The Colorado Avalanche announced today that forward Logan O’Connor will not finish the season. O’Connor will have season-ending hip surgery, an issue that he has been dealing with all season. He has not played in a game since March 4th, missing two games thus far. The former Denver Pioneer had already missed six games because of his lower-body injury.
Sweet wraparound from Logan O'Connor 😗 pic.twitter.com/KdRQ3H0ImW
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 28, 2023
History
O’Connor has become a favorite over the years. He is a true homegrown player. He spent three years at the University of Denver, winning the National Championship in 2017. The team expected the Alberta native to be the captain for the 2018-19 season, but he received an invitation to the Avalanche prospect camp. O’Connor earned a two-year, two-way entry level contract and turned pro. Spending most of the next two seasons with the Colorado Eagles, O’Connor finally became a full-time member of the Avalanche in 2020-21 and has not looked back since.
LOGAN O'CONNOR HAS HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK! @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/tRDVuvrhzZ
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 20, 2024
The former Colorado Eagle has earned the hearts of fans with his grit, speed, tenacity, and special teams play. The man never gives up. He has become a penalty kill specialist that will get in front of the puck and block shots at all costs. His forechecking has allowed him to lead the team in short-handed goals this season (three) and is eleventh in franchise history with six.
Logan O'Connor became the second player in @Avalanche / Nordiques history with a shorthanded goal in three straight games, joining Joe Sakic nearly 25 years ago.#NHLStats: https://t.co/JsHVwfQGx9 pic.twitter.com/Fsx6qhm4g9
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 22, 2023
Courtesy JFresh Hockey
His grit has become known as he defends his teammates frequently. At the beginning of the season, O’Connor would open the season with a fight in Seattle against Jordan Eberle. In last year’s playoff run, Eberle hit Andrew Cogliano and fractured his neck. During the Stanley Cup run, he and now current teammate Ross Colton would have a spat in the corner.
SOMEONE HAD TO ANSWER THE BELL FOR THE HIT ON COGLIANO — AND IT'S LOGAN O'CONNOR!@ConorMcGahey's call of tonight's fight will have you ready to run through a wall@Avalanche #GoAvsGo #SEAKraken @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/YCXuNmxLxg
— 92.5 FM – Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) October 18, 2023
Conclusion
The recent moves by the Avalanche make more sense now. Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin are both penalty kill specialists. Duhaime will bring the tenacity that the Avalanche will miss without O’Connor. Both players have the speed as well. No one can replace O’Connor’s leadership, both on and off the ice. He has shown it at every level he has played and success has followed along the way. Fans will miss him for sure, but they need to think “this will help the team in the long run,” and it’s what is best for him.