The Colorado Avalanche assigned goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to the Colorado Eagles on a conditioning loan. Blackwood has been out the entire season so far because of injury. He has taken part in limited team practices, but mostly he has restricted his activities. Hockey Mountain High was the first to report that Blackwood was one of the injured players skating before informal skates in mid-September.

How long this could be

Usually, a player on a conditioning loan can only stay for a limited time. Typically, conditioning loans cannot last for more than 14 days per the NHL CBA section 13.8. In that timeframe the Eagles play six games. They will not be at home until they play the Rockford IceHogs (CHI) on October 24. By that  point the Eagles would have play three games (all on the road) and Blackwood will probably be back with the Avalanche.

History

This would not be the first time that the Avalanche have used the Eagles to do a conditioning loan. Last season, Gabriel Landeskog played two games in Loveland. It was part of his three-year journey back to the ice and helped prove that he was ready to play. During Landeskog’s loan, the captain tallied a goal and an assist. Landeskog mentioned that having the Eagles so close made it so easy.

Goaltender Pavel Francouz also did a four-game stint with the Eagles December 2021 in route to a Stanley Cup. While with the Eagles, Francouz started all four games and had goals allowed average of 1.52. He had a save percentage of .952 as well.

The Colorado Eagles have become an important part of the development of players besides rehabilitation. When the Avalanche trusted their most valued player with Landeskog, in Loveland, it only strengthened the relationship of the two. The Eagles will now just become a normal step in returning from a long-term injury, especially since they are only 60 miles away.