#wost

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The Colorado Avalanche Primer, 2026

BONUS: not convinced? Need more pointless trivia? Here's fashion report from the previous year and charity basket review from the current year. And just bunch of stuff. Oh, and the archive of (sometimes poorely) edited getty images.

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[jess-signatures]

Signatures! | WoST

Hellooo

I come with some signatures I made for some pretty awesome people on World of Survival Tribes - which LAUNCHES TODAY!! Come join us at 7pm GMT+2 because the doors will be opening for you all :D

I hope you like these!!

Looking for a signature? Go request some now!

.Jess out.

[birdsandbirds]

Wood Stork

6 Mile Bend Pond

Belle Glade, FL

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Avs Charity Brunch baskets, ranked

Charity Brunch 2026 is happening soon, and as is the case every year, guys were tasked with assembling a basket of goods for the auction. I will be ranking them all based on the effort put in, commitment to the bit, and how valuable the stuff inside is.

24. JACK DRURY Impressively only has unsigned Avalanche merch, including wine tumblers with no wine. We as a community need to hold Jack Drury accountable for having a total ass basket.

23. NICK BLANKENBURG This one also only has Avalanche merch, but it's more understandable. "Avalanche Acacia & Slate Cheese Serving Tray with Cheese Knives" is a wild thing to exist.

22. BRETT KULAK If you are really into coffee you might hypothethically want this.

21. VALERI NICHUSHKIN Avalanche merch and a lego set. He is an avid lego builder and collector, after all. The puck is underwhelming for the only thing signed.

20. GAVIN BRINDLEY A real smorgasboard of stuff! It's fine.

19. ZAKHAR BARDAKOV If you like it what you are seeing, there's allegedly a Russian grocery shop somewhere in Denver.

18. ROSS COLTON Also a huge pile of stuff, but NJ mentioned. Ross looked at his home with a critical eye and put everything that didn't spark joy anymore into this basket, including Atomic Habits. I know, Ross, I know.

17. JOSH MANSON This one's really committed to the bit: outside of the gloves that are mandatory, it only has pasta-related things. It's a sensible purchase. Those are certainly getting used, unlike the golf balls or whatever. Would love something else signed, though.

16. NICOLAS ROY Nic's entire personality shines through this basket: listening to music, playing pickleball and drinking coffee. Unfortunately, have to take the score down for golf.

15. JOEL KIVIRANTA A sensible mix of stuff and I'm sure Kivi superfans would love to hang the photo up somewhere at home. Might've picked a cuntier photo, though.

14. DEVON TOEWS It's okay. You can drink the wine while reading about the difference between nazal and mouth breathing, which is a topic Devon considers important.

13. MACKENZIE BLACKWOOD It has things! I might be biased, but I like this one. A bit surprised that fishing not mentioned, though.

12. ARTTURI LEHKONEN Fairly well committed to the theme, which is in this case Tennis (and the Console Gaming). The coffee is Finnish.

11. SCOTT WEDGEWOOD A must have if you are a Girl Dad.

10. LOGAN O'CONNOR DU mentioned! We love a throwback. Coors mentoned too, but I couldn't find a connection. Maybe he's just a fan. Mayor to captain pipeline incoming? EDIT: @paininmyavs reports that Coors merch is because the brewing company used to be located near Denver, so the Mayor is showing his loyalty to the place.

9. PARKER KELLY On brand! Some people like Marvel Rivals, and some people like The Life of a Showgirl. You probably aren't reselling this one for much since there are like gozillion copies on the market, so you'll have to like it, too, if you bid. Also has $25 Steam card, which I think is adorable.

8. SAM MALINSKI Sam's parents own a vineyard in Argentina which explains the wine, and Sam likes fishing, which explains camping equipment. I guess you can drink your Chardonnay while casting a line. A compelling vision to me!

7. BRENT BURNS If I told you there's a study Bible in one of the Avs baskets, you probably wouldn't have guessed it's Brent Burns'. It's built around cooking meat during a camping trip, so it does work well with Sams. Maybe splash on both?

6. NAZEM KADRI Team-signed SCF pennant would probably make it up for you when you forget about the zoo tickets and feel bad about them expiring.

5. BROCK NELSON Somewhat olympics-themed, like Cales, but with a hoodie instead of a jersey, so worse than Cales. The book is about SEAL Teams Six, if you are into that kind of stuff. The socks are unfortunately not game-worn, so feet people shouldn't bother.

4. MARTIN NECAS Got a jersey + Olympics mentioned. Polaroid is cute, too. Martin's previous basket had one, too.

3. GABRIEL LANDESKOG This has like a billion signed things. Even the wine is signed. Puts it out of your price range, though.

2. NATHAN MACKINNON Olympics not mentioned. It has Tyson's beer company merch, which is sweet, and also a signed jersey. This one will get really expensive. And "Ready Player One" which is sure, why not.

1. CALE MAKAR A steal for someone who's massively Canada Down. Or maybe not really a steal, depending on how high does the bidding go. Cale committed to the theme, signed plenty of stuff and also picked what people want. Great job!

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Added MacKinnon: “Those two guys also love each other, and they work really well with each other, they’re kind of like Ullmark and Swayman a couple years ago in Boston, it seems like.” MacKinnon then looked towards Blackwood’s stall, where Wedgewood was embracing his teammate for another excellent performance. “I mean, look at them hugging over there right now. They’re good buddies,” he said. This has become a common occurrence after each game. Win or lose, shutout or not, the tandem goaltenders are always talking postgame. Sometimes to themselves, but most of the time, they’re the life of the room. They bring a presence that the team sorely lacked last year. Especially without Gabe Landeskog back in the lineup yet.

“Both guys are outgoing guys, great personalities, good team mindset,” Bednar said. “The juice, the energy that they have, the outlook they have. It all helps.” How different is the locker room from a year ago? Just ask the guy who was the first arrival in a series of many trades since then. Wedgewood’s Avalanche career began in relief, in a game where Colorado trailed 4-0 to Buffalo before Georgiev was pulled. Wedgewood stepped in, without a pre-game warm-up, in front of players he’s never played with, and was perfect the rest of the way. Colorado scored five goals in front of him to win the game in regulation. “Light years. I think it was even a little bit rough throughout when I first got here, and even before playoffs,” Wedgewood said of the locker room vibe. “It was like, you win a game, but it didn’t feel like you were satisfied in this room. There was a lingering feeling that we should be in a better spot than we are. Even after a win, we didn’t feel satisfied at any point throughout the season.”

The Avalanche boast a record of 54-18-10 in their last 82 games, dating back to the Wedgewood trade. The 54 wins is tops in the league, as is the 118 points.Defensively, Colorado has given up just 190 goals in that stretch, while scoring 296. Both of those are also the best in the league. The eight shutouts for the Avs also leads the NHL. These are all categories that improved because of the play of Wedgewood and Blackwood. Even the offense, which has nothing to do with goaltending, can be credited to their presence between the pipes, and the stress it lifts off of the rest of the lineup. “Good goaltending can help your team play with a bunch of confidence,” Bednar said. Wedgewood, 33, came to Colorado with 49 career wins. With the Avs, he is already 26-5-4, boasting a sparkling .919 save percentage and 2.03 goals-against average. “I think it was an opportunity,” Wedgewood told me at Ball Arena. “Looking from the outside, coming in, with the situation they had, and the conversations around the league that you listen to, it was an opportunity for me to calm things for them.”

“It was tough to turn the room over. You had different trades and things at different times, and you’re trying to vibe with guys,” Wedgewood said. Both Wedgewood and Blackwood were here from the start of training camp. Sure, Blackwood was rehabbing an offseason injury, but they both still got to integrate themselves with the roster from the onset. That matters to players. It matters to the room. “When you get to start in training camp with the group, you get to create memories, create little niches of things we do after wins and things that happen to guys throughout the year that last all year as jokes,” Wedgewood said. “Landy comes back, big presence, then he opens his house up and runs a team party. These things may not show up on the ice, but they show up throughout the year. It’s how you build a team and build a culture.”

In one year with Colorado, Wedgewood has earned himself another $2.5 million contract extension, as well as a spot on Team Canada’s long list as the Winter Olympics rosters get closer to being announced. As for Blackwood, he’s 27-12-4 with the Avs, recording five shutouts and a .915 save percentage. Blackwood even signed a five-year extension worth $26.25 million less than three weeks after being acquired. “It’s been nice to see him grow as a human. I think he’s seen me grow,” Wedgewood said. “We’re both in a good spot and cheering each other on. Regardless of time on the ice right now, he’s been hot when we need him. I’ve been hot when he was hurt.”

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Avalanche has been having a moderately good season so far, so Corey Masisak asked various guys as to who gets to claim the most credit for that. Gabe and the goalies got the most votes, obviously, but I instead would like to discuss the following:

It looks like something else, but it's actually the MS Paint graph (split in two parts) of who was praising who for this okay season. The reds are, sadly, one-sided, while the pinks are mutual.

Mackenzie Blackwood: 62. He’s always good. He’s always the same guy. No one ever talks about (Artturi Lehkonen).

Artturi Lehkonen: Our goalies have been unreal for us. They are a big reason why we are winning so many games.

Joel Kiviranta: I feel like everybody is playing so good, it would be hard to pick. Maybe the goalies. They’ve been so good this year. When you have good goalies, it just helps you automatically. So I’d say the goalies. Both of them.

"Everybody" was also a popular option.

Gavin Brindley: I think everyone has been contributing. It’s never just been one guy. Different guys contributing at different times, finding different ways to win. It’s been a lot of fun.

Nathan MacKinnon: I don’t think anyone deserves any credit, except for everybody, I guess. Everyone is pulling in the same direction this year, and we’re healthy. I think (Alexi Pianosi) doesn’t get a lot of credit, but I think we have the best strength coach in the league. He gets guys ready to play. I think we’ve had a lot of good starts because of how you get your body ready. We don’t have guys taking 10 minutes to get warm or get activated. Alexei has been amazing, and everyone has bought into his stuff, which is great. It’s been a huge, huge help.

Who's Pianosi? Why, a guy from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who has been training Nate since 2009 during the offseasons, and also was employed by Pittsburgh Penguins for seven years in a simillar role because of course. Nate has smuggled him on the staff in 2024.

Nate wasn't the only one with an unconventional answer.

Sam Malinski: A lot of credit goes to the core group of guys for the culture they’ve built. I give a lot of credit to (general manager Chris MacFarland) for assembling this team and finding a group of guys that’s all very committed to winning. But also, it’s a team game, and I think a lot of our success comes from everyone showing up every night.

Martin Necas: Everybody talks about Landy, and that is well deserved. I will say C-Mac (MacFarland). I don’t know if he’s talked about as much. I don’t really follow the media, but I think he really did a great job in the summer. The guys that he has locked in, the guys like (Burns) that he brought. They have been great additions not just on the ice, but in the locker room as well.

CMac has been cooking, and we've been eating well. Seems like Martin is grateful for how things has been coming for him this year. I had no idea what was going on with Burns signing, but it has worked out, like most of the things have. I would ultimately attribute it to Landy, personally. Sometimes it's worth it to wait on a beautiful dead wife.

Ross Colton: I feel like the leadership this year has been so much better. (Gabe Landeskog) obviously helps out. I think (Burns), having (Brock Nelson) back. Just the feeling in the room is so much better than it’s been the last couple of years that I’ve been here. I just feel like we’re so much tighter this year as a group off the ice. It makes coming to the rink more enjoyable. It’s definitely translating to the ice that we enjoy being here and want to battle for each other on the ice.

Josh Manson: I feel like everybody is contributing. Maybe I would say (Landeskog). Is he putting up like a point a game right now? No, but the way he’s come back and how handles himself in the room. Everyone is on the same page. He’s a big part of that.

Brock Nelson: There are a lot of really good answers for that one. I’m sure you’ve heard Landy’s presence, the goaltending. I’ll go with Nate and Cale. You always knew they were like the top of the top, but now I see the ins and outs every day. I know Nate gets a lot of credit, but he probably doesn’t get enough, honestly. He’s playing a different level of game than everybody else.

Parker Kelly: I’ll give you three answers. I think one is probably (Landeskog). I know he probably gets a lot of recognition, but sometimes I don’t think people know all the details in the game, and man, he just does it right every night. Hard on pucks, so huge in the room. It’s been awesome to have him back and just learn from him. The next guy is Burns. Just great for the room, revamped the d-core a little bit. Another guy who does all the little things and is so hard to play against. And then someone who is definitely under the radar a little bit? I’d say Sam Malinski. We have a lot of great D, but he’s having a hell of a year and is so good at moving pucks. I don’t think it’s talked enough about how good he is.

ALTERNATE CAPTAIN PARKER KELLY 💙 MENTIONED.

Brent Burns: Every night is different, and I think there are a lot of guys who do. A guy like Jack (Drury), he does so many little things, little details on faceoffs that help the other guys out. (Parker Kelly) with his energy and his laughter, but he also creates a lot of space for guys on the ice. Jack (Drury) and (Parker Kelly) and (Joel Kiviranta) do the hard things.

Cale Makar: That is a great question. Who is not getting enough credit? I don’t know if there is just one guy. I’ll go with … maybe Sam Malinski, maybe Parker Kelly.

And then there's this guy:

Devon Toews: First off, (Brendan McNicholas, vice president of media relations). Not Joe (Sakic). Definitely not Joe. He hasn’t done anything. Editor’s note: McNicholas may have been standing next to Toews, and Sakic may have walked by while he considered his answer. I think we’ve had relatively good health for the most part this year. Obviously, the training staff helps with that, the equipment staff helps with that. All of the people behind the scenes that allow us to do what we do don’t get enough recognition, so they deserve a shout-out.

And finally, the most out of the box thinking from Wedgeman:

Scott Wedgewood: I would just say our detail. You watch the game, and we score a lot, and we don’t give up much. What does that mean? It means when we come back on an odd-man rush, and we’re backchecking, we sort it out, and we don’t give up a high-danger chance. A goal that sticks out in my mind was in Edmonton. (Connor) McDavid and (Matthias) Ekholm get back on a rush, they chase one guy, we feed the middle, and they get scored on. We are sorting that stuff out. It’s our d-zone faceoff assignments, o-zone faceoff plays. We have a high-powered offense. Well, why? If we have numbers, we attack. If the fourth man has a step, he jumps in, and we get him the puck. It’s the finer details of our puck play and our decisions. That’s an elite thing that this team does. We give up chances, but what are we giving up? We’re able to give up the type of chances that (Blackwood) and I want. These are playoff details, and we’ve had them since Game 1.

You heard it. Detail MVP 2026.

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Just three days ago, Martin went to a Czech podcast to sing praises of Lehky (who's apparently now nicknamed "Art". what?)

Besides speaking that very important and urgently needed truth, Martin also shed light on the logic behind his decision to re-sign with the Avs. He asked CMac to give him some time to think, the deadline being Halloween. He says he was quite shocked by a trade from Carolina the last winter, and for a while felt "more like a Cane", so the time was appropriate to just sleep on it, you know? Eat on it, drink on it, jork it on it...

Martin really liked the training cap this year and the first dozen games, so negotiations really went hot and it was done. He said "he was satisfied and at peace" with "spending the rest of his career here", so he wanted it "100%". Keep it one hundred on the land, the sea, the sky... You seeing it folks? When you want it, you can have it and get it done, and when you don't you don't!

As for the "rumors" about Martin hating it here in Denver, Martin said it was not a surprise cause people be saying anything. CMac didn't treat those seriously either and during the summer they were in contact about that and confirmed to each other that it's all right.

More on the rumors: podcast hosts somehow decided that Nate is doing a "Netflix show" about "being an athlete". Martin was surprised to hear about this one, too, just like the rest of us, but expressed his belief that Nate would slay on the TV. Chickpea pasta came up again 😔 to which Martin assured that he can eat whatever he wants and, like, respects Nate for taking care of his body. As he should. Nate does drink during the parties, so there's that.

Martin said he left some of the contract money in Vegas, since they signed it about time they were on the road here with Avs. He also did a Czech dinner with the other guys. He didn't party much because the game was early.

Lehky glazing was a bit shorter and less epic than the Image on the Internet suggested. But Martin did highlight him specifically! They were talking about whether its yassy to play with Nate and Cale. It is, but Lehky doing tremendous work, too. Martin feels like they really feeling each other with Nate now, knowing where each other is on the ice blindly. All the private hours Nate was spending with him are working. Martin's favorite line to play at is Lehky-Nate-Martin.