Frei: Kurtis MacDermid knows his job and is beloved for it…but should his job still be part of the game? (+)

Nicolas Aube-Kubel held aloft the game puck in the dressing room after the Avalanche’s 4-3 home-ice shootout win over the Arizona Coyotes on January 14. He had the honor of selecting the player of the game because he had been the choice after his two-goal night in the previous win, over Seattle.

“All right boys,” Aubel-Kubel began. “PK did a great job tonight. Pav (Pavel Francouz), great job in the shootout. Going to give it to a guy who stands up for his teammates. And made a slick pass tonight … Dermy.”

Aube-Kubel passed the puck along to Kurtis MacDermid.

During the buddy hug, cheers erupted.

“They’re all not pretty, but they still count,” said MacDermid. “So let’s just keep it going.”