They’re lining up to play football and basketball through the holidays, sure. But there’s something about the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl matching Toledo against Florida International, and a spattering of indoor hoops games, that doesn’t exactly scream seasonal.
To that wintry end, we turn to the ice — for one of the most important hockey tournaments of the year.
Starting Sunday, the best prospects in hockey will skate against one another at the World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo, N.Y. It likely will be a knockout fight between the United States and Canada.
And some of Colorado’s best will be front and center.
Drew Shore and Jason Zucker, standouts for the University of Denver, will suit up for the defending champion Americans. And Colorado College’s Jaden Schwartz will play for Canada.
The who’s-who list of future stars is long. Tyson Barrie, the Avalanche’s third-round draft pick last year, will play for Canada. Ryan Bourque, son of former Avs and Bruins star Ray Bourque, will line up for Team USA. And Avs draft pick Sami Aittokalia, a fourth-rounder this year, will be in goal for Finland.
The story lines run much deeper than Colorado prospects.
Last year, Team USA shocked Canada with a 6-5 overtime victory in the championship game in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It snapped a five-year streak for the Canadians.
And it leaves the Americans, unusually, as favorites this year.
“Favorites and all that stuff is outside noise as far as I’m concerned,” U.S. coach Keith Allain, also the head coach at Yale, told Canada’s TSN this week. “We have a job to do within the team, and that’s where our focus will be.”
Eight players from the U.S. team last year return, including DU’s Zucker, who leads the No. 7-ranked Pioneers with 14 goals and 21 points, both tops in the WCHA this season. Other returnees include Bourque, Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Jerry D’Amigo and New York Rangers draft pick Chris Kreider.
Nine players with Team USA are first-round NHL draft picks. Canada counters with a roster that includes of 15 first-round NHL draft choices.
The tournament concludes Jan. 5.
IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship
Eight teams, including defending champion Team USA and Canada, last year’s runner-up.
* Schedule: Sunday through Jan. 5 in Buffalo, N.Y.
Players to watch
* United States — Drew Shore, forward (University of Denver); Jason Zucker, forward (DU); Ryan Bourque, forward (Rangers draft pick, son of former Avalanche star Ray Bourque).
* Canada — Jaden Schwartz, defenseman (Colorado College); Tyson Barrie, forward (Avalanche draft pick).
* Finland — Sami Aittokalia, goal- tender (Avalanche draft pick).
AROUND TOWN
Lloyd catches attention.
A dubious achievement, perhaps, but Broncos wide receiver Brandon Lloyd entered elite territory in NFL history this season.
Lloyd has surpassed 1,200 yards receiving, becoming just the third player to do so after seven seasons in the league. He has 1,264 yards this year on 67 catches — second-best in the NFL in yardage.
His late blooming should look familiar to Broncos fans. Former Denver wide receiver Ed McCaffrey didn’t notch his first 1,000-yard season until his eighth year in the league.
Lloyd likely will be a prime target for rookie quarterback Tim Tebow when the Broncos welcome coach Gary Kubiak and the Houston Texans to Invesco Field at Mile High on Sunday.
Televised by CBS (Denver’s KCNC-4), the game kicks off at 2 p.m. Don Criqui and Steve Beuerlein will call the action.
STAY ON THE COUCH
Legler worth listening to.
A welcome national voice of reason and calm among the throng of NBA screamers, ESPN analyst Tim Legler has two of the more insightful eyes on TV. So it is a welcome ticket out of the studio Saturday that will take Legler to Oklahoma City.
Legler will call the color, teaming with play-by-play man Mark Jones for ESPN’s telecast of the Nuggets’ Christmas game against the Thunder. The telecast starts at 6 p.m.
A former NBA journeyman with eyes for X’s and O’s, Legler hopefully will give Nuggets fans some insight about the future of the franchise without Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony will miss Saturday’s game because of his sister’s death this week. So the Nuggets’ style may look like it will after his likely departure.
In their 109-103 loss Wednesday night at San Antonio, the Nuggets played well in his absence. They were boosted by the return of Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen but fell short without a go-to scorer down the stretch.
GET OFF THE COUCH
5K in Aurora is A-OK.
Too many holiday cookies? Too much time indoors? Too many hours on the couch staring at the TV?
Sunday is a reprieve. Get outside and stretch your legs for the Kwanzaa 5K run and walk in Aurora at 10 a.m. The casual race kicks off near the Aurora Police Department.
The race — put on by Potts Trotters, a nonprofit that promotes health and fitness — has become an annual tradition on a weekend otherwise devoid of running races.
Check for more information.
WHAT WE’D LIKE TO SEE
Rush hour: AFA bowl game.
With the Air Force football team in Shreveport, La., for Monday’s Independence Bowl game against Georgia Tech, it gives us an opportunity to look forward to one of the more intriguing pre-New Year’s bowl games.
Georgia Tech ranks No. 1 in the nation in rushing, and Air Force is No. 2. The Yellow Jackets, with a triple- option attack, have averaged 327 yards per game on the ground in their 6-6 season. The Falcons, who have moved away from the option some in the coach Troy Calhoun era, averaged 318 yards rushing in their 8-4 season.
Don’t tune in late to the 3 p.m. game on ESPN2. It’s likely to be one of the quickest-played football games of the year.
