- Why a trio of Avalanche veterans decided to extend with Colorado - Denver Gazette Why a trio of Avalanche veterans decided to extend with Colorado - Denver Gazette
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Why a trio of Avalanche veterans decided to extend with Colorado

By September 15, 2025 | updated 3 days ago

Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson (11) controls the puck in front of Dallas Stars' Matt Duchene (95) in the second period in Game 7 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

CASTLE PINES — After the Avalanche’s disappointing playoff exit at the hands of the Dallas Stars, Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland said they’d bring back the exact same team if they could.

They weren’t kidding, apparently.

When the Avalanche hit the ice on Thursday for training camp, they won’t look all that different from the team that saw their season end earlier than they anticipated last May. The front office likes their team.

So do the players.

“I think there’s a lot of excitement,” forward Parker Kelly said before the team’s charity golf tournament at The Ridge at Castle Pines on Monday. “The initial shock of last postseason took its toll. I think everyone had a great summer with that on your mind. … Everyone’s pretty much back from last year. We’re all hungry.”

Colorado wasted no time taking care of business with the 26-year-old Kelly, giving him a four-year extension on July 1, a full year before his contract was set to expire. It was a big summer for the Alberta native, and not just because of the commitment the Avalanche made to him. He also made a commitment off the ice, tying the knot with his fiancé a few weeks later.

A hectic offseason meant they didn’t have time for a honeymoon, but Kelly said that might take place over the NHL break in February, as he joked it looks like he’s been cut from the Olympic team.

For Kelly, the feeling of being wanted was huge.

“I’ve been on one or two-year deals my whole career, so to have some term and get it done early (was nice),” he said. “Love the city, love the guys here, love the coaching staff. More than excited to be here.”

Colorado’s biggest offseason move almost became an afterthought because it happened so early in the summer. Brock Nelson, acquired at the trade deadline last season for a hefty package from the New York Islanders, decided to re-sign in Colorado on June 4. There was some belief that he was going to head to market and potentially return home to Minnesota, but the veteran center wasn’t tempted by free agency.

“Loved my time here in the spring,” Nelson said. “(I) would have liked to have gone a little bit further (in the playoffs). Saw the potential of what the group is capable of. All that factored into the decision to come back. There’s no better place to want to win now, with the guys that are here, the talent that’s here. The commitment to winning from the players on up is as good as it gets.”

Everything that Nelson experienced last spring was new to him. Having spent his entire career with one team, adjusting to life in a new town was different, both on and off the ice.

With the extension done, he got to Colorado early in the summer to get his family settled and feels more comfortable than he did just a few months ago.

“I think a lot of it is just outside with the family, outside of the game, but I think it bleeds into your performance on the ice just in terms of feeling settled,” Nelson said. “Getting traded, being three, four weeks where you may not see your kids for a bit was definitely tough. We were able to move out here early August, get the kids in school and get in (a) routine. For me, I think it just helps just having the family taken care of, they’re there, I think that changes thing a little bit for me, performance-wise.”

Nelson kept in contact with his new teammates before deciding to extend with Colorado. His old teammate on Long Island, Devon Toews, may have been on him the most.

“I talked to him quite a bit,” Nelson said.

The other veteran who extended early in the summer was Josh Manson, who signed a two-year contract on July 10 that will keep him on the Avalanche through 2028. Injuries have been a big issue for Manson during his tenure in Colorado, but he brings some snarl to a blue line that it’s otherwise lacking.

Despite taking a pay-cut with the extension, Manson didn’t hesitate to sign.

“We love Colorado,” the 33-year old said. “My family loves it here. We feel settled with confidence in the team. We have confidence in the organization. It felt like the right fit for us. We’re really happy to have that done.”

The on-ice portion of training camp for the Avalanche begins Thursday morning at Family Sports Center. All sessions are free and open to the public. The team will hold media day Wednesday, when veterans like Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas are expected to speak.

Evan Rawal

Reporter

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