Jared Bednar sends strong message to Avs about motivation after recent slump

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar sent a strong message to his team after practice on Tuesday.

Meeting with the media, Bednar spoke at length about the motivation of his players after the Avs have looked extremely poor in three out of their last four games.

They were beaten down by a mediocre (at best) Nashville Predators team on Sunday night, Colorado’s third straight loss on the road. The only “good” game in the last 10 days was a 6-3 win over the Lightning this past Friday at Ball Arena.

Jared Bednar said the key is everyone being on the same page, coaches and players, and if they are then he has “a lot of trust” in the group.

But he also made it clear his role isn’t to babysit motivation each and every time they’re on the ice.

“I’ve been quoted before, like I’m not here to motivate our team. That means I’m not going to do it on a daily basis. Like, we’ve got a veteran group of guys that I’ve been with for 11 years. We should think and respond and have the same sort of view, or a similar view, of what’s going on with our team,” Jared Bednar said.

The Avalanche are 6-5-1 on the young season and currently in the top wild card spot in the Western Conference. But this group is too talented to play .500 hockey and look like they’re getting badly out-skated over the course of multiple games.

“They know what it looks like when we’re playing hard and playing well and so do I. So, that has to be the standard. Now, we can be off of it a little bit here and there, but not three out of four games,” Jared Bednar said.

Colorado will look to rebound against the Devils on Wednesday night at home. New Jersey is one of those teams that thoroughly outplayed the Avalanche during this rough stretch.

Meanwhile, Bednar wasn’t done with his message and explaining his thinking.

“If I have to go into the room and motivate our team or an individual all the time, then they shouldn’t be here. They’re in the wrong league. That’s the way I see it. Because they’re paid and hired and expected to… you’re expected to bring that all the time,” Jared Bednar said.

He said that’s the difference between an AHL and NHL player, always bringing maximum effort. Bednar also isn’t ducking his responsibilities adding he’s not afraid to push buttons, jump on a player, pat them on the back or have 1-on-1 sessions.

But if he has to do it all the time then the Avs “don’t have the right team,” according to Bednar.

It’s a strong quote from a head coach who knows his team is in a slump.

He’s clearly not panicking — nor should he — but Jared Bednar also wants the players showing up each and every day ready to work and play hard.

That reminder shouldn’t need to come from him as these guys are some of the best in the world and on one of the top teams in the NHL.

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