This week begins a stretch for the Colorado Avalanche that will see them not return to Pepsi Center until the night before Thanksgiving. In total, Colorado will play seven games in seven cities over 14 days between Nov. 10 and Nov. 23. The voyage ties the longest trip since the team moved to Denver, equaling a seven-game trip made in October 2009.
Over the next 36 days, they’ll play 14 road games in a stretch that rivals what is considered the longest “official” road trip in NHL history.
In the seven games to start that span, Colorado will open in Philadelphia before traveling to Boston (Nov. 12), Montreal (Nov. 14), Toronto (Nov. 17), Pittsburgh (Nov. 19), Washington (Nov. 21) and finally Winnipeg (Nov. 23).
They then come home for two games to bookend Thanksgiving/Black Friday – Wednesday, Nov. 25 against Ottawa and Saturday, Nov. 28 against the Jets.
The travel resumes again on Nov. 30, when they start another four-game road stretch before returning home for two. Three more road games follow that, for a total of 14 road games to just four home games between Nov. 10 and Dec. 15.
With that expanded travel schedule, this upcoming stretch is nearly comparable to what the Vancouver Canucks endured in 2010 when their home arena played host to the Winter Olympics.
As General Motors Place (now Rogers Arena) prepared to entertain the world, the Canucks were forced to embark on the longest road trip in NHL history, a 14-game, 13-city, 42-day voyage that saw them travel 12,885 miles.
It began with an 18-day, eight-game stretch leading into the Olympic break, and concluded with six more games in nine days.
The Avs will play as many road games over their 36-day stretch, but they’ll get four home games during that span and will have the fortune of being back in Denver for the Thanksgiving weekend.
The Canucks didn’t get any home games during their extended stay away, but they got a nice stretch of time off (for those who weren’t competing) during the two-week Olympic span. Vancouver went 8-5-1 over those 14 games, including a 6-4 win in Colorado in the penultimate game.
Colorado, currently at 4-9-1 would no doubt be very happy to go 8-5-1 in those road contests over the next 36 days.