Nathan MacKinnon Ejected After Explosive Bench Meltdown

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Julien Trekker
October 13, 2024 (12:54)

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Nathan MacKinnon was ejected from the Colorado Avalanche's home opener after an explosive bench meltdown in the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Fans were back at the Ball Arena last night for the Colorado Avalanche's first home game of the 2024-25 NHL season. Following a tough preseason, and a loss during their first game, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen were back in action, looking to get their first win of the year.

Before the game, the Avs held a little ceremony to give MacKinnon his Hart Memorial Trophy, with Denver Nuggets' star Nikola Jokic presenting the award.

Check it out:

Unfortunately, luck turned to the Blue Jackets. The Avs goalie Alexandar Georgiev allowed three goals on the first nine shots fired toward him and was pulled out by head coach Jared Bednar for the second straight game.

The Blue Jackets left Colorado with a 6-4 win against the Avalanche, despite a great effort from Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, who each scored two points in the game.

With only a few minutes left to the game, an incident occurred on Colorado's bench. In the dying minutes of the confrontation, MacKinnon lost his composure and lashed out at the referees. He received a 10-minute game misconduct and left the ice.

Here's how it went down:

This isn't the first time fans witness the player in that state. Last season, MacKinnon lost it after a hit on Makar in a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

MacKinnon and the Avs are now 0-2 in this new season. Following a disappointing elimination in the second round of the playoffs last year, the team hoped to get a good start to their season to build for their next post-season run.

Colorado will be back in action tomorrow against the New York Islanders and they will once again be looking to get their first win of the season. The game promises to be emotional, as it will mark Patrick Roy's return to Colorado, where he won two Stanley Cups as a player and worked as head coach between 2013 and 2016.