Breaking; Coach Jared Bednar is expected to leave the Colorado Avalanche before next week due to…
**Breaking: Coach Jared Bednar is Expected to Leave the Colorado Avalanche Before Next Week Due to Family Emergency**
It was a snowy November evening in Denver when the rumors first began to swirl. The Colorado Avalanche had been riding high on a wave of early-season success. The team looked poised to make another run at the Stanley Cup, but the buzz around the city was quickly dampened by an unexpected headline: *Coach Jared Bednar is expected to leave the Colorado Avalanche before next week due to a personal matter.*
As fans and players alike speculated, it wasn’t long before details started to emerge. Bednar, the architect of the Avalanche’s recent dominance, had received a call earlier that day. His father, an old hockey man himself, had suffered a serious heart attack back home in Saskatchewan. For years, the elder Bednar had been a pillar of strength for Jared, attending games when he could, and giving advice that only a former player could offer.
Jared’s heart sank as he heard the news. In his mind, he was no longer the coach of the Avalanche—he was a son who needed to be by his father’s side. The decision was instantaneous, but it was not without a heavy heart. The team was on a roll, and the players looked up to him not just as a coach but as a mentor. Still, family came first. It always had.
In the locker room after the Avalanche’s most recent win, Bednar gathered his team together. There was a seriousness in his voice that quieted the chatter immediately. The players leaned in, sensing something beyond the usual post-game speech.
“Listen, boys,” Bednar began, his voice steady but thick with emotion. “I’ve got to step away for a bit. My dad’s not doing well, and I need to be with him. I’m counting on you to keep this momentum going while I’m gone. Trust in each other, play for each other—like we always do.”
The room fell silent. Nathan MacKinnon stepped forward, clapping a hand on Bednar’s shoulder. “We got this, Coach,” he said simply. The room echoed with nods and murmurs of agreement.
By the time the news hit the press, Bednar was already on a flight to Saskatchewan, leaving the team in the hands of his trusted assistant coach, Nolan Pratt. The media storm was immediate, with pundits speculating on the impact of Bednar’s absence and fans expressing their concern. Would this derail the Avalanche’s season? Could the players maintain their form without the guiding hand of their coach?
But for Bednar, these questions were far from his mind as he arrived at the small regional hospital, stepping into the sterile, dimly lit room where his father lay. The old man’s eyes flickered open, and he managed a weak smile.
“Jared,” he rasped. “What are you doing here? Don’t you have a game to coach?”
“Not today,” Bednar replied, taking his father’s hand. “Today, I’m right where I need to be.”
As the Avalanche faced their next game without him, the players rallied together, playing with an intensity that hadn’t been seen in weeks. They skated faster, hit harder, and cheered louder, all for their coach who wasn’t there but whose spirit was felt in every corner of the rink. It wasn’t about winning that night; it was about playing for something bigger than the game itself.
In the end, the Avalanche won, but the victory was bittersweet. As the final buzzer sounded, MacKinnon gathered the team together in a huddle, lifting his stick toward the rafters. It was a silent salute, a message for Bednar wherever he was: *We’re with you, Coach.*
The next day, an Avalanche spokesperson issued a brief statement. Bednar would remain with his family as long as needed. In the meantime, the team would keep playing, not just for the playoffs, but for the man who had brought them together.
For Jared Bednar, it wasn’t about missing games or stepping away from his duties. It was about a promise made long ago, when he was just a kid learning to skate under his father’s watchful eye. In hockey, as in life, you show up for your team—and sometimes, your team is your family.