating. Just like for any hockey player, skating ability is the most important skill to have. If you can’t skate, you can’t stop the puck in an efficient manner. Last season, Cann was the slowest goalie on the team. His entire stride mechanics were not anywhere close to where they needed to be. But over the season, possibly the summer, something changed.

He’s faster. He’s better balanced. He’s much more mobile. He’s more confident. I could go on and on. He was the most improved goalie in the system and has gone from being in my doghouse to being a potential #4 goalie in the system. Of course John Grahame will cover that role for now behind Jason Bacashihua, but next year, Cann will be ready for a full season in the AHL. And more AHL games this season could prove he’s ready now. It’s possible, but I wasn’t that impressed. He still has a lot of work to do before he’s considered anything more than a future AHL’er.

PETER BUDAJ - To explain my thoughts on Budaj’s performance in camp, I have one word for you – confident. Last season, he had a real defeated attitude and constantly buried his head into the ice. He was intimidated by Craig Anderson’s presence and he struggled with his rebound control. This season, however, Budaj clearly knows his role and has embraced what he means to this team. The fact he was re-signed after playing so little last year says a lot for his influence in the locker room and on the bench.

Because of his happy-go-lucky attitude, Budaj clearly fills the backup role on this team to perfection. He’s the best kind of partner a goalie like Anderson could hope for. And with that comes plenty of comfort for Budaj. Because of this, he played a much more relaxed and composed butterfly style than what was seem in last year’s camp.

Another visible difference in Budaj’s game is that his pads (due to new sizing regulations) are probably a 1/4-inch to a 1/2-inch shorter than last year’s. This is not a negative thing, for a goalie that wears slightly shorter pads will not only benefit from an increase in mobility, but they will feel a little lighter and execute just a little bit easier as well. Above you see a shot of Budaj’s thigh rises and how there’s a tiny bit of space, but combined with his confidence, his technique in areas like rebound control, butterfly slides and overall movement in the scrimmages was visibly better than last season.

JASON BACASHIHUA - Cold Hard Cash is back and better than ever. But we’ll have a more in-depth article on him, including an interview with his goalie coach over the summer and some videos, next week. Briefly, he’s more calm, patient and mobile than last season and a lot of that comes from his improved footwork. He also has one of the most underrated gloves in the AHL.

—–[ THE AVALANCHE GUILD ]—–

Ultimately, I was very impressed by the improvement of the three youngest goalies in camp and the performance of the top four goalies in camp. Grahame struggled the most of the NHL and AHL goalies, but I don’t think it’s worth explaining the reasons why. He’s simply here to provide stability behind Bacashihua. It’s fun to see him try and stop the puck using the traditional butterfly style that dominated the game in the late-90′s, but other than that, he’s not a very capable goalie.

Unfortunately, the overall development of Avalanche goaltending as a whole was somewhat impacted by a lack of goalie-specific training on the ice with McLean. He was on the bench for a few scrimmages and then on the drills side of the ice today, but I didn’t see anything more than some conversation with the goalies at different points over the weekend. I only have one set of eyes, so if you saw something I didn’t, please leave a comment below.

A goalie coach is extremely crucial to a prospect’s success in a pro training camp. Without the micro-analysis, the verbal feedback and the positive reinforcement from McLean on the ice over the last five days, Pickard and Maxwell clearly struggled to keep up. But again, it was not a reflection of a lack of skill or long-term upside. The Avalanche failed to take advantage of a great opportunity to really enhance Pickard’s first camp experience and Maxwell’s second. And for myself, that was a little disappointing.

What makes a two-day training camp so unique and entertaining?

The urgency, both on and off the ice.

With only six hours to impress the entire Colorado Avalanche coaching and scouting staff and stake a claim to one of the team’s 23 roster spots, players can boost their value and reputation in a single line rush, body check or glove save. That’s all it takes to turn heads, raise eyebrows and have the reporters and fans talking amongst themselves. One good play begets the next, and that is how impressions are made, quotes are dropped and hype starts to build.

It happened with Ryan O’Reilly and Matt Duchene last year. And it could happen again this season with guys like Ryan Stoa, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colby Cohen. And even though the Avs did not acquire many players over the summer, a few jobs are still up for grabs and certain roles need to be filled.

Today’s session went a long way in reflecting the frenzied atmosphere that is to be expected of a quick two-day training camp. It was fast, furious, physical and quite competitive. No love was lost, no friendly jokes were tossed back and forth, no time was wasted, no players held up on the body contact and no drills were run. Just pure, hard-nosed hockey.

The Avalanche coaching staff, once again, was not on the ice at all. They all watched from the stands, as did I. Three games, each 45 minutes in length, took place between the black, grey and blue teams. Below are just some of my thoughts and notes from today’s camp.

PETER BUDAJ - Did not look any more refined or improved from a skills perspective, but his confidence level compared to last year’s first day of training camp was much higher. He played at the top of his crease throughout the first half of the scrimmage, controlled his rebounds, moved effectively and communicated well with his defensemen. Although he did not see much action in the first scrimmage, I point to a nice breakaway save on Wacey Hamilton as proof of his confidence. He handled the puck well and did not seem rattled, tense, nervous or shaky.

MIKE CARMAN - I was impressed with his situational awareness and vision, especially away from the puck. Solid skating stride and skills. His highlight play of the day came in the first scrimmage when he carried the puck behind the next, executed a solid wraparound with balance and then roofed the puck over Craig Anderson’s left shoulder. Anderson was down early, but Carman’s quick release was impressive. I like his ability to keep possession of the puck and his overall skills are above average.

CAMERON GAUNCE – Today was not an impressive showing for the defenseman. He did not read plays with much precision and he failed to keep the puck in his offensive zone on more than a few occasions. He did not have the energy or alertness you expect to see from a major-junior standout. He did not provide any offense, nor did he bring much of a physical element to his game. His timing was simply off and he didn’t do much to try and snap out of his funk.

GREG MAULDIN – The bread winner of today’s session. Energetic, explosive stride, quick release, situationally aware. He has many NHL-level assets. I loved his ability to anticipate and read plays. He has wheels that can’t be overlooked. He had one of the best work ethics all day long. As the scrimmages continued, he did more to turn heads and create a buzz in the stands. You will hear many writers, bloggers and analysts mention him as one of the guys that stood out. Why? He never took a shift off, and every time he was on the ice, he made something happen or played to one of his strengths. I point to a brilliant cross-ice pass that landed right on the stick of Philippe Dupuis and resulted in a goal. He’s not a typical “rookie” mold at 28 years of age, so his experience lends a hand to his ability to execute at such a high level on the first day of camp. He’ll be a brilliant addition to the Lake Erie roster and because of his age, could be one of the first forwards called up to the big club. It is somewhat of a shame that he’s at the center position, but guys like him often find a way to make things happen. Oh, he also added a goal and hit two posts to boot. His release is definitely NHL-quality.

MATT FORD – One of three players on an AHL contract alongside Travis Gawryletz and Patrick Bordeleau, so he’s simply fighting for a role in Lake Erie. After today, he is certainly in the running and on the minds of the coaching staff. It was late in the second scrimmage that he made a real impact in today’s camp, as he re-directed a harmless shot from Gaunce up and over Calvin Pickard and then came right back and ripped a shot over Pickard’s glove just a few minutes later. He was one of the many players that gained confidence and speed as the scrimmages went along. Isn’t a hidden gem as far as talent is concerned, but I liked his ability to bang and crash and take the puck to the prime scoring areas. Needs to improve his skating ability if he wants to have a future in the NHL.

TREVOR CANN – I probably gave Cann more negative press than anyone else in the Avalanche community, but for good reason. He was a hard worker and had good net presence, but his technique was always really awkward. Today, however, his mechanics, stance and technique was totally refined and it really showed. His butterfly style is much more effective, mainly because he’s a much better skater. That is the foundation of any successful goalie, and since his footwork is so much better than at this point last season, he is now a viable prospect worth retaining. He was beat on a nice re-direction by Chris Stewart late in the second game, but that was the only time he looked out of place. He is still a long way from being an NHL goaltender, but a totally refined game has laid a foundation in which he can develop NHL-caliber skills. To me, he was the most improved Avalanche prospect in relation to last year’s camp.

JOEY HISHON - We all know about his skill set, skating ability, heightened sense of awareness and knack for scoring nice goals. What I learned about Hishon is his “bigger-than-he-looks” presence on the ice. He was another one of the young guys with an extremely high work ethic and that went a long way in putting him at a level above most of the other prospects out there. I was impressed with his balance on his skates and his puck possession. For his appearance, he is rather gritty. One benefit of being shorter is the low center of gravity. Combined with his strong edge work on his skates, Hishon can separate players from the puck and force turnovers on one side of the ice. On the other side, he can carry the puck into the zone, dump and chase and win some battles that most guys his size would dare not even try to win. One more season in Erie Owen Sound with the Otters Attack will be great for his development and if he can put on a little more weight, he will be that much stronger on his skates. Definitely a high-caliber prospect with tremendous upside.

Overall, today’s camp was quite gratifying. It’s great to be back in the swing of things and I am so excited for the start of the pre-season schedule. I don’t expect many surprises, but again, a two-day camp means just about anything can happen. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s camp and will see you all in the morning!

Aaron Musick, the Avalangelist, kicks off our second season of Blogger Network coverage with his 2010 Avalanche Training Camp preview. Follow him on Twitter at @Avalangelist and check out his blog on Hockey Buzz all year long! 

WHAT TO WATCH FOR AT CAMP

Well hockey fans, it is finally here – the start of NHL training camps. The Avs will kick off their full training camp tomorrow after their brief rookie camp that happened this week. As usual, all of their practices at held at South Suburban Family Sports center in Centennial. However, before you go check out what the “A” is all about, there a few things to look for at training camp this year:

Goaltender Calvin Pickard: The Avs’ second round draft pick in this past year’s draft has impressed a lot of people who went to the rookie camp. Can he do the same versus all the regulars and impress the coaching staff?

Rookie Defensemen: There are currently 16 players listed on the Avs’ training camp roster under defense and eight of them are recent Avs’ draft picks. From Kevin Shattenkirk, the Avs’ first round selection in 2007 to Troy Rutkowski, the Avs’ fifth round pick in this year’s draft, that Avs have a bunch of players vying for the coach’s attention during training camp. Especially memorize the numbers for Shattenkirk (8), Colby Cohen (36), Cameron Gaunce (3) and Jonas Holos (6) as they should be the ones to stand out the most among this group.

It would also be prudent to watch how the older defensemen are around the young guys. Can the young guys keep up? Are they pushing anyone for a spot?

Matt Duchene: There’s a good chance that the Avs’ practice facility will be packed, especially on Saturday, and most of them will come to see the Avs’ budding star live. Don’t overthink anything, just enjoy watching the talent the kid can put on display.

Daniel Winnik: Yet another piece the Avs have picked off of the Phoenix roster and this will be the first chance to see him practice with his new teammates (with the coaches watching at least). How good can he be to this team? Can he replace Matt Hendricks?

Ryan Stoa: Stoa got his feet wet in the NHL last year and shortly thereafter learned how much he had to improve, especially when it came to the speed of the game. Has he adjusted by now?

Peter Mueller: Which Mueller appears at camp? The scoring star after the Avs acquired him? Or the frustrating forward that he was in Phoenix?

Ryan O’Reilly/Joey Hishon/ T.J. Galiardi: These three guys are put together because they all have one thing in common: they all were/are/will always be underrated forwards. Does Hishon look more like Ryan “Radar” O’Reilly or Duchene? What does O’Reilly look like? Is he faster, bigger, better? Is Galiardi a first line left winger or a third liner? These are all questions of which to be aware.

Craig Anderson: The Avs’ savior, among other titles given to him, is back for year two and is looking for a new contract. Watch and see him work, even if he won’t be going 100% at the beginning. How does he look? Is he focused, ready for more?

That should be enough to watch, but also keep an eye on Ryan O’Reilly, one player whom the fans do not know, but impresses the fan base with what he can do.

Enjoy it Avs fans, and rejoice: hockey is back!

After releasing the official schedule for our fourth season of After-Hours games, we formally challenged Mile High Hockey to a friendly shinny showdown prior to the Avalanche vs. Sharks game on Thursday, October 21. And as of earlier today, they have formally accepted our invitation.

Game on, Avalanche fans.

VS.   

As gracious hosts of this inaugural battle of the Avs websites, we are committed first and foremost to providing the players and fans on both teams with an unforgettable Avalanche experience. Mile High Hockey and their dedicated staff of writers are followed by a multitude of passionate Avaholics from all over the world. As such, they play a vital role in spreading the good word about the Avs every day.

Speaking of passionate, their honorary captain, Derek Bell, happens to be making the trip all the way from Seattle just to play in this inaugural event. Now that’s captain material, right there. We’re betting Adam Foote would be quite proud, Derek.

So think of this game as a reflection of our mission statement. We’re here to enhance the Avalanche community’s live game experience, and at the same time, we’re dedicated to promoting the many Avalanche blogs that promote the game, team and players we love to watch.

And there you have it, Avalanche fans. Two websites. Two enthusiastic, passionate communities. One game, one hour and one night where all of us will hit the ice for what will certainly be a blissful experience on historic Pepsi Center ice. And even though only one team will leave with the bragging rights for an entire season (and possibly a trophy or banner to boot), everyone will walk away having made new friends and strengthened old ones.

More details regarding discounted tickets for the game will be available next week and more information can be found on MHH right here. If you’d like to join The Avalanche Guild’s team, just contact us now! We are looking for players at the low-C and D level with at least a few years of hockey experience. This is a co-ed event so ladies are welcome and encouraged to join us! The only stipulation is that you help promote and support our team by selling a handful of discounted tickets to the game through our website.

Since the game is being held before the Avalanche game, players must be able to skate from 4:00 – 5:00p and arrive at Pepsi Center no later than 3:30pm as well. Players must sell at least four tickets to play in the game. All players will also receive exclusive After-Hours t-shirts and get 10% off their total bill at Brooklyn’s Bar & Grill!

A special thanks to the staff over at Mile High Hockey for accepting the invitation to play in what we know will be a really fun game. And now it’s time to rally the troops and start rostering players. So we’re opening it up to all of our dedicated readers…who wants to be a part of Avalanche fan history? Don’t pass up this great opportunity, it’s going to be one heck of a night!   

The second day of Colorado’s 2010 Rookie Orientation Camp was like my own personal “welcome back” party to celebrate the new season. Hardly anyone shows up during the week, so the Family Sports Center rink has that empty, lonesome feeling. And I totally love it.

This year looks to be no different. Although I missed Tuesday’s opening session, Wednesday was an even better opportunity to scout and photograph - you got it – the goalies. Seattle Thunderbirds standout Calvin Pickard, wily veteran John Grahame, the head honcho Craig Anderson, and a little bit of former Hershey Bears goalie Jason Bacashihua, Kitchener Rangers stud Brandon Maxwell and Peter Budaj. I also got to catch up with Avalanche radio play-by-play Marc Moser and Avalanche studio host Peter Ruttgaizer as well.

Click here to read my insight on the goaltenders from today’s action. I also posted a mini-photo gallery of Craig Anderson and his slick new mask right here. The mask was painted by Pepe’s Custom Paint. They are good friends of The Goalie Guild and they do some awesome work! You can also visit our 2010 Avalanche Training Camp Photo Gallery on a daily basis through the weekend for our photos. All rights reserved and all that good stuff.

 2010 TRAINING CAMP PHOTO GALLERY

I’ll also quickly enhance the goaltending coverage with a short video of Anderson working with Daniel Winnik at the end of today’s session. Not the kind of rebound control you want to see, but if you read our goaltending coverage on The Goalie Guild you’ll see it’s nothing more than rust and new, stiff pads.

Now on to the rookies, prospects and veterans, all of which were having an enjoyable time running their own drills and hosting their own scrimmages. The atmosphere was so laid back that I didn’t really focus on who stood out or who seemed a step behind. Why? Without any coaches, the intensity takes a major nose dive. Other than what I already know about the players on the ice, it’s just not effective to take much from what I see until the coaches are there and the atmosphere is more structured.

But that didn’t stop me from noticing a number of positives and a couple of negatives from different players. But again, I don’t take much from what I saw yesterday. Everyone was either shaking off rust, playing in a relaxed, laid-back manner or simply trying to adjust to the speed of the action. As the week turns into the weekend, the notes will get more in-depth and precise. But today was more about fun and first impressions.

DANIEL WINNIK - He’s going to make a lot of fans very quickly. I love his addition to the team because of what he does and how he does it, not because he’s overly skilled. He’s an average skater, passer and shooter. But his ability to grind away in the corners, win small puck battles and bring a physical element is going to make him a valuable commodity in the lineup.

Winnik is what I call a Silent Assassin. He’s not flashy, doesn’t warrant a lot of attention, but gets the job done. He works hard. He’s experienced and he’s committed to doing the little things that create puck possession for his linemates. That’s the only way he’s able to maintain a role on an NHL team and he should be rewarded for it, especially on this team. The Avalanche, as you know, have plenty of scoring potency. But they have very few bodies that can grind along the boards and win battles.

Overall, Winnik fills a major void in the lineup and I am excited for him to bring an element of grit and sandpaper to the lineup. It’s no stretch to expect 10-12 goals from him, momentum-shifting penalty minutes and a physical presence to the lineup on a consistent basis. And his work ethic was quite noticeable today. He was one of the more serious players out on the ice, partially due to the fact that his job has to be earned.

MILAN HEJDUK- Healthy, but displayed stiffness and rust. He was one of the veterans just slowly easing his way into camp. There’s nothing wrong with this and nothing negative about his performance in today’s camp. He’s the most reliable veteran forward on the team, and even though there’s a stigma around the league that he has little value, every player on the team knows what kind of silent leadership he brings to the locker room. The hands, the footwork and the precision is still there and has not faded in the least bit. But I could tell by his stride and his upper body positioning that he was a little tight.

To me, Hejduk is at a point in his career where he takes nothing for granted. The perma-smile was proof of his situational awareness. I think he fully understands the fact that his role on the team is changing, but that he is still counted on to score goals. He’s more of a mentor than ever before and that’s a great asset for the Avalanche to have.

With Adam Foote mentoring the defensemen, it’s only natural to have Hejduk do the same thing with the skilled forwards. Foote is more of a verbal leader in the locker room, but Hejduk is a quiet guy that leads by example. It is that perfect balance that makes this “young team” so composed and potent on a nightly basis.

I’ll keep an eye on Hejduk for the rest of the camp and see how he settles in as regular camp approaches on Saturday. I’m sure he’ll be fine and you’ll hear from a lot of fans how he looks totally healthy and ready to go. But that’s what makes Hejduk so special – he’s as steady as she goes.

KYLE QUINCEY- There was nothing about his shot, his stride or his passing that looked to have improved over the summer. But one thing you can’t see that I could tell has improved was his confidence. At this time last summer, Quincey was the new kid on the blueline block and just looking to decipher his role and establish a presence as a top-4 defenseman. And as we all know, he did just that.

But this September is different. His role is understood, his presence is established and his responsibility is greater than any other point in his NHL career. He’s evolving and developing a leadership role, which is exactly what you want.

So what exactly am I looking for when I watch Quincey through the weekend? Confidence with the puck. I want him to shoot more. I want him to be more assertive. I want him to be a true quarterback.

As I type this, I actually remember Quincey taking control of setting up and running the drills prior to the scrimmage. He was loud, verbal and to-the-point. He really did seem like a player-coach out there, making sure things were getting done and moving along. And that’s what I want to see from Quincey throughout the season. Take control of the wheel and drive the defenseman to be more offensive, especially on the power play.

The Avalanche Guild is proud to announce the official 2010-11 schedule for our fourth season of After-Hours games. This is our premier on-ice interactive porgram and we are excited to host another 30+ adult hockey teams on Pepsi Center ice again this season. 

If you are an adult hockey player interesting in learning more about the After-Hours program or what it takes to reserve a game, please contact us during regular business hours!

For Avs Guild followers, fans and members, discount tickets will be available for the games listed below and you are invited to support our adult teams by puchasing tickets through our team links!

AFTER HOURS SEASON 4 SCHEDULE

OCTOBER 21 vs. SAN JOSE
PRE – OPEN

NOVEMBER 4 vs. VANCOUVER
PRE – OPEN
POST – OPEN

NOVEMBER 19 vs. NY RANGERS
POST – Beer & Blades

JANUARY 2 vs. VANCOUVER
POST – OPEN

JANUARY 4 vs. BUFFALO
PRE – Army of Darkness

JANUARY 10 vs. DETROIT
PRE – Mapplebeck’s Crew

MARCH 5 vs. EDMONTON
PRE – Moye White Night 4

MARCH 11 vs. ANAHEIM
PRE – Leftover Pizza
*POST – Dawgs 2

MARCH 24 vs. TORONTO
PRE – Beer & Blades
POST – Whale

APRIL 8 vs. DALLAS
POST – Steamer

More dates will be added as the season approaches. Every team that plays in an After-Hours game will receive rewards like exclusive After-Hours t-shirts, potential in-game experiences and more. Check out the videos of some of our favorite After-Hours games over the past three years and sign up today for the most exclusive adult hockey program in Colorado!

The Colorado Avalanche released details this morning on a new interactive contest that will see one lucky fan win a pair of season tickets, courtesy of TicketHorse. The contest begins on Monday, September 27 and lasts for 10 days before the finalists are determined.

As stated on the Avalanche website, the new Puck Drop Contest works like this:

“Autographed Colorado Avalanche pucks will be dropped around the Denver metro area throughout the 10-day contest, and clues about each puck’s location will be posted daily on the official Colorado Avalanche Facebook page. Find one of 19 hidden pucks to instantly become a Puck Drop finalist.”

To participate, visit the official Colorado Avalanche Facebook page now.

The Avalanche also announced today that single-game tickets for the upcoming 2010-11 regular season will go on sale this Saturday, Sept. 18, at 10:00 a.m.

All 41 home games will be available for purchase, highlighted by Opening Night (Oct. 7) against the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks. Prior to that game, the Avalanche will celebrate the 15-year reunion of the 1995-96 Stanley Cup Championship team with a special pre-game ceremony beginning at 7:35 p.m.

More information on single-game tickets, the Opening Night Stanley Cup Reunion and the Puck Drop program can of course be found on the Avalanche website.

The Avalanche Guild is proud to announce that the Colorado Avalanche has released the official dates for the inaugural Quest for the Crown ticket package.

This exclusive 12-game package is available for anyone that would like to support our popular annual charity hockey tournament, which raises funds and awareness for the NHL’s Hockey Fights Cancer foundation.

The brand new Quest 4 Ticket Package is a great opportunity for teams to save money on their team fees and potentially play in the tournament for free. By registering for the tournament, a team is able to purchase and sell tickets through their own unique team flyer and links. Once the team reaches 250 tickets sold, they have paid off their team fee in full and play for free!

The great thing about this package is that it’s just an option. If teams don’t reach 250 tickets, they still pay off part of their team fees depending on the total tickets sold. For teams that sell more than 250, they are raising money for the Quest cause and for Hockey Fights Cancer! Below are the official games for the Quest 4 Ticket Package:

Thursday, October 7 vs. Chicago
Saturday, October 23 vs. Los Angeles

Saturday, November 6 vs. Dallas
Friday, November 19 vs. NY Rangers

Monday, December 13 vs. Chicago
Monday, December 27 vs. Detroit

Sunday, January 2 vs. Vancouver
Saturday, January 22 vs. Boston

Saturday, February 5 vs. Anaheim
Wednesday, February 16 vs. Pittsburgh

Sunday, April 3 vs. Calgary
Sunday, April 10 vs. Edmonton

Each Quest 4 team captain will receive a flyer and a link for the games of the month. Those flyers are then spread out to friends, family members, co-workers and teammates. Anyone who purchases a ticket off that flyer/link counts towards the team’s 250 total.

For large orders, Captains can contact Jake Godber, our ticket representative, to coordinate. After the games of the month, we will let each Captain know where they are at with tickets sold. Some of these games will sell out, so make sure to place your orders early.

Remember, this is an option and there is no requirement other than paying your Quest 4 deposit, which is refundable if you sell enough tickets. Please contact us if you have questions or would like to know all the fine details about this option. It is a great way to save money in this tough economy while attending great Avs games at an awesome discount!

Our third-annual Battle for the Banner Colorado Avalanche shootout finals took place last night during the first intermission of the Avs/Ducks game on Pepsi Center ice between Realty Source Financial and Hatrick Swayze.

The Avalanche Guild would like to congratulate REALTY SOURCE FINANCIAL on winning the Championship Banner with a 2-1 victory, winning on the 10th and final shot!

Please check back over the weekend as we will post tons of photos and hopefully a short video of the shootout! Thanks to everyone that checked out the shootout and enjoyed the adult hockey in-game entertainment experience!

:: REALTY SOURCE FINANCIAL ::
Reggie Archer
Alex Guralnik
Adam Kane
Will Briggs
Warren Niffeneger
Mike Berry (G)

Below is the official completed bracket from the Battle for the Banner 3 Shootout Tournament, which took place last month at Pepsi Center.

CLICK ABOVE TO DOWNLOAD THE FINISHED BRACKET

Thanks to an amazing birthday gift from my lovely girlfriend, I was able to attend the annual Mile High Dreams Gala that Kroenke Sports puts on every year to support their charity. It’s a chance to rub elbows with all the teams that play at Pepsi Center.

There was a lot of free food and drink, video games, casino games, and a silent auction all on the arena floor. Here are a few observations I made as I toured the party:

• As I played blackjack with Carmelo Anthony, I quickly learned that I am no good at blackjack.
• As I played Wii basketball with Matt Duchene (hey, how did he get in? The invite said 21+…), I learned that he’s either a gracious host and let me win, or I am much better at it than he is.
• Craig Anderson is a lot taller than I expected.
• Peter Mueller is a whiz at craps. I played for 30 minutes and I still have no idea what the rules are.
• Brett Clark was the nicest guy I spoke with all night. Instead of just listening to my questions and congratulations on a good season, he asked me about myself and how I was doing. It was a pleasant surprise.
• Matt of The Burgundy Blog was there, and though we only briefly spoke, it was great to talk to him. Definitely give him a follow on Twitter.

The event was a blast and I’m definitely going to try and make it again next year. The Avalanche website has a photo gallery and video of the event, so head over there for more.

Did you attend? Tell us all about your night in the comments.

Last season, The Avalanche Guild sponsored an After-Hours game between The KBPI Guild and the Sydney Pirates, an adult hockey team that traveled to Colorado all the way from Australia. The team from down under spent two weeks in Colorado to experience Rocky Mountain hockey.

As we do with all of our supporters and followers, we enhanced their hockey experience with an unforgettable game on Pepsi Center ice! This game took place on Jan. 8, 2009 after the Avs/Blackhawks game. The event was a great success and it was a tightly played game with The KBPI Guild winning by a score of 5-4.

After Hours Game v. Sydney Pirates from Brad Stabio on Vimeo.

Shot by Joe Movick on his Sony EX-1 and edited at Stabio Productions studio, the video below is a great way to learn more about The Avalanche Guild and the unique programs we run. Some local celebrity players on the KBPI Guild team include Uncle Nasty from KBPI, Brian Maass and Alan Gionet from Chanel 4 News and goalie Jim Gromer from Comcast Entertainment TV.

On Sunday afternoon, the Colorado Avalanche and Bandimere Speedway held their third-annual Hot Rods N’ Hockey car show outside the main entrance of Pepsi Center. The free event was open to the public and ran through the day leading up to the Avs home game against the Edmonton Oilers.

Check out our video recap below, which includes information on this awesome fan appreciation event. We were there pretty early since we had to run another After-Hours game, but some of the rides we did catch were slick!

Tonight’s Avalanche Weekly radio show (6p MDT on AM 1510) will feature another hour of in-depth Avalanche analysis and discussion with your host Justin Goldman, our producer Dan Bettlach and our special weekly guest Mike Haynes from Altitude TV.

Although the Avalanche came back down to earth with a sputtering 2-2 road trip out west, the team has a few days to rest up for a solid three-game homestand. Avalanche fans have a great opportunity to catch the Phoenix Coyotes on Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday and the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Injuries have become a major concern for this team, as T.J. Galiardi was the latest victim of circumstance during the road trip. Although the team did get John-Michael Liles and Peter Budaj back in the lineup, one was considerably rusty from missing a few weeks of action and the other still has yet to play in a game for the Avs this season.

So please support The Avalanche Guild and our mission by tuning into Mile High Sports Radio AM 1510 starting at 6:00p and join us for Avalanche Weekly. You can reach us at 303-297-1510 at any time during  the show to voice your opinion on our 10-3-2 Colorado Avalanche and you can also stream the show online by clicking links above!

The Colorado Avalanche rode a furious 48-save goaltending performance from Craig Anderson and a third-period game winner from Chris Stewart to a 3-1 victory over the hated Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night at Pepsi Center.

Despite a couple of late power plays for Detroit and a total of 21 shots in the third period, they were just unable to find any twine behind Anderson. And despite being out-shot by more than a 2-to-1 margin (49-23), the Avalanche were able to find a way to collect two crucial points and stay perfect at home (4-0). 

And once again, in timely fashion, the Avs had goals and strong efforts from the younger players on the team to go along with a great motivational lift from the near (very, very near) sellout crowd. Not even the usual amount of slovenly and over-dramatic Wings fans could hex Anderson’s heroic goaltending. In fact, they failed…miserably.

Case in point – another legendary octopus that was thrown by a sheer genius of a Red Wings fan from the worst spot possible for sticking a successful landing - behind the net. Although we can’t say for sure if the person tossing the horrendous creature intended to have it stick high above Anderson’s net during the third period, that’s where it would stay until the game ended.

After the game, members of the The Avalanche Guild’s event staff were getting players on the ice for the first-ever RMHL After-Hours game (4-3, Earls over Ice ranch in a shootout, btw) when we walked right past the vile octopus. How did this one in particular meet his maker? He was simply jiggled loose from the netting and into the hands of the brave Pepsi Center ice staff warrior.

The octopus was laid to rest in a heavy white plastic bag, an appropriate “white-out” ending to mark the Avalanche’s 3-1 victory over Detroit. To be honest, that’s what the Red Wings get for starting backup rookie goalie Jimmy Howard against the best team in the Western Conference.

Wow, that sure sounds nice…as does a 4-1 record against Detroit in the last five regular season games.

To see another Guild photo of the octopus, check out our social media guru Grant Beery’s Red Wings recap on his website, Hockeyism!

The Vail Mountaineers adult hockey club made the long trek down to Denver last night to catch what turned out to be one of the most bizzare Avalanche games of the season in a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.

Like all of our After-Hours teams, the boys took advantage of a great Guild discount on tickets and in return for their support, they received a rare opportunity to hit Pepsi Center ice following the game for an hour of shinny, Vail style.

Here’s an interview we shot with Gary Defina, the captain of the Vail crew. Gary is also a coach for Battle Mountain High School’s hockey team, so he’s well-connected in the Vail hockey community and a great guy with some great stories. He’s a big supporter of The Hockey Guild and The Avalanche Guild, so we thank Gary for his passion and are proud to have him be a part of the exclusive After-Hours club!

As a way of saying thanks to Gary’s crew for their support, we granted him two free shootout teams in our third-annual Battle for the Banner Colorado Avalanche Shootout Tournament, which takes place every March right on Pepsi Center ice. The tournament brings together shootout teams comprised of players that participated in After-Hours games throughout the year. The two teams that advance to the final shootout game actually play the championship on Pepsi Center ice during intermission of an Avalanche home game!

If your adult (or youth) hockey team is interested in setting up one of our exclusive Avalanche Guild events, just contact us at info@thehockeyguild.com and we will do our best to make it happen!

The Colorado Avalanche released information on their third-annual Avalanche Adult Invitational Tournament today. This year’s charity tourney is once again hosted exclusively at Pepsi Center and will be held on Saturday, Nov.7 and then continue from Nov. 9-12.

“The Colorado Avalanche and Kroenke Sports Charities invites you to play in an on ice battle at Pepsi Center in the 3rd Avalanche Adult Invitational!  Proceeds from the tournament will benefit The Colorado Youth Hockey Foundation and programs supported by Kroenke Sports Charities in the areas of health, recreation, and education.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE TOURNEY INFO PACKET

• All participants will receive a tournament jersey, ticket to the regular season game on Nov. 25,  Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators with opportunity to purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate.
• 1^st and 2^nd Place teams from each division will receive tournament medals.
• 1^st place teams will receive a complimentary suite for their team at an Avalanche home game during the 2009/10 regular season!  Suites will be available on dates that are mutually agreed upon with the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche Guild is once again proud to support this event by promoting it to all of our members, teams and players. We are currently looking into registering The Hockey Guild All-Stars, a team comprised of A and B-level skaters that would like to play in the most exclusive adult tournament in Colorado.

If you are interested in playing in this charity hockey event, please contact us today!

For all of the Avalanche fans that attended last night’s Joe Sakic Retirement Ceremony, it’s probably very tough to put into words just how emotional, entertaining and memorable the entire night turned out to be.

Simply put, the Colorado Avalanche organization proved why they are the most classy team in the league, as the entire ceremony was picture perfect from the moment Joe Sakic entered Pepsi Center to the moment he dropped the ceremonial first puck with Avalanche captain Adam Foote and Sharks captain Rob Blake.

The entire Avs Board Bash group had bright eyes as wide as dinner plates throughout the entire night, as they caught the Retirement Ceremony and then a dominating offensive performance over an extremely rusty Sharks club. The first two periods were filled with brilliant plays by Wojtek Wolski, Paul Stastny and Matt Duchene, while the final frame was all about the focused goaltending of Craig Anderson. The result? A 5-2 victory worthy of Sakic’s retirement night.

Once the game was over, it was time for 30 members of the Avs Board Bash group to hit the ice for our first After-Hours game of the season! Here’s a short video for everyone to enjoy…and we apologize for the jittery video, but it’s a little tough to video tape a hockey game in all that goalie gear

No After-Hours game is complete without thanking the Colorado Avalanche fan development staff, especially Matt DeLuzio and Jason Schofield. Without their support, programs like ours could not exist. Thanks to everyone that joined forces to be a part of the Avs Board Bash, including Jill Jurca, Brian Holt and David Clark. We speak for everyone when we say we can’t wait for the next one!