Avalanche Take Unusual Approach With 20-Man Opening Roster
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The Colorado Avalanche have submitted a roster ahead of NHL Opening Night that currently consists of 20 active players.
In the NHL, the League allows for a maximum of 23 players on each organization's roster from the commencement of the regular season through the trade deadline; each team must also have a roster containing a minimum of 20 players — composed of 18 skaters and two goaltenders. For the Avalanche, their 20 active players are comprised of two goalies, seven defensemen, and 11 forwards.
Five players are currently noted on injured reserve/non-roster — Taylor Makar, Logan O'Connor, Georgii Merkulov, Trent Miner and Zachary L'Heureux.
The full Colorado roster is as follows:
Goalies (two):
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood
Defensemen (seven):
Devon Toews
Cale Makar
Brett Kulak
Josh Manson
Noah Juulsen
Sam Malinski
Brent Burns
Forwards (11):
Fedor Svechkov
Nicolas Roy
Brock Nelson
T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly
Nathan MacKinnon
Artturi Lehkonen
Jaden Schwartz
Martin Necas
Nazem Kadri
Gabriel Landeskog
The addition of T.J. Hughes is noteworthy, as he made the roster after having originally gone undrafted after his career with the University of Michigan.
"I'm really excited to get started tomorrow and play that game," Hughes said. "It's going to be a great night, [I'm] super pumped. Opening Night and it's at Ball [Arena] too — which is even a little cherry on top."
The squad is set. pic.twitter.com/Fq6QF44k6A
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 29, 2026
Per Colorado Hockey Now, both O’Connor and L’Heureux remained absent at practice on Sept. 29 — with veteran blueliner Juulsen filling in on the fourth line.
Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar also confirmed to Colorado Hockey Now that O’Connor and L’Heureux will remain unavailable for the Avs season-opener agains the Los Angeles Kings on Sept. 30.
What to Know Ahead of the 2026-27 Avalanche Season
The Avs are coming off two wins out of their four preseason games — highlighted by a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth in Colorado's preseason opener and followed by a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Sept. 25.
Colorado will be entering the 2025-26 NHL season riding a wave of success and a key offseason win.
The Avalanche set a single-season franchise record for points, in addition to winning the Central Division and Presidents' Trophy while also advancing to the Western Conference Final.
Cale Makar also made history this offseason; inking an eight-year contract extension through the 2034-35 season featuring a $20.4 million Average Annual Value (AAV) and worth a total of $163.2 million.
He is now the highest-paid player in NHL history.
Puck drop is slated for 9:00 p.m. CST on Sept. 30 as the Avs host Los Angeles. Colorado's second regular-season game of the year will be against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 3.
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Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered hockey since 2023 and is credentialed for the Seattle Kraken, New Jersey Devils and PWHL in addition to having covered the 2026 Frozen Four.