The Colorado Avalanche have a new four-legged member of their team. Maxy, a Labrador Retriever, and her sisters were born on December 18, 2024 at the Freedom Service Dogs’ headquarters. She weighed 16 ounces at birth.
Maxy is the nickname of Peter McNab, the Avalanche’s color analyst for 27 years and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, who passed away after a battle with cancer on November 6, 2022. McNab made an indelible impact on the Avalanche and Colorado community and was loved by everyone he met.
"We talk about his giant heart all the time," Altitude Sports Radio Play-by-Play announcer Conor McGahey said about McNab. "Just think about it, he embedded himself among the community and used his gift of storytelling to teach. He helped bridge the gap to many, who knew nothing about hockey, as he shared his knowledge. He turned kids who were new to the game - since the team came to Denver - into these lovers of not just hockey, but life. I know that sounds cheesy, but his effect to them, and to everybody he just glowed all the time. Not everybody has that skill or that gift to be able to do that."
To honor the legacy of McNab, Maxy will grow up to be a Freedom Service Dog and impact the lives of others, just like the man she’s named after.
