Ryan Miller gave Colorado Avalanche fans a brief surprise when he showed up in an Avs jersey for an alumni game at Magness Arena on Aug. 23.
The former Buffalo Sabres star was in goal for the Avalanche alumni team in its matchup against the DU Hockey alumni, a game that featured plenty of familiar names. Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk were among the legends on the ice.
Miller’s appearance in Colorado colors stood out immediately on social media, especially since he never played for the Avalanche during his NHL career. The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner spent 18 seasons in the league, including 11 with the Sabres, four with the Anaheim Ducks, three with the Vancouver Canucks and a brief 19-game run with the St. Louis Blues.
He later cleared up the mystery himself with a post that explained exactly how the deal came together.
“Hi hockey Twitter! Actually a really good explanation for wearing an Avs jersey… @hoosierjm26 and I go way back to Michigan State hockey days and he offered me golf with cool people if I came out and helped out the alumni.
I can be bought. Just make it interesting.”
Elsewhere around Colorado, the focus is still on getting Cale Makar locked up long term. The defenseman is in the final season of his six-year, $54 million contract and can sign an extension now, though nothing has been completed yet.
Avalanche GM Joe Sakic sounded relaxed about the situation and made it clear he expects a deal to get done before the season opens.
“Really? I haven’t noticed that,” Sakic cracked when asked about recent big contracts and how they might affect the market for Makar.
“Like I said, I’m not worried about it. I don’t think Cale’s worried about it.
Dialogue’s been great and when there’s an agreement, we’ll gladly announce it. Hopefully something will be done before the start of training camp.”
He added:
“Everything’s great. Not worried about that. There’s been coaches, there’s been players that have gone into their last year of their deals before, and there’s going to be in the future, so not really concerned about it.”
Makar is coming off a season in which he put up 79 points, scoring 20 goals and adding 59 assists in 75 games.
In Other News...
Avalanche Have An Undrafted Newcomer Pushing Into The Roster Picture
T.J. Hughes has already started making an impression around the Avalanche before training camp even gets rolling. The undrafted free agent, signed after a strong college career at Michigan, has been showing up for the team's optional skates and shootout drills, where his puck skills, creativity and work ethic have stood out enough to put him on the radar in a real way.
For a player arriving without the draft pedigree that usually buys time, every rep matters now. Hughes is at least giving Colorado something to think about as the roster begins to take shape, but the bigger test is still ahead in camp and the preseason, where he will have to keep turning that early curiosity into a legitimate opening-night case. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Had A Great Offseason Encounter Fans Will Love
Mackenzie Blackwood and Taylor Makar turned an ordinary offseason workout into a small bit of Colorado Avalanche intrigue when they were spotted practicing together at Scotiabank Pond in North York, Ontario. The sighting came via NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who passed along an account from a local gym member who noticed the session, then later spoke with the two players after they identified themselves.
What stood out in the report was not just that they were on the ice together, but the way the encounter came across. Both players were described as skilled and approachable, the kind of offseason moment that tends to resonate with fans who like seeing their teams players around the game even when the schedule is quiet. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Still Have Three Huge Contract Questions Hanging Over Camp
Joe Sakics latest camp update offered a familiar kind of calm around three of the Avalanches biggest contract matters, with Cale Makar, Artturi Lehkonen and Jared Bednar all still in the picture as the season approaches. The Colorado president of hockey operations said there is no significant change on Makars extension, but he remains confident that deal gets done before opening night, which keeps the focus on getting the roster sorted without turning camp into a contract watch.
The other two situations are moving at a slower pace. Sakic said there are no updates on extensions for Lehkonen or Bednar, though he does not sound rattled about Bednar working through the final year of his deal. For a team that expects to contend, the timing matters, but for now the Avalanche are letting the process play out while the on-ice work of camp takes priority. [Read more 🡒]