Avs finally return to ice; long break ends Friday night with game against Kenai River

PALMER — The Alaska Avalanche are no stranger to the long break.

The Palmer-based North American Hockey League franchise was off for 20 straight days in December, but that experience hasn’t exactly made the team’s latest hiatus any easier. It’s been nearly a month since the team has had a game.

But today, finally, the Avs will have the chance to jump back on the ice, hosting Kenai River at 7:30 p.m. at the MTA Events Center in Palmer.

“You could see, the guys are chomping at the bit. They want to get back at it,” Alaska assistant coach Josh Petrich said. “In practice you get competitive, but it’s not the same thing.”

Starting tonight, the Avs will see plenty of game action. The two-game series, which continues Saturday at 7:30 p.m., drops the puck on one of the team’s busiest stretches of the season. The Avs have 15 games between now and the regular-season finale, March 31.

Petrich said the Avs expect some rust when the team hits the ice tonight.

“We really need to be solid defensively the first couple of periods as we get in the grove, get things going,” Petrich said.

The Avs started their latest long break in first place of the NAHL West, but Fairbanks used a 6-2-0 mark during Alaska’s hiatus to jump over the Avalanche in the standings.

Alaska is currently 28-14-3. Kenai River sits in fifth place of the NAHL West with a 23-20-2 mark.

Avs showcased at Top Prospects

PALMER — Alaska forward Gage Christianson enjoyed a strong showing at the NAHL Top Prospects tournament earlier this week.

The Anchorage native led Team West in scoring with a goal and two assists in three games. He was also the only player on the team to net a positive rating, finishing plus-2.

“I think it’s huge. From our perspective, Gage was the best player on the team,” Petrich said.

Christianson was one of four Avalanche players to skate for Team West, joining forwards Wehebe Darge and Kevin Novakovich, and goalie Nick Kulmanovksy.

Darge finished the tourney with one assist and nine shots in three games. Novakovich had five shots.

Kulmanovksy saw time between the pipes in a pair of games, and finished with an 0-1 mark, 43 saves and a .878 saves percentage.

Forward Evan Janssen played for the league’s U-18 Selects squad and finished with an assist and four shots in three games.

Newcomer Tanner Fahlstedt, who was acquired in a deal before the league trade deadline, finished with an assist and nine shots while playing for Team Central.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com and follow him at twitter.com/matsu_sports.