The Colorado Avalanche: News from around the NHL - August 21st, 2013

If you are in Kamloops and want to see Colin Smith play you have a chance to do that for $5.

Kamloops Blazers' fans will have at least one more chance to watch Colin Smith in action at Interior Savings Centre.

The Colorado Avalanche forward will attend the Blue and Orange's training camp, which gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 22.

Smith was not obligated to come to Kamloops, but decided it was in his best interest to pick up the intensity level before heading to the Centennial State for the NHL squad's rookie camp, which begins on Sunday, Sept. 8.

"I feel it's more important at this point to get on the ice, especially in a competitive environment, rather than just skating with other guys, where it's not as competitive," Smith told KTW.

"It would have just been me staying here [Edmonton] for a week and training. I'm still going down a week early to Colorado."

There are still some UFA's kicking around.

The problem for players like Gill is, as mentioned, this is one summer when they have a lot of company on the unemployment line.

According to CapGeek’s UFA finder, there are still 31 skaters available that played a regular shift in the league last season, including some who can put up points like Mikhail Grabovski, Damian Brunner, Brad Boyes, Vinny Prospal, Brenden Morrow and Mason Raymond.

On the blueline, meanwhile, Ron Hainsey, Filip Kuba, Ian White, Tom Gilbert, Ryan Whitney and Doug Murray are looking for a home.

In previous years, it hasn’t been uncommon to see these types take training camp tryouts in order to try and impress a team before signing a contract, something that may be required for Gill to extend his career.

Souray is out for  4 - 6 months.

Anaheim Ducks defenceman Sheldon Souray will be out four to six months after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist.

The 37-year-old defenceman was hurt while working out off the ice on July 17, the team says. He had surgery July 25 in Los Angeles, likely keeping him out at least until December.

Souray's lengthy absence is a blow to the defending Pacific Division champions, who also signed former Edmonton defenceman Mark Fistric to a one-year deal worth $900,000 US.

Two KHL players have learned that if you try to fight a cop while drunk while in Russia, you face up to 10 years in prison.

Two Russian hockey players are facing up to 10 years in prison after allegedly attacking a pair of cops in a booze-fuelled dust-up Sunday night in Almetyevsk, central Russia.

Artyom Lukoyanov, 24, of the KHL’s AK Bars of Kazan, and Maxim Gruzdey, of second-division side Neftyanik, were reportedly inebriated and asked to leave a local club.

When they refused, law enforcement arrived and Lukoyanov – in a “drunken state,” according to Russian news agency Interfax – instigated a punch-up with one of the officers.