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Zakhar Bardakov is set to make his NHL debut for the Avalanche on Saturday, as the team takes on the Boston Bruins at Ball Arena.
Will the team debut the throwback Quebec Nordiques sweaters tonight? It’s a possibility, albeit nothing has been confirmed yet. The players wore Nordiques pants during morning skate, and the nameplates in the locker room had the logo.
They might be breaking in the new gear before an official announcement, or they could be setting fans up for a surprise reveal.
READ MORE: Avalanche Game 6 vs Boston Bruins: Lines, Notes & How To Watch
On opening night, the Los Angeles Kings wore their usual home sweaters during the pre-game skate, but then they went back into the locker room and changed into a new third jersey and surprised their audience 20 minutes later with the new threads.
The Penguins did something similar a week later with their new third jersey. If the pattern continues, we might see the Avs wear their usual burgundy jerseys around 6:30 pm when they take the ice for warm-ups before switching into Nordiques sweaters for the big reveal.
They're totally dropping Nordiques jerseys tonight aren't they pic.twitter.com/gzDdUoP6CC
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) October 18, 2025
Against Boston, the Avs are going to be without Joel Kiviranta, who is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Kiviranta got hurt against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“He got hurt last game. He’s going to miss some time,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “I don’t have a solid timeline, it’s going to be weeks.”
READ MORE: Avalanche Lose Depth Forward For Indefinite Period
Bardakov will slot in as the fourth-line center, moving Parker Kelly back to the wing to take Kiviranta’s spot in the lineup.
“I want to see him play really well in his fourth line center role,” Bednar said of Bardakov. “He’s a big, physical, strong guy, so he has to play that way, play to his identity. The fourth line needs to be responsible in their checking game and chip in as much as they can on the offensive side.”
Casey Mittelstadt will suit up for the Bruins and take on his former team for the first time. In goal, it will be Scott Wedgewood making his sixth straight start for the Avs with Trent Miner backing up.
Mackenzie Blackwood was on the ice for morning skate, but is not yet cleared to return.
Boston is starting Jeremy Swayman, as they enter the matchup looking to end a two-game losing streak.
Ridiculous it took an injury to get Bardakov in the lineup, but excited to see what he can do. Kelly is so much better on the wing as well. Love to see the Nordique’s sweater tonight.
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