NHL Outdoor Alumni Classic returns to Carbondale

The Colorado Extreme hosted the NHL Alumni Outdoor Classic on Saturday, with one of their youth teams squaring off with the Foothills Flyers before the game.

For the first time in more than 5,000 days, Kevin Shattenkirk took the ice in the burgundy and blue of the Colorado Avalanche.

Albeit, he was still sporting his black gloves and white helmet with a TD Bank advertisement from his time with the Boston Bruins.

Less than a week after he formally announced his retirement from the NHL, the former Avalanche first-round draft pick was back in the state where his pro career started, joining other former pro players and celebrities at the Steadman Phillippon Arena outside of Carbondale for the second annual NHL Alumni Outdoor Classic.

There was a bit of a fight for what team I was going to be on here, but I know where my loyalty lies, Shattenkirk said.

You go back to roots and playing as a kid, going outside and being able to skate on a rink here, with the mountains as a back drop, its just incredible.

You can see on everyones faces, were all just having a ton of fun.

Two teams, the Avs alumni lineup and the broader NHL alumni (plus some guests) got on the outdoor rink and put on a show for a few hundred fans and youth hockey teams in a benefit for local youth program Colorado Extreme.

The game was preceded by a youth contest between the Extreme and the Foothills Flyers.

Members of the juniors team Colorado Fighting Elks skated after the game, following a fireworks show.

Kevin Shattenkirk, who announced his retirement from professional hockey on Tuesday, suited up for the NHL Alumni Outdoor Classic on Saturday.

Shattenkirk was selected by the Colorado Avalanche in the first round in the 2007 draft and won a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Among the Avalanche were former captain Milan Hejduk, 2022 Stanley Cup champion Darren Helm and longtime Av/current TV analyst John-Michael Liles, all members of the Colorado NHL Alumni Association.

Shattenkirk was drafted No.

14 overall by Colorado in 2007, making his NHL debut in the 2010-11 season.

Despite racking up 26 points in his 46 games, he was flipped to St.

Louis as part of the deal for Erik Johnson, who rose to be loved by the fanbase and was the first player behind captain Gabriel Landeskog to raise the Stanley Cup in 2022.

In his career, Shattenkirk won the 2020 Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning; was named an All-Star; and played for Team USA in the Olympics.

On the other side, hall-of-fame goaltender Henrik Lundqvist returned to Carbondale for his second year joined by 2000 second-overall draft pick Dany Heatley; 2006 Stanley Cup champion Mike Commodore; and, amongst others, former first-overall draft pick Bryan Berard, who became the Extremes president in June.

Were still learning, Berard said.

Its two years old but its (going to keep getting) bigger and better.

This is a great experience.

Its all about the fans to come out here, its a special piece of property, do this every year, its great to raise a bunch of money for the kids.

Thats what its all about.

Aspen native Daniel Doremus skates in the NHL Alumni Outdoor Classic in Carbondale on Saturday.

Doremus, a graduate of Aspen High School, played at the University of Denver and entered the NHL minor leagues as a free agent.

The road alumni team also featured five guest players, including actors Cuba Gooding Jr.

and Gianni Paolo, and local hockey product Daniel Doremus.

Doremus played hockey at Aspen High before moving onto the University of Denver.

Doremus played a few seasons in the NHL minor leagues but never got the call to the show.

(The event) was really well done, Doremus said.

The rink, the fireworks, the flyover, the people made it all so much fun, playing with a lot of people I grew up watching and idolizing.

I was telling my wife earlier, this is something I never really dreamed of in a million years.

Having them watch is the most special part.

Doremus recalled seeing other alumni games when he was a kid, naming Joe Sakic in particular, and noted how they inspired him.

In general I think its just great to grow the game, Doremus said.

Its great to have kids come and watch players that play it at a very high level and highlight it.

...

We were all kids at one point, all of us people, and you just try to pay it forward and hopefully you can just inspire more people to play hockey..

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