DENVER (KDVR) — It’s been a long year for the Colorado Avalanche and their fans.
Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of the Avs’ last home game before fans.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already,” says head coach Jared Bednar.
On March 11, 2020, in front of a sellout Pepsi Center crowd of 18,025, the Avalanche beat the New York Rangers 3-2 with an overtime goal from J.T. Compher. The next day, the NHL paused the season due do raising concerns of COVID-19.
“That was unfortunate. We were feeling good about our season and starting to get healthy,” remembers Bednar as the team stopped their season with a record of 42-20-8 (92 points) and second place in the Central Division. “I remember there was a lot of buzz that the NBA had stopped the night before and that we may also be taking a pause in our season, which was disappointing. We were excited about our team and where we were going.”
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Center Nathan Mackinnon was in the middle of a MVP run up until the stoppage, totaling 35 goals, 58 assists and 93 points.
“We figured it was over for our season at that time. Everyone didn’t know how long it would take. Obviously, this year has flown by. I remember going home like it was yesterday, doing the two-week quarantine at my house back home in Canada, and just kind of waiting, week-by-week, to see when we would return,” Mackinnon said.
The Avalanche and the National Hockey League would continue play in August by creating two Canadian bubbles. Colorado would play in Edmonton, Alberta before falling in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Dallas Stars (4-3).
“To be a year later and not even halfway through another season, the timeline and the late start of our season this year, everything is kind of different and off-kilter,” says Bednar.
Through 24 games, Colorado (14-8-2) currently sits in fourth place in the newly created West Division.
“With the circumstances that we’re playing in, we got to make the most of i,” Bednar said.
There is no word on when now-named Ball Arena will allow fans to attend the games as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Two weeks ago, Matt Bell, vice president of venue booking with KSE, said that due to Denver’s current status on the COVID dial, Ball Arena is not allowed to apply for a variance.
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“Our goal is to submit a variance when the time is right, but right now where we fall on the Colorado COVID dial precludes us from doing so. We’ll wait for that right time and we’ll be ready for it when it comes,” Bell said.
Denver currently sits in ‘Yellow’ on the Colorado COVID dial.
“It’s been a definitely long but quick year,” says Mackinnon. “Excited to get this whole COVID thing over with, for sure.”
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