Avalanche Remix Jersey Puts Nathan MacKinnon’s Captaincy in the Spotlight

A jersey mockup has given Avalanche fans a small mystery to chew on: Nathan MacKinnon appears wearing the captain’s “C.” The image has prompted speculation about whether Colorado is preparing a leadership change, but the known details point more readily to a design error than to a shift in the room.

The NHL’s planned “hometown remix” jerseys are a new alternate uniform concept, drawing a comparison to Major League Baseball’s City Connect series. Teams are expected to wear them only once or twice a year, making the designs a brief addition to the schedule rather than a replacement for a club’s regular look. A leaked concept for Colorado has drawn attention for its appearance—and for the letter on MacKinnon’s chest.

DNVR Avalanche shared the design on October 27, 2026, asking fans what they thought of the Colorado version. Its post identified the concept as a hometown remix, but didn’t establish that the jersey was final or explain why MacKinnon was shown as captain. That distinction matters: a circulating mockup can spark a conversation without confirming anything about the team’s plans.

One swapped digit offers a simple explanation

Colorado’s captain is Gabriel Landeskog, who wears No. 92. MacKinnon wears No. 29. The reversed digits make a mix-up easy to imagine: whoever assembled the concept may have put the captain’s letter on the wrong player while working from a number or roster reference. The image itself doesn’t tell us whether that happened, but it’s a straightforward explanation that doesn’t require reading a leadership announcement into a uniform draft.

There’s also a gap between a design that appears online and a decision made by the Avalanche. The concept could have passed through hands without detailed familiarity with the roster, or the lettering could be an uncorrected placeholder. Either possibility would account for the odd pairing. Without confirmation from the team, the jersey is evidence only of what the mockup depicts.

That leaves the more dramatic interpretation: perhaps Colorado is preparing to make MacKinnon captain in place of Landeskog. It’s a striking thought, but the design doesn’t supply much support for it. A captaincy change would be a significant team decision, and a single detail on an unconfirmed alternate uniform is a thin basis for predicting one.

Landeskog’s return gives the speculation context

The captaincy question carries extra weight because Landeskog’s absence once left Colorado without a captain for three seasons. The club held the position open while he worked toward a return, then restored the “C” to him when he came back. That history makes it difficult to treat his role as a casual placeholder, or to infer that the team is ready to move on from it based on a jersey image.

Landeskog also has two years remaining on his contract after this season, according to the source article. Contract length doesn’t decide who wears the “C,” but it adds context to the idea of an imminent handoff. Nothing in the leaked design establishes that Landeskog has asked to give up the role or that Colorado has decided to name a successor.

MacKinnon is central to the Avalanche, and his stature makes him an obvious candidate to draw attention whenever a captaincy question comes up. Still, star status alone doesn’t explain the club’s approach to leadership. Colorado kept the captaincy open during Landeskog’s long absence rather than assigning it to MacKinnon, then returned it to Landeskog upon his comeback. That history suggests the organization has treated the role as tied to Landeskog, not simply as a title to pass to the team’s leading player.

The comparison with Toronto’s decision to move the “C” from John Tavares to Auston Matthews may come to mind, but one club’s choice doesn’t establish a template for another. Colorado’s own handling of Landeskog’s absence is the more relevant reference point, and it gives little reason to assume that a specialty jersey signals a similar change.

Watch for confirmation, not clues in the stitching

The uniform may still be worth discussing on its design merits. The source describes it as appealing, and the concept could attract plenty of fan interest if it reaches retail. But expected demand, visual style and a player’s assigned letter are separate questions. None can confirm whether the mockup is final, how often Colorado will wear it, or whether the team intends to alter its captaincy.

For now, the C beside MacKinnon’s No. 29 is best treated as an intriguing mismatch. The reversed numbers provide a plausible explanation, while Colorado’s recent history gives no clear sign that Landeskog’s captaincy is about to change. Until the club says otherwise, the jersey is a conversation starter—not a reliable clue to a leadership move.