Training Camp - Day One

Today was the first day on the ice for the Avs full training camp roster after rookie camp earlier this week and off-the-ice training yesterday. It was great to see the Avs all out on the ice again. The format for this year's camp was three 45 minutes scrimmages with the clock running (the roster was broken into three groups: blue, gray and black; and each team played each other once). The coaching staff, scouts and management watched from the bleachers with the rest of us fans (although they were roped off in their own section). The team that was not playing during the scrimmage did drills on the other sheet of ice.

The scrimmages were held on the opposite sheet of ice from where the Avs usually practice. The ice was apparently not in proper shape for scrimmages (too soft and according to David Jones there was a large hole in the ice).


It was apparent from the start which players were playing for a spot on the roster and which players were comfortable with their positions on the team. That's not to say that the veteran players were lazy, rather the guys just hoping to secure a spot on the team worked really hard and often out-skated the experienced NHL-ers. One of the players hoping to make the team that stood out was Greg Mauldin. He scored a goal and had an assist during the scrimmages and even hit a couple posts. He demonstrated his desire to play for the Avs with his quickness and refusal to take it easy on any of his shifts. None of the players really held back as there was hitting going on left and right from the start of the first scrimmage.

Matt Duchene looked great on the ice, like he was very comfortable being there and confident with himself. He was frequently on the ice with Peter Mueller and Milan Hejduk and the trio had great chemistry. Another frequent line combination which might be familiar to Avs fans was Paul Stastny, Chris Stewart and T.J. Galiardi. Galiardi looked to be playing with the same passion and grit that we saw from him during the playoffs, so look for an interesting season for him.


Adam Foote looked pretty good on the ice as well. He looked a bit faster than last year and definitely like he was ready for another NHL season. Peter Mueller looked comfortable on the ice and like he was more than prepared to return to action after his season-ending concussion. Hopefully he'll be ready to continue producing as he did during his brief healthy stint for the Avs last season. Also looking decent was David Jones who of course had his season cut short with the knee injury last year. It looks like he'll take a little while to be fully back in game shape, but he looked ready to go.

It was great fun seeing the boys back in action and it should be interesting to see who steps up on day two of training camp, which is also tomorrow morning starting at 9AM.