Everyone knows that the Varlamov acquisition was a risky move by the Avalanche. What level of risk the move happens to be is pretty much up to you. But the only thing that matters RIGHT NOW is what steps the Avalanche, and Varlamov, can take to manage that risk.

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Just heard from the Avalanche - get this - as of 5:00pm, both teams have sold exactly 69 tickets! And since the discount ticket offer remains open until late tomorrow afternoon, it's GAME ON!!!

A very special thanks to everyone who pulled out the stops and purchased tickets through the links. It was a very time-consuming effort for me, but after meeting Derek today at Player's Bench and talking to some of the players on my side, it was more than worth it.

I'm going to get some sleep tonight, but I hope to see TONS of you MHH'ers out at Pepsi Center starting at 3:00pm tomorrow. I'll be sending some informational e-mails out to Derek about logistics, but here's the basics for the fans:

1. Doors open at 3pm. Come to the MAIN ENTRANCE on the WEST SIDE and come to the FAR-LEFT double-doors. They say VIP ENTRANCE on top. They are the doors closest to Altitude Authentics. You'll see me and other players gathering around there.

2. All fans and players will enter in those doors. A Pepsi Center employee will check through your bags. You DON'T need your Avs ticket to come watch the After-Hours game. We will escort fans to the stands and players to the locker room. Make sure if you are a player that you arrive no later than 3:30.

3. The game starts at 4:00pm. We have a referee. You must sign a waiver form in order to touch the ice. A waiver form will be e-mailed to you and we will have some printed copies at the rink.

4. We will do a 5-minute warmup and then three 15:00 periods. The first two periods will be running time. The third period will be stopped time. There should be a few minutes left at the end of the game to take photos. I'll have my digital camera and my Flip HD video camera. I wish I was playing but instead I'll be Joe Sacco for both benches and do some coaching.

5. After the game, players will shower and then we will all head over to Brooklyn's. I don't have a group area set aside but I have Avs Guild membership cards so you can all sit wherever and still get 10% off your total bill.

I don't think I'll have those black After-Hours t-shirts printed in time as we had to make some minor adjustments to the Avs logo, but I have a ton of white Quest 3 t-shirts. And it makes sense to give these out since that is our Hockey Fights Cancer charity tournament and tomorrow's game is the official Hockey Fights Cancer game.

Somehow, someway, thanks to everyone's support, this all got done JUST in the nick of time.

Tomorrow? Yeah. It's going to kick some major A. And hey, isn't that what it's all about this year ;)

THANKS FROM THE AVS GUILD! TIME TO SKATE!!!!!!

[UPDATE: Still 10-15 tickets needed to sell to make this happen. Anyone who's been on the fence, there's still time today]

Your Mile High Hockey contingency is just a few days away from taking on The Avalanche Guild at Pepsi Center prior to Thursday night's home game against the San Jose Sharks.

From 4-5pm, members of both Avalanche websites will be hitting the ice for a friendly game of shinny in a new annual After-Hours event, which is an exclusive on-ice program hosted by The Avs Guild.

In order for this game to happen, 150 discounted tickets must be sold through the link provided below. This is necessary to secure the ice and keep the lights on while we are on the ice. It is an awesome, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all players, friends and family memeber.

The discounts for tickets to this game are insane - close to half price with no handling fees or service charges. Click below to order them right now.

http://www.pepsicenter.com/groups/avalanche/ahavsguildvsmhh/

In order to sweeten the awesome discounted ticket deal available above, The Avs Guild will be giving everyone who purchases a ticket between now and Thursday a FREE exclusive After-Hours t-shirt. See below:

via www.thehockeyguild.com

On a personal note, I have been running the After-Hours program for three full years and I have never had a game be canceled due to lack of support. This is probably the closest I have been to having that happen. I'll probably bury myself alive if Derek drove all the way from Oregon to Colorado with his goalie gear and couldn't play.

I've spent endless hours promoting this special and I am doing everything I possibly can to make sure this game goes off without a hitch. I am doing this because I know the annual game will become a huge hit for next season.

Oo I hope you will take the time to spread the word to your friends and family members by sending out the link above and below to anyone you know that might want to catch the Avs/Sharks game on Thursday night at an AWESOME discount. We only need to sell a few more tickets, but we only have a few more days.

I know I will be smiling when Thursday afternoon rolls around and some of you are hitting Pepsi Center ice for the Avalanche Experience of a lifetime. Let's join forces and make this happen! I've got tons of t-shirts and I want to get rid of them all!!

via www.thehockeyguild.com

Many of you have asked about radio coverage for the Colorado Avalanche for this season. I mentioned a few times on here that Avalanche Weekly is back for year two on Mile High Sports Radio. Our first two shows have been a lot of fun and the excellent FM signal quality is making me very happy.

I was able to squeeze another hour out of tonight's usual time slot, so just a heads up that we'll be on the air tonight from 7:00 - 9:00pm MST on MHSR AM 1510 and 93.7 FM. Yes, the show starts at 7, which is during the third period of the Avs game. But I'd rather get two hours of air time than just one as there's lots to talk about.

Thunder Dan and myself love to get callers and we love answering questions from Avs fans, so please feel free to call in to the studio at 303-297-1510. You can also stream the show online right here:

http://www.milehighsports.com/Article.asp?id=1582643

Also, if you want to leave questions for us to answer via Twitter, our new feed is @MHSR_Avs

Thanks for the support and help us keep this show on the air by tuning in and voicing your thoughts on the Avs!

If the Avs want to beat Sergei Bobrovsky tonight, they have to shoot high. He's extremely quick down low, has awesome footwork and a lot of energy. As Eddie O would say, "You have to start think about elevating the puck!!" Haha! Peace and cheers!