3 years ago
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Call it the Education Line.
Center Alex Newhook is caller disconnected a two-year stint astatine Boston College. Left winger Tyson Jost played 1 play astatine North Dakota. Right winger J.T. Compher played 3 years astatine Michigan.
Three arrogant hockey players from 3 perennial nationalist powers, present linemates for what is considered the Avalanche’s 3rd line.
“We’re ever beaking astatine each different and whatnot,” Jost said of assemblage rivalries connected Saturday aft Day 3 of on-ice grooming campy astatine Family Sports Center. “It’s fun. It’s chill to spot 3 assemblage guys connected a enactment and each 3 of america are beauteous adjacent friends, too.”
Former NCAA players marque up astir 33% of the NHL, according to College Hockey Inc., with the remainder coming from large inferior oregon Europe.
Avs manager Jared Bednar formed the Education Line for Thursday’s archetypal time of camp, putting 3 earthy centers together. He said Jost, 23, oregon Compher, 26, could determination to center, which has added antiaircraft responsibilities, but chose to statesman with the rookie, Newhook, 20, for improvement reasons.
Newhook, who was Colorado’s 2nd 2019 first-round draught prime (16th overall), signed with the Avs connected March 31 aft his sophomore twelvemonth astatine BC. He played six regular-season games for the Avs and 8 successful the playoffs successful burning the archetypal twelvemonth of his entry-level contract.
“I privation to springiness him the accidental to play the presumption wherever helium was drafted and spot however helium handles it,” Bednar said of Newhook. “If helium could play up the lineup arsenic a winger, opposed to down successful the lineup arsenic a center, I’d astir apt thin that way. So those are each things we person to see. I haven’t seen him play capable hockey astatine this level to marque that decision.”
Not agelong ago, Jost and Compher were successful Newhook’s shoes arsenic a heralded collegian trying to acceptable into the NHL.
“Comph and I are determination to assistance him, for sure,” Jost said. “I retrieve being successful his presumption 4 years ago. It’s exciting. We person a bully line. We’re accelerated retired there. We’re not the biggest guys ever but we tin each skate and it’s amusive erstwhile we’re playing that way.”
Bednar and his unit privation to spot much discourtesy from Jost and Compher this play to assistance regenerate the combined 32 goals mislaid from the departures of Brandon Saad and Joonas Donskoi. Saad, who was mislaid to St. Louis successful escaped agency, had 15 goals successful conscionable 44 games. Donskoi, who was selected by Seattle successful the enlargement draft, had 17 successful 51.
Compher and Jost combined for conscionable 17 goals.
“It’s wanted pressure, for sure,” Jost said of accrued offense. “I privation that responsibility.”
MacDermids. New Avs defenseman/enforcer Kurtis MacDermid was calved successful Quebec City erstwhile his father, Paul MacDermid, played for the Nordiques successful 1993-94 and 1994-95 — the club’s past 2 seasons earlier it moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche.
Paul MacDermid’s 690-game NHL vocation ended successful 1995 erstwhile the Avs began their archetypal play successful Denver.
“I person immoderate aged Nordiques jerseys successful my closet from a babe and young kid. It’s beauteous chill for me,” Kurtis MacDermid said.
MacDermid, 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, is importantly bigger than his father, who was listed astatine 6-1, 200, and connected gait to shatter his 257 vocation punishment minutes. Kurtis, 27, has been assessed 46 warring majors since turning pro successful 2014.
“It’s beauteous evident — physicality is what I bring, and conscionable being dense and hard successful the antiaircraft portion and making definite the different squad doesn’t instrumentality vantage of immoderate of the guys,” Kurtis said Saturday. “Great radical of guys and staff. It’s a first-class enactment and I’m truly blessed and excited to beryllium here.”
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