Denver Post sports writer Adrian Dater posts his Avs Mailbag each Wednesday during the 2006-07 NHL season on DenverPost.com.
To drop a question into the Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
Hi, Adrian! I just wondered if anyone else noticed that Mark Rycroft has an ill-fitting helmet. It always seems to be sliding down over his eyes and just generally looks too big. What gives? (By the way, Rycroft’s energy is great, and I’m glad the Avs have him!) Thanks.
— Shawn Herrin, Colorado Springs
Shawn – Rycroft is an old-time hockey player (and so was his dad, who used to play in the old World Hockey Association in Calgary). So, he likes to keep the helmet loose in case any scraps arise. Better it be that way, so he can get rid of it in a hurry and fight like a real player – with
no lid on.
Rycroft has been a lot better lately. He even had a three-game goal-scoring streak at one point, and has gelled nicely on a line with Ben Guite – who I think has been tremendous of late. Guite gives the
Avs a decent faceoff guy in late-game situations, and he’s been surprisingly decent offensively.
Adrian: While flipping through schedules online in an effort to determine the chances of the Avs making the playoffs and, in turn, me having something to watch on TV for a few more weeks, I noticed that Nashville is playing four games in a row from March 21-24. Is that common? I would not wish that upon any team other than Detroit.
— Scott, Phoenix
Scott – There is actually a day off in between there (on the 23rd), so it’s not four games in four nights. There is actually a bylaw in the NHL collective bargaining agreement that states a team can’t play three games in as many nights – not even in the playoffs. It didn’t used to be that way – owners could play seven nights a week if they wanted.
Adrian: Does the Avs’ staff ever dictate to the players what their offseason work regiment will be? I know Wojtek Wolski and Paul Stastny are youngsters and will fill out, but it seems like both need to be lifting weights to bulk up a little.
— Rick Sallee, Colorado Springs
Rick – The team sets a voluntary workout regimen. It’s up to the players to follow it if they want to, but they won’t be fined or anything if they don’t.
Actually, both rookies are fairly bulky and certainly strong enough to play at this level. Both players have very strong legs. True, their upper bodies could probably stand a little more muscle, but it’s not like they are “Mac” from the old Charles Atlas comic strips.
Hi, Adrian. A simple question of economics and opportunity cost: With the prospect of Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony taking the floor every other night at Pepsi Center, how can the Avalanche as an organization compete for the fan dollar? Joe Sakic and the young guys are great this year, but can they attract the fans who can only go to either the basketball or the hockey?
— Fred Lunjevich, Auckland, New Zealand
Fred – There’s enough of the sports dollar to go around. It’s all about wins and losses, in this and most other sports towns. You win, the fans show up. You don’t, and they won’t.
The Avs have been selling out for 11 years now (most of the time anyway), while the Nuggets have only been doing so for a little while.
Hockey and basketball fans are quite different I think, especially nowadays. It seems like the sports have moved far apart, more than they used to. For one thing, they don’t share the same building as
much as they used to. Although the Nuggets and Avs play in the same place, that’s not the case in, say, Florida (Miami) or Minnesota or Phoenix. There doesn’t seem to be as much camaraderie among the NHL and NBA teams of the same cities as there used to be, even if they do play in the same building. They are seen more as villains to each other, each trying to take the dollar out of the others’ pocket.
Hi, Adrian. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to hire a full-time coach for Jose Theodore? You know, someone who could work on the mental aspect of the job to rebuild his confidence. And, please, don’t tell me Jeff Hackett is there for that. He was, at best, an ordinary goalie. They invest millions in Theo and hire an average, part-time, so-called coach. Strange business decision.
— Diane Dumont, Montreal
Diane – Well, last time I checked, being an ordinary player didn’t rule you out for being a possibly excellent coach. Usually, great players make for bad coaches – Ted Williams, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, etc.
We don’t know why Theodore has had problems. Maybe it’s all mechanical. Maybe it’s all mental. Maybe he’s gotten older before his time. Maybe it’s all three or none of the three.
Theodore has gone into something of a self-imposed silence to the media since he lost his No. 1 job. I can’t say I blame him for that. I mean, there’s not a whole lot he can say, other than he’s still there as a player and teammate, still on call and hoping for the best for him and the team.
He’s probably going to get bought out from the last year of his contract. It’s not a huge leap of logic to say that. The one thing you can say about Theodore is that he has not been a distraction or
grumbler about his situation. It just hasn’t worked out for him this year, that’s all, but he’s still maintaining a professional attitude.
Yo, Adrian – I’ve been telling my completely disinterested girlfriend that Paul Stastny will be the next Avalanche captain when Joe Sakic finally retires (hopefully later rather than sooner). The kid’s got some GWGs this year, and he’s great at both ends. What do you think about this prospect?
— Sam Miller, Longmont
Sam – I think it’s a great prediction, one that could well come true. I think he’d be a good captain, especially when he feels more comfortable speaking his mind in the dressing room and to the media. Right now, he’s still got that kind of “aw-shucks” rookie persona, but there is a subtle confidence in him that makes for good captain material I think.
Adrian Dater can be heard every Wednesday from 4-5 p.m. for “The Puck Stops Here” on KLZ 560 AM. Adrian has covered the Colorado Avalanche since the team moved to Denver in 1995. To drop a question into his Avs Mailbag or visit DenverPost.com’s .
