AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Avalanche center Tyson Jost stepped onto the field at Air Force’s Falcon Stadium on Wednesday and immediately thought of his childhood memories in Alberta, Canada.
Jost said he grew up playing outdoors in his hometown of St. Albert on nearby frozen ponds and lakes, and the outdoor matchup with the Kings would allow him to reminisce about where his love for hockey started.
“Thatap kinda where I lived after school — I would always just run right to the outdoor rink,” Jost said. “Thatap where I spent about five hours every single day. … I guess it kinda translates, just there’s 40,000 people watching, instead of 40.”
Makar, who joined Jost on Wednesday in checking out the site of the Avs’ 2020 Stadium Series game, couldn’t help but think of his time playing for Canada in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, where he played in a preliminary game outdoors against the United States on New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y.
“Itap incredible,” Makar, Colorado’s first-round draft pick in 2017, said of the stadium. “Obviously, even looking at the stands here, itap going to be unbelievable for viewing. I know in Buffalo, they had to cut off, I think, the first 10 rows of stands because they start so low. But here, itap already set up perfect. So, I’m excited to see what happens and see how it goes.”
The Avs’ outdoor game vs. the Los Angeles Kings will take place Feb. 15, 2020.
Jost and Makar also took a look at the recently remodeled home team locker room as part of their tour, which concluded with the teammates tossing a football around on the field.
“Usually football’s awesome here, but to play a hockey game is going to be even more special,” Jost said.
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— Air Force Falcons (@AF_Falcons)
