Logan O’Connor Steps Away From Avalanche After Father’s Sudden Death

Logan O’Connor was getting close to returning to the ice. Now, hockey can wait.

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that O’Connor’s father, Myles, had died suddenly at age 59. The news came just hours before Colorado was set to face the Calgary Flames.

Myles had played in the NHL himself. A defenseman, he spent time with the New Jersey Devils and the then-Anaheim Mighty Ducks between 1990 and 1994. He appeared in 43 NHL games, recording three goals and four assists.

He continued playing after leaving the NHL, eventually heading to Japan to join the Nippon Paper Cranes. In the 1997-98 season, he had four goals and 11 assists in 31 games.

His son went on to make his own mark in hockey. Logan played at the University of Denver before making his NHL debut with the Avalanche in the 2018-19 season. He was also part of Colorado’s Stanley Cup run in 2022.

Since then, O’Connor has put up 45 goals and 60 assists in 356 regular-season games. Colorado signed him to a six-year extension in September 2024.

He had been working his way back from a lower-body injury and was in contention to make his season debut against Calgary. That return is on hold as he steps away to be with his family.

The Avalanche shared their condolences with O’Connor and his family. The team will look to honor Myles during Thursday’s game.

Colorado lost 3-2 to Winnipeg on Wednesday, despite putting 34 shots on goal to the Jets’ 19. The Flames are next, with less than 24 hours between games.

Colorado has had the better of Calgary lately, winning 12 of their last 15 meetings. Last season, the Avalanche won all three matchups and outscored the Flames 15-4.

Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas combined for 14 points in those games. Kadri will face his former team, while Scott Wedgewood is expected to make his first start of the season in goal.

Now the mission is to win one for Myles.