Get ready for a busy weekend at the end of September as the hockey season fast approaches. Thursday afternoon, the Colorado Eagles announced they will play in two preseason games on September 26th and 27th. The affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche will participate in the inaugural Southwest Showdown hosted by the Tucson Roadrunners (UTA). They will play both games at the Tucson Arena in Tucson, Arizona.

Why this matters

Preseason games in the American Hockey League are not required. A lot of teams use the NHL preseason to look at their players and then send them to AHL camps. With the NHL cutting its preseason down from six to four games, they get little of that chance.

The Eagles will compete in preseason games for the first occasion since their AHL transfer. The Eagles stand isolated in the middle of the U.S., so it makes travel to Loveland difficult for some clubs. This will also be the first chance that brand-new head coach Jussi Ahokas will see some AHL action. However, he will coach the rookies at the Rookie Faceoff next month. The Eagles will compete against the Henderson Silver Knights (VGK) on Saturday and the Texas Stars (DAL) on Sunday. There has been no announcement if the games will have a TV broadcast or not.

Saturday, Sept. 26

— Colorado Eagles vs. Texas Stars – 3 p.m. MST

— Henderson Silver Knights vs. Tucson Roadrunners – 7 p.m. MST

Sunday, Sept. 27

— Henderson Silver Knights vs. Colorado Eagles – 3 p.m. MST

— Texas Stars vs. Tucson Roadrunners – 7 p.m. MST

The problem preseason creates

The Avalanche will be wrapping up their preseason the same weekend the Eagles start theirs. Bubble players would get a lot of time in the Avalanche games, but this could force earlier cuts than usual. We could see one of two scenarios happen: bubble players stay with the Avs, or they get sent down early. The decision would have to be made quickly, with the Avs playing at home on Friday (25th) and in Winnipeg on Saturday (26th). Some players will have to travel from Denver to Tucson and may play with the Eagles the next day.

Another thought is that the New Mexico Goatheads will use the opportunity to break in the players before the ECHL camp. The Goatheads are building their team from scratch and can use all the chances they can get to build chemistry.

The hockey season is creeping up on us fast. The Alumni game is this Sunday, while the Rookie Faceoff is only 23 days away. Training camp for the Avalanche will start on September 17th, placing only 28 days away. So gear up fans, Is it September yet?