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The Colorado Avalanche: News from around the NHL July 2nd, 2013

By Sandie Gauthier

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Bruce Bennett

It's looking like there will be NHL players at the Olympics.

There is still no deal to send NHL players to next year’s Olympics. But all signs point in that direction, and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says "things are moving along."

Bettman, union leader Donald Fehr and International Ice Hockey Federation President Rene Fasel met for more than five hours Monday at league headquarters to work on a deal that would allow NHL players to compete in Sochi. This would be the fifth Olympics for the NHL.

Not everything has been agreed to and the various sides need to meet internally to sign off on any pact. Still, Bettman called Monday’s session a "constructive meeting," adding there are still "some I’s to dot and T’s to cross."


The hockey world might find out what's going to happen with Phoenix sometime soon.

The Phoenix Coyotes' four-year bid for stability will finally come to a close soon.

With Tuesday night's Glendale City Council meeting, the Coyotes will find out if the city will approve an arena lease agreement with Renaissance Sports & Entertainment, which has an agreement in place to buy the franchise from the NHL.

Should the council approve the 15-year, $225 million US deal for Jobing.com Arena, the path will be cleared for the Coyotes to stay in Arizona.

A vote against the lease agreement means the Coyotes are almost certainly headed out of town for good.

The Globe and Mail has an article up on Nathan MacKinnon.

Colorado’s pick, made by new top execs Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, was one of the least surprising developments on the day, as both had mused publicly about their preference for taking him No. 1.

Part of that desire arose from the fact that Roy, as the former head coach and GM of the Quebec Remparts, had been on the wrong end of a lot of MacKinnon’s big games with the Mooseheads.

More than most, Roy realizes his game-breaking talent and fire-in-the-belly attitude, something the Hall of Fame goaltender shares in common with his top prospect.