Avalanche Morning Skate Diary: Opening Night Lineup And JoJo BACK AGAIN

We all have been waiting three months for this…The Colorado Avalanche opening night is finally here! You have all been waiting for what seems like forever since the last official Avalanche game but it was only June 26th! Tonight will be a night full of a lot of emotions for many fans and players alike. The third Stanley Cup banner will take its place in the rafters of Ball Arena prior to the game, so be sure to get there early. It has been 21 years since the last one got raised and that seems like a lifetime ago.

The lineup for tonight is further down, but first some player interviews from today.

I talked to Ben Meyers after practice about making the team out of camp.

“There really was never was a sit-down conversation (on making the team). I just kept coming to the rink every day and rosters were due what, Sunday and I kept coming. So I kinda knew that I made it (laughs),” he said.

I asked him how switching from center to wing has effected his game:

“I played center for the last couple of years but wing before that. I think in pro hockey guys get moved around a lot, it’s part of the game and be versatile like that,” he said

Meyers sounds like he willing to play any forward position position as long as he is here.

Lukas Sedlak said on making the team:

“I guess I get nervous before every game,” he said.

When asked if he thought that playing with coach Jared Bednar in 2016 helped make the team, he said, “I don’t know probably. That is more of a question for him. He is the reason I chose to come to Colorado is because I played for him (at Lake Erie). I know what to expect from him and he knows what to expect from me.”

Sedlak and coach Bednar won the AHL Calder Cup Championship in 2016 with the Lake Erie (now Cleveland) Monsters.

There was one transaction that the Avalanche made in the last 24 hours. This was kind of an expected one though. Jonas Johansson was claimed off of waivers from the Arizona Coyotes. This is the THIRD time he’s come to the team, either via trade or waivers. He will be sent right to the Colorado Eagles as he has already “cleared” waivers. The expectation is that he will backup or share the goalie duties with Justus Annunen. Trent Miner will be sent down to the ECHL Utah Grizzlies to make room.

The Avalanche did a remodeling of the Ball Arena locker room and I will have to say, it is fancy.

First look at the thr #Avs new remodeled locker room #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/cJtbxgWgDi

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2022

The #Avs locker setup, fans everywhere to keep everything dry after practice and games #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/MRVqYCTppu

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2022

Projected lines for Opening Night

Forwards

Lehkonen-MacKinnon- Rantanen

Nichushkin- Newhook- Rodrigues

Cogliano-Compher-LOC

Blidh-Sedlak-Meyers

Defensemen

Makar- Toews

Girard-Manson

Byram-EJ

Goalies

Georgiev- starter

Francouz

Scratches

MacDermid- MacDonald (red).

Petr Mrazek will start in goal for the Blackhawks. Colorado is a whopping -400 moneyline favorite at SuperBook Colorado.