Avalanche Journal: Sizing up the top of the NHL after a sleepy start to free agency trib.al/c9msznM

Welcome back to #TexasHockey, Toby! We have named Toby Petersen Head Coach of the Texas Stars 🌟

Time for a post-draft, post-first wave of free agency #Avs mailbag. Have questions about the Avs, the moves they have (or haven't made), stuff from around the NHL or whatever else is on your mind ... drop 'em here or click on the link below.

Francesco Dell’Elce held on to his NHL dream. The Avalanche made it come true. trib.al/i67pCdZ

Gavin McKenna's decision is a landmark moment in a new era of hockey's developmental landscape. What it means for him, for Penn State and the future of college hockey. flohockey.tv/articles/14369…

Avalanche sign Josh Manson to two-year contract extension, keeping defenseman in Colorado through 2027-28 trib.al/ELJ15Yq

The #GoAvsGo signed 33 y/o D Josh Manson to a 2 year $3.95M Cap Hit extension 12 team NTC year 1, 10 team NTC year 2 Rep’d by Ross Gurney RWG puckpedia.com/player/josh-ma…

Imagine growing up dreaming of making the NHL, but never reaching it despite a quarter century playing and coaching in pro hockey. Then, just before your 47th birthday, opportunity arrives. The journey of new #SeaKraken assistant coach Aaron Schneekloth. nhl.com/kraken/news/up…

NCAA hockey has been in an arms race for two decades now as teams have battled for recruits. In doing so, it has blown past the CHL in development infrastructure. This has been missing from the Gavin-McKenna-to-NCAA discourse. Column: grandforksherald.com/sports/und-hoc…

Nikolai Kovalenko signed a two-year contract with CSKA (KHL)

Deep-dive on #Rockies draft-and-development flaws: Colorado's over-reliance on the draft, misses in last decade and lag in analytics have sunk club to all-time low tinyurl.com/6c55y8dm #MLB #MLBDraft

Utah will play its first regular-season game as the Mammoth at Ball Arena on Oct. 9. #Avs start in LA on Oct. 7, back home for Utah two days later. Rest of the schedule will be out at 11 am MT. Mammoth will play in Denver five times in 29 days (rookie tournament, preseason).

Who was better in their prime? Greg McKegg or Sidney Crosby

“A little Shane Smith …” “Shane Smith and the fucking Saints” The Old Saloon in Emigrant, MT is incredible. An all-timer of a night.

When a history museum rewrites history to appease the president, it stops being a museum and starts being state propaganda. Straight-up Orwellian.

In April, The Athletic decided it no longer wanted to cover Penn State football. I was out of work ahead of the most anticipated PSU season in two-plus decades. Well, I'm back and would love to have you along for the ride! Insidethelions.substack.com is the new home for my work.

Well, this is wonderful.

If you read one thing today …

Five of the top 12 teams here are in the Central. Utah is about to enter its real pain in the ass era. Best division in the league status … not going anywhere.

Really cool story from Patrick Saunders on Darnell’s unlikely journey to #Rockies