Avalanche Journal: Given Missing Pieces, Colorado’s Defense Must Tighten Up

BOULDER — Rick George hopes Deion Sanders ain’t hard to keep. “We hope that Coach Prime finishes his career here,” the CU Buffs athletic director said at a news conference Tuesday when asked about his football coach, whose squad is off to a 4-1 start. “We think he can do significant things for us long-term with longevity. “For us, and I think Coach would sit here and tell you (that) we’re on the same page with where we want this program to go.” Sanders and CU are in the second season of a five-year, $29.5-million contract.

Sean Behrens, one of the Colorado Avalanche’s top prospects, will miss the 2024-25 season after sustaining a knee injury over the weekend. Related Articles Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche Journal: Given missing pieces, Colorado’s defense must tighten up Colorado Avalanche | Meet the 2024-25 Avalanche: A breakdown of the complete team roster Colorado Avalanche | Casey Mittelstadt can be more than just a solution to Avalanche’s second-line center problem Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche welcomes youth movement, at least for now, to start 2024-25 season Colorado Avalanche | Avalanche trades Erik Brannstrom to Vancouver for Tucker Poolman, fourth-round pick Behrens, who signed with the Avs in April after winning two national championships at the University of Denver, was practicing Saturday with the Colorado Eagles when the injury occurred.

When every season ends, Jared Bednar and the rest of the Colorado Avalanche brain trust do a deep dive to assess strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the next one. The Avs scored 302 goals last season, most in the NHL. They allowed 252, tied for 16th. Even if this were a “normal” start to a season, where Colorado had all its players available, the Avalanche would be focused on getting better at goal prevention. RELATED: Meet the 2024-25 Avalanche: A breakdown of the complete team roster “Just more dedication to the way we play and our structure,” Avs defenseman Devon Toews said.

Bud Black is coming back. The Rockies announced Tuesday that the manager would return for his ninth season. He has agreed to a one-year contract through the 2025 season. “While our recent results on the field did not meet expectations, we believe this team is heading in the right direction with the growth of very talented young players,” general manager Bill Schmidt said in a statement.

Two Summit County ski areas, Arapahoe Basin and Copper Mountain, began snowmaking operations in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Arapahoe Basin, which was the first Colorado ski area to open the past three seasons, began making snow on the High Noon run, which is always the first to open there.

Robert Saleh insisted no one was panicked about the New York Jets’ slow start. A day later, he was out of a job. Owner Woody Johnson made the stunning decision Tuesday to fire Saleh five games into his fourth season after the team’s 2-3 start following a 23-17 loss to Minnesota in London on Sunday. “This morning, I informed Robert Saleh that he will no longer serve as head coach of the Jets,” Johnson said in a statement issued by the team.