Adrian Dater
Hello friends, welcome to Day 1 of what should be daily coverage of the Colorado Avalanche on this humble site from here to…whenever I keel over maybe.
If you’re just now checking out this site, it’s a subscription site. I think the prices are very modest, we’ve got quite a sizable community already and I have some what, I hope, are exciting things in store. My podcast “Can’t Hear What Jeremy Says – An Avalanche Podcast” will debut soon. Old friend Jesse Montano will be the producer of the show and my sidekick on the show for many – but not all – episodes (He’s a busy guy now). I want to have lots of interesting guests, not just the same one or two people droning on for an hour every show. And, probably, the less talking I do, the better.
OK, so let’s get on with today’s developments from Day 1 of Avs rookie camp, including locker-room audio and on-ice video. This is where the paywall kicks in, so….hit the subscribe button if you want to read/see/hear the rest of this report.
I think the big news of the day has to be the full clearance of Conor Timmins to have contact and no restrictions anymore. Timmins had to endure a hellish year of no meaningful hockey because of concussion symptoms, but he’s good to go now.
He will be in the Avs’ lineup tomorrow against rookies/prospects of the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow in Irvine, Calif., as part of the Rookie Showcase tournament. (I will be there, covering it).
While he didn’t allow himself a smile, Timmins sounded happy after the roughly 90-minute practice/drills today, and especially about playing against opposing NHL players tomorrow.
“It’ll definitely be a big deal for me, not having played in a year and a half,” Timmins said. “At the same time, I just want to kind of focus on the hockey aspect of it and play my game. Keep things simple, and I think I’ll be fine out there. It’s really exciting. I’ve been kind of waiting for this since I got injured. You really miss that competitive aspect of the game. Going through practice really isn’t the same. Obviously, being out this long, we’re going to take things cautiously and see how things go. Obviously, you never know, something could happen. But we’re pretty confident, so we’re just going to take it as it comes.”
When Timmins talks in the “we” sense, it’s because he’s had a lot of people who have helped him on the long road back. Doctors, therapists, trainers, family, friends – Team Timmins was large.
I asked if there was any one thing that most helped him turn the corner on the concussion thing, and Timmins said, “I don’t think there was one thing in particular. I think it was just a gradual thing. I had to really take my time be sure about it.”
Timmins was paired a lot with 2019 fourth overall pick Bo Byram today, and there is a good chance they will be paired together on Saturday against Vegas.
Here is some video of Timmins today:
I really like those aggressive edges to his skating. He’s not doing anything cautiously out there. He’s a real hockey player again. Let’s HOPE it stays that way.
Here is the full audio of Timmins’ locker-room talk today:
I talked some with Shane Bowers today. A former first-round pick of Ottawa who come over in the Matt Duchene deal, Bowers could have been a junior at Boston University this year, but late last spring he decided to turn pro. There were some reports that Bowers had intended to attend BU for his junior year, but that he changed his mind partially because of the turnover in the program.
Bowers said those reports were untrue.
“There was never one set decision that got changed,” Bowers told Colorado Hockey Now. “It was always wide open, and I just made the decision to turn pro.”
Bowers, a left-shot center, almost surely will be ticketed for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles to start the season, but he hopes to be with the Avs before too long.
“My goal is to to make the NHL. That’s what we’re all here in camp for and what I’ve been working for all summer,” Bowers said. “If that doesn’t happen, I’ll be disappointed. Everyone’s goal here is to play in the NHL. They’d be crazy if that wasn’t their goal. That’s my goal for camp, and if it doesn’t happen, then I’m going to continue to work. Hopefully I’ll be there soon.”
Full Bowers interview:
Bo Byram looked a bit bigger than the last time I saw him, in June. He looks to have added a few pounds around his shoulders and arms, etc.
How well he looks in camp and into what could be a nine-game tryout before the Avs have to decide whether to send him back to the Vancouver Giants of the WHL figures to be one of the dominant storylines in camp.
Byram seems like a smart kid who knows what’s up with the whole 10-game/junior thing. He’s only 18, so there’s no rush. But his stated goal is to be here all year.
“I’ve got to play my game on the ice, play confident, move the puck quickly, use my speed to my advantage,” Byram said. “It’s not easy to play in the league, so if I’m not ready, I’ll be back in Vancouver and they have a really good team. I’m just super excited for whatever way it turns out.”
Byram said “I had to try and get some rest” over the summer, after a very busy spring and early summer. Byram said he needed a little r’n’r away from hockey for a short while, but had to “recover” from a long year, which meant staying well-hydrated and watching his nutritional intake and getting good sleep. Things like that.
Full Byram interview:
OTHER ODDS AND ENDS
OK folks, that about wraps this piece of content up. If you’re in Irvine this weekend for the games, stop and say hello.
AD