(above) Aaron MacKenzie played for DU from 1999-2003 and scored 19 goals and 54 assistsFrom: Denver Post
by Terry Frei
In five seasons with the St. Louis Blues' American Hockey League affiliates, former University of Denver defenseman Aaron MacKenzie didn't even get a cup-of-coffee callup.
In July, MacKenzie — already an offseason resident of Boulder — signed with the Colorado Avalanche. On opening night in two weeks, he almost certainly will be back in the AHL with the Lake Erie Monsters. Yet MacKenzie is getting enough of a look in camp and the outset of the exhibition season to perhaps help stamp him as a reliable defenseman who could be called up for fill-in duty if Colorado has another injury-plagued season.
MacKenzie was in the lineup Thursday for Colorado's 4-2 exhibition victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center, in a pairing with veteran defenseman Jordan Leopold. They finally were teammates after seeing each other as collegiate opponents, when Leopold was starring at the University of Minnesota.
A year behind Leopold, MacKenzie, from Terrace Bay, Ontario, was an all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association choice and DU's captain as a senior in 2002-03.
Against the Stars, MacKenzie had 15:07 of ice time and had three blocked shots. But considering he has only 10 goals in five AHL seasons, it's obvious he isn't going to crack the NHL as anything other than a stay-at-home, solid defenseman.
In July, MacKenzie — already an offseason resident of Boulder — signed with the Colorado Avalanche. On opening night in two weeks, he almost certainly will be back in the AHL with the Lake Erie Monsters. Yet MacKenzie is getting enough of a look in camp and the outset of the exhibition season to perhaps help stamp him as a reliable defenseman who could be called up for fill-in duty if Colorado has another injury-plagued season.
MacKenzie was in the lineup Thursday for Colorado's 4-2 exhibition victory over the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center, in a pairing with veteran defenseman Jordan Leopold. They finally were teammates after seeing each other as collegiate opponents, when Leopold was starring at the University of Minnesota.
A year behind Leopold, MacKenzie, from Terrace Bay, Ontario, was an all-Western Collegiate Hockey Association choice and DU's captain as a senior in 2002-03.
Against the Stars, MacKenzie had 15:07 of ice time and had three blocked shots. But considering he has only 10 goals in five AHL seasons, it's obvious he isn't going to crack the NHL as anything other than a stay-at-home, solid defenseman.
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