For the second time in a year and a week, the Colorado Avalanche are set to play open-air hockey — this time on a golf course in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

An announced sellout crowd of 43,574 filled the Air Force Academy’s Falcon Stadium in 2020. With the first-ever F-16 Thunderbird aircraft on one side of the rink and rows of cadets on the other, the Los Angeles Kings secured a 3-1 win over Colorado.

“Last year was so cool. It was such a cool venue, and this year it’s honestly going to be even cooler because of the atmosphere,” forward Tyson Jost said.

After returning from COVID-19 protocol, Jost is in the mix of fourth-line candidates with Matt Calvert, Valeri Nichushkin and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. He has another chance to return to his roots as he played on a lake growing up.

“I’m excited. I know everybody is,” Jost said. As far as takeaways from last year: “I guess one thing is to enjoy the experience.”

Not everyone had rave reviews last year. Lines of cars snaked for miles out of the academy gates and down I-25 in both directions, leading to jokes and jabs on social media on the event’s one-year anniversary Monday.

When it came to the main event, the Kings had the better takeaways. Colorado goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the third period with a lower-body injury and missed the rest of the regular season. Samuel Girard scored the Avalanche’s only goal. Meanwhile, Tyler Toffoli ended his stint with L.A. on a high note, completing the first hat trick in an NHL outdoor game two days before he was traded.

Jared Bednar said he “didn’t love” his team’s performance against the Kings.

“Neither team generated a lot of offense,” the Colorado coach said. “(Goaltender Jonathan) Quick kind of had our number last year, both in L.A. and also in the outdoor game.

“I’d just like to see us go out and play our game and play with the energy that we normally play with in a regular game. We’ve been doing that very consistently to this point this year, and I don’t see why it should be any different in the outdoor game.”

The Avalanche made few offseason changes, but Saturday will be a first for some. Bowen Byram, 19, was still playing in the Western Hockey League, while the Avalanche donned retro jerseys in the Air Force football locker room.

“Not really too sure what to expect,” Byram said of his first NHL outdoor game.

“I think it’ll be interesting, but definitely looking forward to it.”

Factoring in a 5-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings in 2016 at Coors Field, the Avalanche are winless in outdoor games.

“Probably most importantly to me as a coach, it’s a chance to go ahead in this miniseries we’ve got going with Las Vegas,” Bednar said. “We want the two points.

“We approach it mostly the same as we do any other night. We’re hoping the guys have a little bit more energy and a little bit more passion just to put us over the top against a really good team in Vegas.”

Notes: Bednar said Gabriel Landeskog, Jost and Kiefer Sherwood were full practice participants Thursday and eligible to play. They all spent time on the COVID protocol-related absences list and had to stay away from the team. … Samuel Girard and Hunter Miska remain on the list. Girard passed his cardiac test, Bednar said, and is working out off the ice. He can begin skating Saturday. … Injured defenseman Erik Johnson has relative good days and bad days, Bednar said, and isn’t expected to return to the lineup soon. “As of now, he’s not a player for us in the near future.” … Matt Calvert is eligible to return to the lineup Saturday after missing seven games. The forward, who has dealt with concussion symptoms in the past, left the team to see doctors and specialists after feeling off. “I’m ready to come back and play my game,” Calvert said.

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