A little more than a year ago, Wojtek Wolski was living with a charge of assault, along with a tag that some teams had soured on his potential as a hockey player.
Today, Wolski’s reality is this: He’s the talk of Avalanche training camp, all of it positive. His name has been cleared, and he’s a newly minted millionaire.
Before the left wing had a chance to shine one more day, the Avs announced they had signed him to a three-year contract worth a little more than $2 million. Wolski got the news from his agent Wednesday night, in a phone call that woke him from a nap.
“I jumped out of bed,” said Wolski, Colorado’s first-round pick in the 2004 NHL draft. “It was the most exciting news I’ve had in a long time.”
Wolski is starting to look like one of the steals of the 2004 draft, but he has a lot more to prove.
At a Toronto house party on June 8, 2004, right before the draft, Wolski was charged with assault after he confronted a man who made disparaging comments about Wolski’s girlfriend.
Wolski had been projected by many NHL scouts to be a top-15 pick, possibly a top-10 pick, but the bad publicity may have played a part in his slide down the board. Eventually picked by the Avs at No. 21, Wolski was upset at not going in the top 15, but now he and the Avs are happy. Not only does he have an NHL contract, but the charges against him were dismissed by a Toronto judge.
“It worked out for the best,” Wolski said. “I’m happy that’s in the past. It’s not something you want to go through, but I had a lot of support from my family.”
At 6-feet-3, 200 pounds, Wolski has size and strength along the boards. But what has most impressed the Avalanche coaching staff has been his poise with the puck and overall skill level. In a scrimmage Thursday, Wolski scored a goal on a partial breakaway, roofing a backhander over the shoulder of Avs goalie Peter Budaj.
“There’s usually a kid in each camp that jumps out at you, and he’s certainly been that guy,” Avs coach Joel Quenneville said of Wolski. “(We’ll) see how he handles it going forward, but he makes plays and sees plays. He does a lot of things you don’t see kids at his age do.”
Quenneville said Wolski, 19, has a real chance to make the team. If he doesn’t, he may spend another year in junior hockey, with Brampton of the Ontario League. Wolski led the Battalion last season with 73 points (29 goals) in 67 games.
“I came in here just to try and work as hard as possible, and if I make the team, I’ll be very happy and try to help out as much as possible.
“But it’s up to Colorado, and whatever they feel is best is what I’ll do,” Wolski said.
Avs on ice
Tonight – Burgundy-White intrasquad game
* When: 6:30 p.m.
* Where: Magness Arena, DU
Saturday – Avs vs. Stars exhibition
* When: 7 p.m.
* Where: Pepsi Center
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
