Dater’s Daily: Avalanche Cup Days Almost Over, Another MacKinnon Leading Halifax

A good Wednesday to all. Hot and sunny here in Thornton. Most mornings, I sit out on my deck drinking coffee and noodling on this here laptop, under an umbrella. It’s too hot today though, for more than a few minutes. Did I mention I’m red-headed and hate the heat? True story: As a little kid, living on a commune in Vermont, I got so sunburned working outside, shirtless, on the farm that – after putting a t-shirt on later – it hurt too much to try to take off. My dad had to cut the shirt off with a pair of scissors and I had to be put into a ice bath to get the skin calmed down. Let’s do some NHL notes for a Tuesday in August, on this 23rd day in the Year of Our Lord, 2022, starting with one on the Avalanche:

• The “days with the Cup” are almost over for the Avalanche (an earlier version of this story said they were fully up. Woops, nope). The team website did a nice job of wrapping it all up to this point (Colorado Avalanche)
• There is another kid named MacKinnon who is on the ascent with the Halifax Mooseheads (Halifax Herald)
• Sam Girard is fully healed from his broken sternum. He’s been skating regularly in Denver these days.
• Speaking of the other MacKinnon in Denver: I definitely do not think there will be any new contract extension with the Avalanche before the start of the season. Just sayin’.
• Limited tickets for the 2023 Winter Classic between the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins will go on sale Wednesday at 10 AM ET.
• It turns out, Canucks coach Bruce Boudreau was an amazing softball player (Vancouver Hockey Now)
• The injury woes for Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis just won’t go away.
• Jim Montgomery has a plan for the Boston Bruins (Boston Hockey Now)
• Lou Lamoriello finally spoke to the media. He brushed off any disappointment in the offseason. He also dangled a carrot, or put the boots to Noah Dobson, depending on your point of view. New York Islanders.
• The new name for the college arena the Arizona Coyotes will play in this season: Mullet Arena (Hockey News)
• I had a mullet for a while in the ’80s.
• The daughter of former Avalanche coach Marc Crawford is doing a lot of work in the mental health area, for hockey players (Vancouver Sun)
• The Red Wings believe they’ll make the playoffs again, starting this season (Detroit Hockey Now)
• Is this the new San Jose Sharks third jersey for the season? (San Jose Hockey Now)