Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
Nothing about the start to the Colorado Eagles’ season could be described as particularly concerning.
As the November schedule opened, the Eagles swept a two-game home set against Texas. They then got splits in back-to-back series against Coachella Valley and San Jose, two Pacific Division opponents that have had impressive starts. With a 6-5-0-1 record heading into the middle of November, the Eagles certainly had not done any damage to their chances to make this a successful season.
Still, after an impressive offseason roster shuffle, it felt like there could be much more for the Eagles to show.
After all, the parent Colorado Avalanche had taken decisive action to build out a strong veteran core that could compete for NHL playing time and/or enable the Eagles to compete with some of the AHL’s top powers. The Avs also did so with a list of names familiar to Eagles fans, team alumni who opted to return to the strong set-up that the organization has built with their AHL affiliate in Loveland, just an hour north of Denver in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains.
That proximity makes moves between the Avs and Eagles easy both for the teams and for players. The Eagles have a dedicated fan base that makes home dates at Blue Arena an event, along with being an intimidating environment for visiting opponents.
First the Avalanche landed forward Jere Innala, who had just come off a strong season in the Swedish Hockey League with Frölunda, where he had 28 points (16 goals, 12 assists) in 42 regular-season games. He then helped his team reach the league semifinals before going to the IIHF World Championship to represent Finland for the third time.
The moves came quickly once July 1 and free agency arrived. On that first day, the Eagles brought back two-time AHL most valuable player T.J. Tynan, a top-pairing option on the blue line in Jacob MacDonald, and another top-end veteran for the defense corps in Calle Rosen. All three players had skated for the Eagles before, and Tynan had won his first MVP award in 2020-21 while captaining the team. The following day the Avs signed college free agent Chase Bradley, a University of Connecticut forward who had 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 31 games last season.
Next the Eagles brought back another former captain, Jayson Megna. The forward had spent parts of four seasons with the Avalanche and Eagles. This time they lured him back with a two-year AHL deal. Megna spent last season with the Providence Bruins, where he finished second in team scoring with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 69 games.
More moves followed to solidify organizational depth. Goaltender Kevin Mandolese went west in a trade from the Ottawa Senators on July 15, a fresh opportunity for him after parts of four seasons with the Belleville Senators. On August 9 the Avs brought dangerous forward Matthew Phillips back to the Western Conference after he had just won a Calder Cup with the Hershey Bears. Having spent most of last season in the NHL with Washington and Pittsburgh, Phillips was not far removed from his 36-goal season with the Calgary Wranglers in 2022-23. Milwaukee Admirals forward Tye Felhaber signed on with the Eagles as well while Nashville assistant coach Dan Hinote joined the Eagles as their associate head coach to work alongside second-year head coach Aaron Schneekloth.
They had prospects as well who could battle those veterans for organizational positioning and contribute with the Avs and Eagles. Forward Oskar Olausson, a 2021 first-round pick, had collected 11 goals in 39 games for the Eagles last season before shoulder surgery last February shut him down. Another forward, Nikita Prishchepov, opened up plenty of eyes after going to the Avs as a seventh-round pick in this past June’s NHL Draft. He came to training camp, earned a three-year entry-level deal, and reported to the Eagles. By Nov. 1 he found himself recalled to the Avalanche, and he has gone on to play his first nine NHL games and become a regular call-up option.
Early turmoil hit the Eagles, however. Highly regarded rookie defenseman Sean Behrens suffered a knee injury during practice with the Eagles on Oct. 5 that put him out for the entire season. Injuries also pounded the NHL roster early, something that quickly became a challenge for the AHL affiliate as well. Tynan, another one of the organization’s top recall options, ended up playing only two games with the Eagles in November. Chris Wagner, also a veteran forward, is back with the Avs. Prishchepov has been a frequent I-25 traveler. Eagles forward Jean-Luc Foudy has been limited to five games. The Avs also brought in Kaapo Kahkonen via waivers from Winnipeg on Oct. 11 for further goaltending help. After two games with the Eagles, he went up to the Avalanche only to be lost when the Jets reclaimed him on waivers Nov. 12.
Yet the Eagles have come through that period. After splitting a two-game home set with Ontario, they hit the road and went 2-0-1-0 on a swing through Coachella Valley and Bakersfield before sweeping Henderson in a pair of home games last weekend by a combined score of 11-3.
The roster stresses have eased up lately. Tynan rejoined the lineup last weekend. The offseason work has paid off as well. Phillips holds the team scoring lead with 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 17 games. Megna, Innala, and MacDonald follow second, third, and fourth, respectively. Forward Jake Wise earned an AHL contract Nov. 13 and has come through with 12 points (six goals, six assists) through 13 games. Those 12 points tie him with Rosen.
After finishing a two-game set in Abbotsford today, Colorado returns home to face the Grand Rapids Griffins next weekend. At 11-7-1-1, the Eagles have inched their way to fourth in the Pacific Division. They know that this roster can handle obstacles. But now is the time to bank points. January brings 12 games in a 28-day stretch. They face a road-heavy February and March. Their division is always filled with contenders.
The grind continues, and the Eagles know all too well that challenges are always ahead.
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.
