Rinkside with Aarif Deen

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by Meghan Angley of DNVR to break down the new Ross Colton deal and the impending Nikolai Kovalenko contract. The show then shifts to Meghan's path to the NHL and how she got started in hockey. She also touches on the Avs' prospect development -- specifically Justus Annunen and Jean-Luc Foudy, DU Hockey, and the excitement surrounding the te...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez are back to discuss the latest around the Avs. Specifically, the Ross Colton arbitration hearing, which is scheduled for late July. They discuss where they think the contract ends up landing and why it's taken this long to get something done. They also look at some of the remaining UFAs to see which could be a fit for the Avs. The show ends with some headlines from around...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now to break down the Avs' offseason. He shares his thoughts on each of the forward additions and predicts what they'll bring in terms of production in 2023-24. He also looks at other moves Chris MacFarland might make before training camp. The show then shifts to some of the deals that could still happen arou...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez break down a wild July 1 around the NHL and how it was navigated despite Twitter's limitations. They open the show with an in-depth analysis for both Miles Wood and Jonathan Drouin and where they'll fit on this team. They also discuss why the six-year term for Wood isn't as bad as it seems. The guys also share their thoughts on Andrew Cogliano and Jack Johnson returning a...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez are back for a bonus episode less than 24 hours before the start of unrestricted free agency. The guys break down the Ross Colton acquisition and where he fits in the lineup. They also recap the Avs' draft picks and some of the bigger buyouts around the NHL before previewing UFA day. All that and more on this quick edition of Hockey Mountain High: Your go-to Avalanche Pod...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports break down the Alex Newhook trade to Montreal. They discuss what it could mean for the Avs moving forward both in terms of re-shaping their bottom six and finding someone to fill out the remaining spot in the top six. The guys also look at some of the other deals around the NHL that broke on Tuesday, specifically the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade, which was...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports welcome Jesse Montano of DNVR Sports to break down the Avs' acquisition of center Ryan Johansen on Saturday. The guys analyze the trade and the gamble MacFarland and Sakic are taking on this deal. They also discuss the recent reports that Erik Johnson is expected to enter the free agent market and where he might land. The guys then discuss the upcoming...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are ready to kick off the offseason! The guys start the show by recapping the end of the Stanley Cup Final and what other teams could learn from both the champion Vegas Golden Knights and the Florida Panthers. The show then shifts to more offseason chatter about the Avs and specifically, the several centers they could target as UFA's and on the trade m...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by Ryan Boulding of NHL.com and co-host of The Hockey Show on Mile High Sports Radio. The guys look back at what's changed within the organization since Ryan worked for the team from 2014-16. They talk about the evolution from a franchise without an identity to being one of the NHL's best. They then shift to the recent news about Patrick Roy...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez are back to break down the latest on Valeri Nichushkin, who is eligible to return in October if he's ready to go. The guys start the show with a look back at Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final before shifting to the recent coaching hires around the league. Specifically, if Mike Babcock is a good fit for Columbus and where Patrick Roy might land if he jumps back into the NHL....

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by guest Kyle Fredrickson of The Gazette. The guys look back at the Avs' 2022-23 season with Kyle, his first season on the beat as a full-time hockey guy. They also dive into why the NHL isn't as popular as it could be among the big four sports in North America. The guys also touch on some of their favorite NHL players to interview in the dr...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports return to break down the Avs' offseason plans. They start with the veteran UFA's, specifically Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Darren Helm, Andrew Cogliano and Lars Eller. Before that, they also look at the current playoffs and some of the fun stories around the postseason. They also discuss the Kyle Dubas debacle after it was announced that Toronto would...

Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports is joined by Nate Lundy, the boss at Mile High Sports to discuss the breaking news surrounding Gabriel Landeskog. The Avs' captain is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season after scheduling a cartilage transplant in his right knee on May 10. The show starts with a clip from Landeskog, who spoke with the media Tuesday morning ahead of his surgery. The guys break d...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by Peter Baugh of The Athletic to reflect on the Avs' 2022-23 season. They look back at how the season was defined, how it ended and what the team needs to do this summer to improve on what was a tough ending to their Stanley Cup title defense. They also discuss Cale Makar being named a Norris Trophy finalist. All that and plenty more on thi...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez break down the Avs' Game 7 loss to the Seattle Kraken. They touch on some of the post-game comments about the team's adversity all season and briefly look ahead at several players that need a new contract this summer. All that and more on this final post-game edition of Hockey Mountain High: Your go-to Avalanche Podcast. Follow the guys on Twitter @JJoftheyear and @runwri...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez recap the Avs' big 4-1 Game 6 victory at Climate Pledge Arena to stave off elimination. They discuss the team's ability to finally put together a complete effort, the new-look top six and the defensive clinic in the third period. They also preview what will be an exciting Game 7 at Ball Arena before ending the show with a conversation about the lack of clarity around Vale...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez break down the Avs' 3-2 loss in Game 5 at Ball Arena. They discuss what's gone wrong for Colorado, which finds itself on the brink of elimination heading into Game 6. They also look at the big minutes for the stars on the team before debating Cale Makar's one-game suspension and if it was deserved. All that and more on this post-game edition of Hockey Mountain High: Your...

J.J. Jerez is joined by Aarif Deen in Seattle following the Avs' 6-4 victory in Game 3 at Climate Pledge Arena. The guys use the off day to not only recap the crucial victory but look back at the first three games of the series as a whole. They also touch on Valeri Nichushkin's sudden absence, special teams and look ahead to a pivotal Game 4. All that and more on this Sunday edition of Hockey Moun...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez recap the Avs' 3-2 victory over Seattle in Game 2 at Ball Arena. They touch on the new line combinations, Colorado finding new life after the first intermission and an exceptional performance from goaltender Alexandar Georgiev. All that and more on this live from the rink post-game edition of Hockey Mountain High: Your go-to Avalanche Podcast. Follow the guys on Twitter @...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports break down the Avs' 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken in Game 1 live from Ball Arena. All that and more on this post-game edition of Hockey Mountain High: Your go-to Avalanche Podcast. Follow the guys on Twitter @JJoftheyear and @runwriteAarif Recorded: April 18, 2023, at 11:30 pm MT.

Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports is joined by Kate Shefte of the Seattle Times to preview the Avs' series against the Kraken. Kate answers several questions about the Kraken, who are set to play in the postseason for the first time. She touches on Philipp Grubauer's season, Vince Dunn's emergence, Matty Beniers' rookie season and the forward depth the team has on all four lines. All that and more on...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez of Mile High Sports are joined by Peter Baugh of The Athletic to preview the Avs' upcoming first-round series against the Seattle Kraken. The guys start by discussing the keys to a successful Avalanche run before looking at how the Kraken could make this a long series. They also touch on general manager Chris MacFarland's Sunday media availability before closing the show...

Audio from Gabriel Landeskog kicks off the show as Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez react to the Landeskog news following the captain's media availability at Ball Arena before puck drop. The guys break down some key takeaways from Landeskog's press conference and how the team will move forward without him as they attempt to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. All that and more on this pre-game edition of Ho...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez break down an entertaining battle at Ball Arena on Tuesday between two Western Conference juggernauts. The guys discuss Colorado's penalty kill, confidence in Alexandar Georgiev, and the Avs clinching home-ice advantage in Round 1 after collecting a point. They also look at the three potential first-round matchups for the Avs. All that and more on this post-game edition o...

Aarif Deen and J.J. Jerez are back directly following the Avalanche's 5-4 overtime victory in Anaheim. They break down what was a fascinating game, which ended with three straight power-play goals and another Nathan MacKinnon game-winner. They also touch on Mikko Rantanen hitting both 50 goals and 100 points in California and the race for the top seed in the Central Division and the Western Confer...