MONTREAL — The transition from NHL player to retirement can be difficult for some.

Not for Tyson Barrie, though. He’s thriving.

His dream project, “Chilly Ones,” dubbed “the most crushable beer on the planet,” will arrive in Colorado on Monday.

Chilly Ones launched in Canada in 2024, but Colorado will be the first stop for their light lager in the United States. Barrie, 34, played for the Avalanche from 2011-19, picking up 307 points in 484 games in the burgundy and blue.

That’s a big reason why Colorado was an easy launch decision.

“It felt like the natural place to launch because it’s always felt like a second home to me,” Barrie told The Denver Gazette. “It’s where my career started, where I learned how important balance really is, and where lifestyle is truly built around being active, social and giving back to the community. That DNA is baked into Chilly Ones.”

Barrie learned first-hand launching a startup is a serious undertaking. He joked he might be busier now than during his playing career. If you’re going to launch a startup in a very competitive market, you must have a passion for it.

“Chilly Ones isn’t a brand I’ve just put my name on,” Barrie said. “It’s something I’m building hands-on with close friends, very intentionally, as I transition out of hockey and into the next chapter.”

One of those close friends is Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon, who in November was named lead brand ambassador for the nonalcoholic Chilly Ones beer, which will arrive in Colorado at a later date. Barrie said it didn’t take much convincing to get MacKinnon on board. The Hart Memorial Trophy winner simply asked Barrie what he could do to help.

If you follow Barrie on social media, you’ll see he’s close friends with just about everybody, from NHL stars to famous musicians like the Lumineers. Barrie has an energy that draws people toward him.

“I guess you just have to know him to feel it, but you feel good energy, positive (energy),” MacKinnon said. “He’s funny. He’s very witty. If you say the wrong thing around him, he’s going to shred you in a nice way, somehow. He’s got a weird knack for being able to say whatever he wants to anybody and get away with it. It takes a special sense of humor to be able to pull that off. He manages it really well.”

Partnering with Colorado Craft Distributors, Chilly Ones will debut in the U.S. its 3% light lager in stores, bars and restaurants by the end of next week. Chilly Ones will sponsor the Colorado Pond Hockey Tournament in Georgetown from Feb. 13-15. Barrie will be present for the tournament.

The light beer market is a crowded one, but it’s one Barrie targeted.

“We’re focused on low- and no-alcohol beer because we believe in intentional drinking,” he said. “Something you can enjoy after a hike or a ski, before an early morning, or simply without paying for it the next day. Let’s be honest, at the end of the day, it’s not really about the liquid, it’s about what grabbing a beer represents mentally and to your soul.

“People don’t say ‘Let’s go grab a water!’ But grabbing a beer gets people out of the house, together, laughing, connected. In hindsight, Chilly Ones might even be my way of holding onto the community and camaraderie I knew I’d miss when hockey ended. (It’s) my excuse to keep gathering, staying social, and enjoying the good stuff, just with a little more intention.”

The Chilly Ones brand and its “Bigger Than Beer” motto is planning some exciting things for Colorado the company will announce at a later date.

“It means the product is just a medium for interaction, connection, experience and belonging,” Barrie said. “‘Bigger Than Beer’ is our vision for the way we as a brand and company are interacting with our customers, fans and community. It’s not about hockey or music, but about how those elements bring people together, to feel something, to create memories and deepen friendships.”

What I’m hearing

• Keaton Middleton not seeing NHL action until the 51st game is a mild surprise, given he spent the majority of last season with the Avalanche. “It’s frustrating, but it’s pro hockey,” he said. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world and you learn from it and away you go.” Middleton picked up an assist in his first game on Wednesday in Ottawa, and Bednar called his debut “OK.”
• The Avalanche have played the fewest games in the NHL. When they come out of the Olympic break, their schedule is wild. Bednar couldn’t help but laugh about it. “Five (games) in seven nights, you think that’s good?” he joked before saying they have no choice but to play the schedule they were given.

What I’m seeing

• Bednar has been happy with Victor Olofsson on the top line, but it has become clear why having a guy like Artturi Lehkonen or Gabriel Landeskog on that line really compliments Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas’ games. They need someone who’s going to help retrieve the puck back along the boards and, perhaps more important, get to the net to create traffic. It’s nothing against Olofsson, who has improved a lot defensively the last few seasons. But he’s a different style of player and that style does change the dynamic of the line.
• That Ottawa team isn’t bad. It’s just that no NHL team has ever been able to overcome their goaltenders stopping fewer than 87% of the shots they see. Jake Sanderson is one of the best defensemen in the NHL and will be fun to watch on U.S. Olympic Team at the Olympics.

What I’m thinking

• Cale Makar is no longer a lock for the Norris Trophy, which seemed impossible in November. Zach Werenski has now passed him in points and Evan Bouchard and Lane Hutson aren’t far behind. Points are not everything when it comes to the Norris, but sadly it does play a big role in the voting.
• I wouldn’t mind seeing the Buffalo Sabres get into the playoffs. That fanbase is dying for a run. Captain Rasmus Dahlin and his wife also revealed they lost a pregnancy after she underwent a heart transplant procedure. The Sabres are easy to root for.