The World Cup of Hockey starts in a week-and-a-half, and as Colorado Avalanche fans, we’re supposed to rejoice. After all, it means hockey starts five days early. (Preseason last year started September 22 — and, hey, that’s hockey, too.)
Six Avalanche players are representing their countries/continents in these exhibition games:
- Matt Duchene, Canada
- Nathan MacKinnon, North America
- Gabriel Landeskog, Sweden
- Carl Soderberg, Sweden
- Erik Johnson, USA
- Semyon Varlamov, Russia
People such as Duncan Keith of the Chicago Blackhawks and Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars will miss the tournament — ostensibly because they’re rehabilitating.