Some, such as Bob Boughner and Pierre Turgeon, sported deep, brown tans after a week in sunny climes. Patrice Brisebois, on the other hand, spent his week off shoveling snow.
For the Avalanche players not at the Winter Olympics, vacation ended Thursday. Those players reconvened at South Suburban Family Sports Center for the first Avalanche practice since Feb. 11. There was some heavy breathing afterward.
“That was a horror show,” Boughner said. “I felt terrible, but you know what, that comes with the territory. I think guys expected that, but I think we’ll feel better every day.”
Boughner and his wife, Jennifer, spent five days in Mexico last week.
“We didn’t do a heck of a lot down there, other than lay around and rest,” Boughner said. “I worked out in the morning in the gym, and that was about it. It was a relaxing time. It was great.”
On the first day of the break, Feb. 13, Boughner and former Avalanche forward Warren Rychel bought the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
“It’s something we’ve been trying to do for a couple of years now,” said Boughner, who lives near Windsor.
Turgeon, who should be ready to return to the lineup Tuesday night against Minnesota after a shoulder injury, spent a few days in Florida with his family.
“It was a good mental break for the guys I’m sure,” Turgeon said. “For myself, I haven’t played since Jan. 7, so I’m anxious to play. But I’m sure it’s going to be a good thing for the guys who played a lot of hockey, to have that week off.”
Brisebois, who spent time at his Montreal home with his family, had sore feet after trying on his first pair of new skates in three years.
“That wasn’t the best choice maybe, but it was good to be back out there,” Brisebois said. “We’ll see what the first couple games are like. I’m sure there will be a couple of (rough) spots for some guys, but I think we’ll be OK.”
The Olympic disappointments of Canada and the United States may turn out to be the Avalanche’s gain. Avs Joe Sakic, Rob Blake and John-Michael Liles will get more rest after early eliminations at Turin.
Avs coach Joel Quenneville said Olympic players won’t be required to return to practice until Monday, but can report earlier.
After sending 10 players to the Games, only two Avs are still competing: Milan Hejduk with the Czech Republic and Antti Laaksonen with Finland. It has been a relief so far to Quenneville that none of his players have sustained serious injuries at Turin.
“Anything can happen over that course of time, and I think you just hold your breath and cross your fingers that you come out of it in good shape,” Quenneville said.
With 23 regular-season games remaining, Quenneville expects his team to be mentally sharp. The Avs are in good shape to gain a playoff spot, but his hopes are higher.
“We want to make sure we try to move up in our division,” Quenneville said. “Every game is going to be huge. Every game is going to be like a four-point game, because everybody is trying to get in the playoffs. We’ll see how some of these guys are coming back from the Olympics, fatigue-wise. But the bottom line is, we’re going to try and play a strong team game and get some points.”
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
