LoganOConnor Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/loganoconnor/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Tue, 24 Sep 2024 13:05:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 LoganOConnor Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/loganoconnor/ 32 32 136660061 O’Connor extended six more years for Avalanche https://www.the-rink.com/oconnor-extended-six-more-years-for-avalanche/ https://www.the-rink.com/oconnor-extended-six-more-years-for-avalanche/#respond Mon, 23 Sep 2024 23:33:20 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=31690 The Colorado Avalanche has extended the contract of Logan O’Connor for another six more years. O’Connor was on pace for a career year last season until a season-ending hip injury... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche has extended the contract of Logan O’Connor for another six more years. O’Connor was on pace for a career year last season until a season-ending hip injury hampered him. He has become an invaluable tool for the Avalanche on the third line and on the penalty kill using his forecheck. His contract is worth an average of $2.5 million per year.

Earning his way

O’Connor played three solid years with the University of Denver Pioneers and won a national championship in 2017. After that, the Avalanche invited him to take part in their development camp that summer. He would impress the team so much that he earned himself a contract with the Avalanche and forgo his fourth season with the Pioneers.

The Colorado Eagles were the main team where the gritty forward spent his rookie season. In 64 AHL games, O’Connor tallied 42 points. This would earn him five games of NHL time in his first season as a pro and put him in the conversation for the roster the following year.

The conversation gets real

The sophomore season for O’Connor would lead to 16 games played with the Avalanche in 2019–20. He even would score his first NHL goal, ending the year with two goals. It was in Loveland where he shined once again. In just 40 games with the Eagles, he tallied 25 more points. The 2020–21 season O’Connor became a permanent fixture on the Avalanche and has not looked back since. He has since played 220 games and added 34 points to his career total. Not to mention he won the Stanley Cup in 2022, beating Tampa Bay in six games.

Conclusion

O’Connor has made it obvious that he loves this town by signing his third contract with the team. The fans love him as well. He has become a mainstay on the Avalanche through hard work and determination. The former Pioneer was never drafted onto the team, as coach Jared Bednar said, “you want a spot, you earn it.” Well, O’Connor certainly has done that.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/oconnor-extended-six-more-years-for-avalanche/feed/ 0 31690 Logan O’Connor skates for first time since surgery https://www.the-rink.com/logan-oconnor-skates-for-first-time-since-surgery/ https://www.the-rink.com/logan-oconnor-skates-for-first-time-since-surgery/#respond Thu, 13 Jun 2024 14:43:26 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=31115 The good news has rolled in for the Colorado Avalanche this summer. Yesterday, Logan O’Connor made his first appearance skating at the practice facility. O’Connor has not played in a... Read more »

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]]> The good news has rolled in for the Colorado Avalanche this summer. Yesterday, Logan O’Connor made his first appearance skating at the practice facility. O’Connor has not played in a game since March 4th. Later in the week, the Avalanche announced they declared the forward done for the season as he had scheduled hip surgery. The team informed the media that O’Connor had been skating through the problem for some time and needed to get it resolved.

What this means

With the return of former Denver Pioneer, the Avalanche can count on a gritty middle-six forward. He is a master at killing penalties, leading the team in short-handed goals with three. After his departure, Colorado had to find their way on the penalty kill, lacking his aggressive speed and tactics. This would frazzle the opponent and lead to scoring opportunities for O’Connor.

O’Connor has become known for his speed around the league. This season, he had a top speed of 23.11 miles per hour (mph). This was enough to place him among the 88th percentile in the league. The pesky forward would see just over two and half speed bursts over 20 mph per game, with an injured hip.

The Avalanche desperately need O’Connor’s determination and refusal to give up on a play. He is relentless on his forecheck and would chase down opponents from one end of the ice to the other.

Conclusion

O’Connor’s return will bring welcomed relief to the very shallow depth pool on the right side. I don’t think there were ever questions about O’Connor’s health, but updates are always nice to have. As of right now, Mikko Rantanen, O’Connor, Oskar Olausson and Nikolai Kovalenko are the only right wingers signed to the team. Olausson will be returning from shoulder surgery himself and Kovalenko is still getting his feet wet. The team strongly felt the absence of the fan favorite in the last part of the season. His return will provide a much-needed spark after a playoff exit.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/logan-oconnor-skates-for-first-time-since-surgery/feed/ 0 31115 Avalanche announce O’Connor done for season https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-announce-oconnor-done-for-season/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-announce-oconnor-done-for-season/#respond Sun, 10 Mar 2024 20:33:00 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28883 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.... Read more »

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]]> 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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