GOALIE VARLAMOV SICK; HAMMOND GETS RECALLED
Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov missed Tuesday’s practice because of illness and wasn’t available to back up Jonathan Bernier on Wednesday against the visiting Dallas Stars, so the Avalanche made an emergency recall and flew in recently acquired Andrew Hammond from the East Coast.
Hammond, who was obtained from Ottawa on Nov. 4 in the three-team trade that revolved around Matt Duchene, boarded a 7:30 a.m. ET flight Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C., where the Belleview Senators — Ottawa’s American Hockey League affiliate — were preparing to play the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday.
Hammond participated in the Avalanche’s morning skate 20 minutes after he arrived at the Pepsi Center.
Hammond, 29, has continued to play for the Belleview Senators since joining the Avalanche organization because Colorado’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio is backlogged with St. Louis Blues prospects. The Blues, who will take over the San Antonio Rampage next season as the Avalanche make the Loveland-based Colorado Eagles their AHL affiliate, have 22-year-old Ville Husso sharing starts with the Avs’ Spencer Martin in San Antonio.
Avs coach Jared Bednar is unsure if Hammond will stick with the Avs through Friday, when Colorado plays an afternoon affair at Minnesota.
But Varlamov is feeling better, Bednar said.
“He’ll be at the rink tomorrow,” the coach said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “We have Hammond here right now, so if we decide that Varly’s not starting (Friday), then we may leave him back, so he gets rest. And if there’s a possibility he can start Saturday, we’ll look at that.”
Scratched. Sven Andrighetto, who began the season as one of the Avalanche’s top left wings, was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Andrighetto is without a point in his last three games and has seen his ice time decrease. He was replaced by Gabriel Bourque, who played in his seventh game of the season.
“‘Bourquey’ has been working real hard,” Avs coach Jared Bednar. “He brings an element of grit and sandpaper to our lineup, some heaviness that I think we need against this team. I’ve talked with Andrighetto and I think he can get back to his roots a little bit here and give us a little bit more than what he’s given us lately.”
Andrighetto, 5-foot-10 and 188 pounds, isn’t nearly as physical as the 5-10, 206-pound Bourque.
Footnotes. Tyson Barrie entered the game with 207 career points, one shy of tying Rob Blake for fourth among Colorado defensemen. John-Michael Liles amassed 275 career points on the Colorado blue line, followed by Adam Foote (259), Sandis Ozolinsh (253) and Blake. … Referee Dave Jackson, a Canadian living in Highlands Ranch, worked the game — the 1,501st of his career, most among active refs.