Morning skate notebook: Avs claim Mark Alt off waivers, all quiet otherwise

Greetings from the Pepsi Center, where the Avalanche finally can spend some time here again, starting with tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

It’s trade deadline day, of course, but we expect it to be fairly quiet around here. There was a new player acquisition today, however, and his name is Mark Alt. He was claimed off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers.

This kid has a fairly interesting upbringing. He’s the son of John Alt, who played 13 years with the Kansas City City Chiefs as a lineman, and he was a good one too, a two-time Pro Bowler who has his name in the Chiefs’ Ring of Fame.

The story goes that father Alt really wanted his son to follow in his football footsteps, and that the University of Iowa offered him a scholarship to play quarterback there. Iowa is where his dad played, too. But, at the last minute, Mark took a scholarship offer at the University of Minnesota and wound up playing hockey there. His dad was said to be devastated.

Alt, 26, has nine games of NHL experience under his belt, with the Flyers. He is considered a stay-at-home, ham-and-egger type of D-man, with a right-handed shot. He will join the Avs, but won’t play tonight.

In other Avs news, defenseman Anton Lindholm was back on skates Monday, though he’s wearing a non-contact jersey. Jonathan Bernier (concussion) skated this morning and is said to be feeling better, but as to when he returns to the active roster remains anyone’s guess.

Erik Johnson remains out. The Avs never officially said where his injury is, but I can tell you that it is a separated shoulder. Sven Andrighetto (leg) skated for a second straight day, but not with the team and Mark Barberio (upper body, possibly a concussion) did not skate.