Colorado Avalanche Halloween: 5 Scary Players
Happy Halloween, Colorado Avalanche fans!
In honor of Halloween, let’s take a moment to consider who some of the scariest Colorado Avalanche players are currently on the team.
Now, Colorado has had a strong tradition of scary sorts. Remember, this is a team that has employed Jeff Odgers
Chris Simon
and Scott Parker.
These guys no longer skate in burgundy and blue — though they surely skate in opponents’ nightmares — but you can read more about them here.
Meanwhile, let’s look at some scary dudes currently reppin’ the A.
Next: Franken-swede
#5:Gabriel Landeskog, a.k.a. Franken-swede
Oct 16, 2014; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Colorado Avalanche center Gabriel Landeskog (92) during warmup prior to game against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
The Colorado Avalanche’s good-looking captain is probably a surprise appearance on this list. However, scariness isn’t for looks alone. Gabriel Landeskog is a power forward with a mean streak.
Landeskog doesn’t play a typical finesse game. He hits, a lot. He fights, not a lot, but he had three big battles last year. Gabriel Landeskog is also one of those instigator players. I’ve seen him poke and prod at players on the ice, doing anything to get under their skin.
How about that time he stood up for defenseman Erik Johnson (0:38):
What he’s saying — most vehemently — to Minnesota Wild skater Erik Haula is “Stay down. If you’re injured, stay down.” Not a lot of sympathy in our captain at that moment.
Here’s that time Gabriel Landeskog annihilated Nashville Predator defenseman Roman Josi then fought captain Shea Weber:
Here’s a scary picture from Gabriel Landeskog’s Twitter:
Had fun doing this shoot for @sharpmagazine last month. Thanks for having me! #sharpmagazine #sharpnovemberissue pic.twitter.com/j1X6AzlYDY
— Gabriel Landeskog (@GabeLandeskog92) October 22, 2015
Oops, my mistake. Here’s his scary black eye face:
Let's go broncos!! 😡 🏈 pic.twitter.com/4JKbn2CsKF
— Gabriel Landeskog (@GabeLandeskog92) October 11, 2015
Come on, between the black eye and all that orange, this is a pretty good Halloween picture.
Next: Dr. Doom
#4: Blake Comeau, a.k.a Dr. Doom
Forward Blake Comeau was a free agency acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins over the summer. So, I didn’t really know what to expect from him.
What I discovered was an aggressive little bugger. Those first couple games he set the tone with the Colorado Avalanche as a man who skates all over the ice and windmills to block shots or whip around and make hits.
Plus, this is a case of a player who is a little… well psycho killer looking. Like, really, his eyes are as deep as the abyss. Admit it — your heart would be in your throat if you met him in a dark alley.
Nov 26, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing skates up ice with the puck ahead of Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Blake Comeau (17) during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Penguins won 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Next: Jack Skellington
#3: Erik Johnson, a.k.a. Jack Skellington
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson’s snarky sense of humor comes through is his tweets. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
It’s the hockey smile, see? And the height. And the lack of teeth. And the size.
Plus, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson is one big, bad mudder. He’s big — yeah, I already said that, but it can’t be emphasized enough. And he’s mean. Remember that hit on Erik Haula that led to Gabriel Landeskog’s tongue-lashing? Yeah, that was Johnson throwing Haula around like a dog with a rag doll.
Watch some of the fabulous hits in the player profile below:
My personal favorite comes at 0:39 when Johnson absolutely assaults Detroit Red Wings skater Danny Cleary. First, he cross checks Cleary several times while holding onto his stick. Finally Cleary regains his footing, but Johnson is still holding his stick. Johnson gives him a couple more cross checks, which frees Cleary’s stick. Johnson then sends him off with one more crosscheck, as if to say, “Damn you for making me hold your stick all that time!”
Never mind dark alley — this is a guy you wouldn’t want to meet under the bright lights of a hockey rink.
Speaking of big bad mudders…
Next: Wreck It Ralph
#2: Nikita Zadorov, a.k.a. Wreck It Ralph
Defenseman Nikita Zadorov is one big young man — 6-foot-5, 221 pounds — and he likes to hit. Don’t get me wrong, the kid can skate. The kid can shoot. The kid is learning positioning, and he’s about as affable as can be.
But Big Z came off a physical year with the Buffalo Sabres in which he recorded 137 hits and said during his locker clean-out interview that he was going to work more on his physical game.
Here’s Zadorov tackling Brandon Saad of the Columbus Blue Jackets — remember, as a Russian, Big Z’s probably never even played football:
Just nine games into the season Zadorov has already recorded 33 hits. That puts him on pace to lay 300 big hits this season. Ok, Big Z might not really get to 300 hits this season, but watch his annihilation of Anaheim Ducks forward Corey Perry and tell be the kid doesn’t like to hit:
I’m pretty sure Perry got arrested for speeding the next county over.
That brings us to our scariest Avalanche player…
Next: Michael Meyers
#1: Cody McLeod, Michael Meyers
Come on, the current scariest Colorado Avalanche player couldn’t be anyone other than our merry little enforcer, Cody McLeod. If Erik Johnson has a hockey smile, McLeod has a hockey leer. If Nikita Zadorov likes to hit, McLeod likes to obliterate. If Gabriel Landeskog like to model clothes, McLeod likes to provide corpses.
Ok, my comparison may have gone astray.However, this is a guy who’s celebration once scared a referee:
Jan 4, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeod (55) reacts to game tying goal in the second period against the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Just nine little games into the season, McLeod is already three fights to the good. He’s already squared off with Antoine Roussel of the Dallas Stars, Andy Andrehoff of the Los Angeles Kings and David Clarkson of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The Roussel fight was an especially good one:
My favorite will always be when McLeod does Dallas — he started laying hits to the Dallas Stars like, well, it was Halloween and he was passing out candy:
With 31 penalty minutes, Cody McLeod is second in the entire NHL so far. In fact, McLeod’s on pace to hit nearly 300. Ok, again, he probably won’t. However, he maxed out at 191, and he’ll probably hit close to that again.