Before Cale Makar took over the Colorado Avalanche blue line, Tyson Barrie was the guy setting the tone from the back end. Barrie built his reputation as an offensive defenseman with a heavy slapshot and the kind of vision that made him a natural on the power play, and he put up the kind of numbers that made him impossible to ignore.
Over eight seasons in Colorado, Barrie scored 75 goals and added 232 assists for 307 points in burgundy and blue. Those totals may not match what Makar has done, but Barrie’s place in Avalanche history is secure.
He was also part of the trade package, along with Alex Kerfoot, that brought Nazem Kadri to Colorado in 2019. By then, Makar’s arrival had made Barrie expendable in the lineup, but his impact had already been felt.
He later led all defensemen in points in 2020 with the Edmonton Oilers, a reminder that his game still traveled well after leaving Denver.
That same instinct for finding the open man seems to have followed Barrie into his latest venture. His beer company, Chilly Ones, grew out of locker room language that caught on with teammates, and the concept is built around the same kind of easy fit.
The beer is designed to be light, simple to drink, and not weigh you down. It comes in at 3% ABV and 80 calories per can, and there’s also a non-alcoholic version.
The idea is clearly aimed at the postgame crowd: beer league hockey, a round of golf, or any other setting where you want something cold without the heavy hit. Chilly Ones is also being positioned as an alternative to the familiar big-name lagers, and it’s already available in Canada and select markets in Colorado.
Colorado makes sense as the first U.S. market. It was Barrie’s first pro hockey home, and Denver is one of the country’s major beer cities, thanks in part to the Great American Beer Festival. Barrie’s new brand fits neatly into that environment, especially with its low-calorie, low-ABV pitch.
And for those wondering where it might go next, the possibilities are already starting to stack up. Nathan MacKinnon is the official brand ambassador for the non-alcoholic version, and the brewery’s identity seems built around keeping things light. That opens the door to more offerings down the line, and maybe even a run at the GABF if there’s a category for low-calorie beer.
There’s also room for a little fun with future names. Among the ideas floated: All Hail Cale, a red ale made with English yeast; Fore-Czech, a Czech-style dark lager for Martin Necas; The Lumberyard, a session stout inspired by the goaltending tandem; and Bedsy Blender IPA.
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With that in mind, Colorados line-combination picture is already getting its own attention, and the first installment in that series is now ready. It is the kind of exercise that matters this time of year, when every familiar name and every possible fit can shift the conversation, even as other notable contract business around the league, like Jet Greaves new three-year agreement with Columbus, continues to reset the market in the background. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Cup Veteran Jack Johnson Just Took An Unexpected Hockey Turn
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The new stop brings him back to his home state of Ohio, where he will work in a successful college hockey environment focused on player development. It is a notable first coaching job for a veteran who spent years on NHL blue lines, and it adds another layer to the long, winding career arc that has already included a championship, scouting work and now a bench role. [Read more 🡒]