A Gallery of the Players and Coaches that have Brought Avalanche Fans Angst and Agony

I thought it would be fun to put up a collection of players and coaches that have come and gone here in Avalanche Land.  But these are those players that have produced the anger, the annoyance...the angst that only fans can real understand.
Remember fans.  This year it's all about the

Stupid Puck!!!

Those are great odds!!!



Are these really the same two people?





No caption needed.



Some fans thought Skoula was a little slow...

Skoula goes insane...

Maybe we were too hard on Tyler, I would say he skates well for a one-legged man.

Autograph denied!



I has stick?

I can’t seem to face up to the facts.

I’m tense and nervous and I... can’t relax.

I can’t sleep, cause my bed’s on fire.

Don’t touch me I’m a real live wire.



Psycho Killer

Qu'est-ce que c'est? [What is it?]

fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa better

Run run run run run run run away

OH OH OH

Act casual...

Got a pic for the collection? Send it!

Tyler Arnason Update

Arny continues to tear up the minors in Hartford. He was a healthy scratch for the home opener.
Hartford Wolf Pack
He's scoreless and a -3. Way to hustle!

BTW - Tyler appears to be a part of the Twitterverse at http://twitter.com/T_arnason
Tyler has nothing to say...
but enjoys following such deep thinkers as Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, P. Diddy and even the crafty Martha Stewart!
Obviously one of his favs is YouLookGreat, whose bio states: Your daily passive-aggressive affirmation.
Here are some example tweets;
YouLookGreat "knows you're NOT better than that."
YouLookGreat "says even though today might be tough, feel better because tomorrow will probably be worse."
Yep, that sounds like Arny!
Arny, if you're reading this, please, Please, PLEASE follow me on Twitter...I'm BEGGING!

Tyler Arnason Signs Two-way Contract with Rangers - Update

As I mentioned back in early July, Tyler Arnason signed a 2-way with the Rangers. The Shocker and I had predicted that Arny would not be in the NHL this year. Well, he isn't. He got sent down and is playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Frankly, I think we were right. If you can't make the opening night roster, you ain't no NHLer.
What's really sad is that by the looks of this game summary, Tyler is still a third line center. Wow. And Tony Granato tried to make him a first line center...

-From the Point

Tyler Arnason Signs Two-way Contract with Rangers

Tyler Arnason, winner of the Real Denver Sports Helmet Award for Most Balanced Player, has moved on to blue-er ice. Arny, with his prestigious stats of 5 goals and 6 hits last season has signed with the New York Rangers.
It is tough being a Colorado Avalanche fan these days but the Rangers continue to make bone-headed moves that make me feel better. Granted the contract is two-way...but still. I predicted this guy would be completely out of hockey after this season, so what do I know?
That time in the minors is sure to be a serious pay cut! Whew. Well, better the NY dodo's pay him than the Avs.

First Annual Real Denver Sports Helmet Awards

With the season over for the Avs, I thought we could pass out some awards to some deserving Colorado Avalanche players. Real Denver Sports would like to acknowledge the players of the Colorado Avalanche with the meaningless Helmet Awards.
The categories, strictly made up on the spot, by myself and the staff are:

You Played Your Ass off for a Crappy Team: Ryan Smyth
Ryan Smyth should be the next Captain of this team, hopefully that is a year from now, but anyway...this guy really stepped up when the going got tough. Sorry Paul, I thought this was your team, but I've yet to see this kind of leadership from you.

Bones Like Twigs Award: Paul Stastny
Will someone please deliver this trophy to Paul? I really don't see a need for him to trip...er, walk up these steps to the podium...here just take this down to him...stay where you are Paul.

The Player Most in Need of a Neighborhood Kid-Joe Sakic
Poor Joe, what a crappy season. I want all you kids living around Joe to step up and start doing some chores! For goodness sake, will some one please mow his lawn for him this Summer?

Best Name Award-Cal Clutterbuck
Every year (um, starting this year) we give out this award, it's one of the funnest ones of the evening! Ok, I just wish he was an Avalanche.

Best Hockey Nose-Adam Foote
No argument!

Player Most Likely to be a Car Salesman Next Year-Andrew Raycroft
...is Andrew here...Razor...? Didn't think so.

You don't have to be pretty to play hockey-Ian Lapperriere

But it Doesn't Hurt-John-Michael Liles

Best Call-up Award-Chris Stewart

I guess in this age of Sidney (can't we just call him Sid?) Crosby, I was a little impatient with Stewart. Because the Avs sent him down early in training camp I was worried that he was a bust. He probably just had some normal growing up to do, and I think the Avs probably handled it well. He looks ready to start growing on an NHL team. His defense might need a little work but I like his tenacity. I don't see him ever going back to the minors.

Most durable player-Milan Hejduk
Wow, after that off-season scare due to some Czech newspaper reporting Milan's bum knee giving out at any minute, it's a wonder that the man with the Magic Hands played 82 games. The ONLY Avs player to do so. Milan Hejduk does not get enough credit in this town. This guy has been solid on this team for years, let's hope he sticks around a while longer.

Most pointless call-up-Per Ledin

Best facial hair-Ben Guite
Cue up the porn music!

Worst facial hair-Three way tie, Raycroft, Liles & Tucker
These goofs get this award for growing late season beards. Have you guys looked at the standings lately? Are those golf course beards? Wait, maybe they're "We're out of the playoffs" beards? WTF? Besides, Liles looks like a goof, that beard is Elfish. Shave it!

And our most prestigious award of the night, that is why it is saved for last is the
Most Balanced Player Award- Tyler Arnason
This goes to the guy that most exemplifies the all-around hockey tradition. The guy that does it all! We are proud to present this award to Tyler. With 5 goals and 6 hits*, you can't get more balanced than that!

That's it folks, we are running late, no time for your speech Tyler!!
Your late, local news is next!

Posted by: From the Point

*This stat represents the entire 2008-09 season.

Farewell to Leaders and Followers

First, the leaders.
Sunday will be the end (thankfully) of the season for the Colorado Avalanche. It could well be the end of an era as well. The Joe Sakic era. If Jakeleg Joe manages to get his body up to par, or even 80%, and decides to hit the ice this weekend, I will be there to see what may be his last NHL game. Last season I disgustedly left the last game of the year, that disastrous performance against the hated Red Wings, in the middle of the game. Never thinking twice that it might be Sakic’s last game. I was horrified to hear the reports that he had asked to be on the ice for the last shift. I realized as everyone did that we might have seen the last of him. Well, I won’t make that mistake this time. Besides, it can’t be worse than that was, even the stupid Wings fans around us felt bad for us, it was such a whipping.



A farewell to Ian Laperriere may be in order as well. He and the Avs management seem to be having some difficulty in agreeing on a salary for next year. Lappy was recently quoted by Aaron Lopez of InDenverTimes.com. Asked if he would take less money to stay in Denver and attempt to help the Avs return to respectability, Laperriere was his usual honest self.
“I think I’ve played all my career on discounts,” he told me after a recent practice. “I’ll leave it at that.”
Now does that mean Lappy is digging his heals in and is tired of playing for a discount? Or is it an acknowledgement that he feels he has to fight this battle every time contract talks start? It’s difficult to know, but being a guy that was drafted in the 7th round; he has been fighting (literally) for a decent salary his whole career. Is Lappy looking for the most bang for the buck on what is likely his last contract in the NHL? The Avs (stupidly) may not be willing to pay him. That may mean “It’s (gonna be) All About Cody”.

Now, the followers.
Tyler Arnason, Andrew Raycroft, and Brian Willsie are just a few of the guys that should not be invited back to this dismal squad. Unfortunately, with the apparent cap space that the Avs don’t have, they may have to shuffle in different, gritty, under-performing, well-traveled guys. That statement isn’t completely hopeless. Chris Stewart appears to have made a very nice transition onto the Avs this season and I fully expect to see him stay in Denver and never go back to Erie. This is a pleasant surprise; I really thought Stewart was going to be a bust. Two years ago he was sent back to Erie before training camp was even wrapped up! Last year he stuck around longer but there sure wasn’t much buzz about our #1 pick from 2006. He looks to be a much better asset than Arny or Willsie.

Now this may or may not be true at the goal position. The guys down in the minors may get a real chance to play in the big leagues. But that may lead to another season like this one in the nets. It’s always a guessing game when it comes to goalies making the transition from the minors to the majors. So do the Avs trust in that transition or go sign a UFA goalie with “potential”?

Posted by: From the Point

Arnason sees end of line with Avs (Thank you, thank you, thank you!)

Mar. 20, 2009
By Aaron J. Lopez
When a season goes bad, the fingers start pointing like compass gone haywire.
The needle spins toward the coach one day, the general manager the next. Naturally, the guys on the ice also must shoulder their share of the blame.
Few players in the Avalanche dressing room know this better than center Tyler Arnason, who has been labeled as everything from overweight to overrated to emotionally indifferent throughout his career. Read the whole story here

My thoughts: Arnason has indeed been a whipping boy for frustrated fans this season, with good reason. And frankly Granato has given him more than enough of a chance to redeem himself. The only reasonable explanation I can find for keeping in the line-up as much as he has is that the injuries to this team has forced him to do so. Still, even that is a questionable line of reasoning. T.J. Hensick has spent a lot more time on the bench than Arnason. Hensick has 18 points to Arnason's 22, yet Hensick has 52 games played to Arnason's 67. Simply based on the plus-minus stat, Hensick is also a more responsible defensive center. So why not give the youngster more ice time? In a season gone to pot, and everyone including Aranson knows that he will not be here next season, you really have to question why. Why waste your time trying to get passion and goals out of Arnason?
Posted by: From the Point