Scott Wedgewood's stellar start to the season earned the Colorado Avalanche goaltender a one-year contract extension on Thursday.
DENVER — Scott Wedgewood's stellar start to the season earned the Colorado Avalanche goaltender a one-year contract extension on Thursday.Slated to be the backup for Colorado this season, Wedgewood was thrust into the starting role with Mackenzie Blackwood sidelined by a lower-body injury.
The 33-year-old Wedgewood has a 10-1-2 record with a .913 save percentage and a 2.26 goals against average .His 10 wins lead the NHL.“We had talked about in the summer and then the season started and obviously I got off to a good start and conversations were had,” Wedgewood explained before a game Thursday against Buffalo. “I was trying to keep them in the back of my mind and just go to work and play for the team and things like that. Down on paper now and really excited about it.”The well-traveled Wedgewood has proven highly dependable since being acquired from the Nashville Predators last November for fellow backup goalie Justus Annunen. Wedgewood's gone 23-5-3 since his arrival in Colorado.This season, he’s been counted on even more and started the opening nine games with Blackwood out. Wedgewood currently boasts a five-game win streak, which is tied for the longest of his career.“I don’t want to say taking it to a new level, but I think the importance of him being solid in the net for us to this part in the season with out is obviously key,” said Colorado coach Jared Bednar, whose team has the most points in the league. “Not only just kind of surviving without , but excelling in that position and giving us a chance to win every night.”This definitely helps — playing behind an offense powered by Nathan MacKinnon that's averaging a league-best four goals a game.“If you make a mistake early, we can score a goal and ease back into it,” Wedgewood said. 'You have a team that has a chance to win every night. That’s a real big confidence-builder for a goalie to get out there and be like, ‘You know, I don’t technically have to be perfect.’ I want to be, but you can also get away with a few mistakes on this team.”He’s fitting in not just with the Avalanche but at his local grocery store, too. He recently had a discussion over goalie gear in the meat section at Trader Joe’s.“The fans have really taken to me,” Wedgewood said. 'The ‘Wedge-y’ chants and all that stuff, you can’t not feel like you fit in and feel welcome by everything.”Wedgwood has played in 168 career games with the Colorado, Nashville, Dallas, Arizona and New Jersey. When Tampa Bay won the Stanley Cup in 2019-20, he served as a “Black Ace,” which is an extra player from the team’s minor-league affiliate.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Avs Avs Game Recaps Avs Scores Avs Stanley Cup Cale Makar Colorado Avalanche Colorado Avalanche Stanley Cup Colorado Avs Denver7 Colorado Avalanche
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Watch AC/DC Play the Bon Scott-Era Classic ‘Jailbreak’ for First Time in 34 YearsAC/DC kicked off the Australian leg of their 'Power Up' world tour by playing the Bon Scott-era tune 'Jailbreak' for the first time since 1991.
Read more »
GOP Activist Who Correctly Predicted Defeats Issues WarningScott Presler says the GOP must get ahead on early voting and rally Trump voters.
Read more »
Kendra Scott announces re-opening of Kendra Scott Quarry VillageKendra Scott, the celebrated lifestyle and accessories brand, announces the re-opening of its store at the Quarry Village in San Antonio this holiday season. Kendra Scott, the celebrated lifestyle and accessories brand, announces the re-opening of its store at the Quarry Village in San Antonio this holiday season.
Read more »
Avalanche sign goaltender Scott Wedgewood to one-year contract extensionScott Wedgewood didn’t need a full calendar year to show the Colorado Avalanche why the club should want to keep him around.
Read more »
Martin Necas’ four points lead Avalanche past Sabres for fifth straight winMatt Schubert is the Sports Editor for The Denver Post. He is a graduate of the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. His journalism career has spanned three time zones and four states, with previous stops in Washington, Nebraska and Indiana.
Read more »
No Valeri Nichushkin, no problem for Gavin Brindley, new-look Avalanche second lineMackenzie Blackwood has uncovered the key to Gavin Brindley’s success.
Read more »