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On the 12th Day of the 12 Days of Avs Christmas, sit back and imagine which Colorado Avalanche player you would like to show up to your Christmas dinner. Choose carefully — you never know what a hockey player’s going to do in front of a crowd!
Imagine you could extend an invitation to a Colorado Avalanche player — or coach — and have him accept. Never mind complicated family ties — ie., yes, Calvin Pickard’s brother, Chet, would probably have to be invited, too. Rather, which Avalanche player do you think would make the best addition to your personal Christmas festivities?
Gabriel Landeskog
Gabe’s a charmer, and he could facilitate conversation even between your two feuding cousins. He leads by example, so he’d probably be the first to roll up the sleeves to tackle the dirty dish pile. He might even make some Swedish Christmas delicacy learned from his chef mom. Of course, it’d probably feature fish, and you’d be honor bound to try it, but that would be worth the sacrifice of finally getting your cousins to get over themselves.
Cody McLeod
You know he’d tease the dog. Might start something with your persnickety uncle, too. Then again, would it be so bad if your persnickety uncle got the business for a change?
Cody McLeod might give your persnickety uncle the what-for. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Erik Johnson
He’s like the yeti in that Rudolph Christmas special — he’s perfect-sized for putting the star on top of the Christmas tree. Heck, he’s a rugged sort — if you needed someone to heft the Christmas tree into the house to begin with, he’d do it. Plus, EJ’s known around town for his generosity. He’s certain to bring a luxe hostess gift.
Jarome Iginla
Iggy’d probably take over the turkey carving because he’s been doing it so long. Of course, if you need someone to take over carving the turkey, he’s the perfect addition.
Matt Duchene
Don’t worry about keeping the conversation flowing when Dutchy’s around — he’s a yapper. Seriously, watch him on the bench. He’s always opining about something. If you’re lucky, he’ll bring his dog, Paisley, dressed up in a Santa hat. Of course, if you’re unlucky, he’ll also bring along his favorite collection of country Christmas songs. Still, Paisley in a Santa hat…
Imagine how much fun Matt Duchene would be — Calvin Pickard, too! Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Holden
Nick will entertain the kids. Mostly because he is a kid, at heart. He’ll be the first one to get down on the floor and wrestle with a whole slew of toddlers.
Nathan MacKinnon
You could seat him at the kid’s table, and he’d fit right in. I’d say he’d provide the supervision, but… probably not. You’ll want to step in every now and again to see what dickens the kiddos are getting up to.
No matter how much he tries to hide it, Nathan MacKinnon would fit right in at the kids’ table. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Reto Berra
If you get tired of handing out the presents, Reto’s used to being the go-to in back up situations. Maybe he’ll even sing a Christmas carol in German. Or French. Or Italian. Or all three — he is Swiss, after all. Hey, maybe he’ll bring some Swiss chocolate for dessert!
Patrick Roy
Santa stand-in, naturally. All good things come from St. Patrick.
Daniel Briere/Alex Tanguay
It’s hard to say which of these guys in nicer. They’re both giving individuals, and good conversationalists. They do anything and everything that needs to be done without complaint, as evidenced by their play this season. If you’ve got a wall-flower of a niece, sit her next to one of these guys. They’re both a hostess’s dream.
Tyson Barrie
If you forgot to get a teddy bear for the kiddos, T-Bear will step right in. If you’ve got big kids, though, they might overpower our T-Bear a la Dustin Byfuglien. Of course, Tyson will just laugh it off, so no worries. He’s also Mr. Clutch, so he’s certain to keep the rolls basket filled the same way he keeps the back of the net filled.
Use defenseman Tyson Barrie as an (almost) hockey-size teddy bear. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Calvin Pickard
Calvin’s something of a Grinch when it comes to letting goals in — he’s not a fan. So, you never know — he might be the kind of guy who whacks the rolls away from his plate. That said, he’s a little more mature than Nate, so you could sit him at the kids’ table and expect supervision. Amazing what three years will do at that age!
So, Avs Nation, who would you like to show up for Christmas this year?