For some of the young players at the Avalanche’s development camp this week, the indoctrination process has been very expensive. That’s because to retain their NCAA eligibility, Avalanche draft choices who want to return to the college game for the 2007-08 season must pay all their expenses to attend the camp – even to the point of paying for their proportionate cost of ice time at the Family Sports Center.
So players such as the University of Minnesota’s Ryan Stoa, Mike Carman and Derek Peltier, Ohio State’s Tom Fritsche, Michigan’s Billy Sauer, Dartmouth’s David Jones and Boston University’s Brandon Yip have a considerable investment in the process.
At least right wing Chris Stewart and center T.J. Hensick don’t have to worry about that.
Stewart, the Avalanche’s 2006 first-round pick, and Hensick, who has completed his eligibility at Michigan, will be looking to stick with the Avalanche at the outset of the season. Stewart and Hensick likely would end up at Cleveland of the American Hockey League if they don’t crack the NHL roster.
“I’d like to think that I’m ready to make the step,” Stewart said Thursday. “You can always get faster, always get stronger. When you go to the next level, you’re playing against men. So you have to come into camp and show them that you’re ready.”
Stewart played a combined six regular-season and playoff games with Albany of the AHL last spring after his major-junior season with the Kingston Frontenacs ended. He had 73 goals in the past two seasons with Kingston, and he fits the power forward mold, providing physical play as well as a scoring touch.
Craig Billington, the Avalanche’s director of player development, is, in essence, the CEO at the camp.
“It’s not an evaluation in terms of his play, because there’s plenty of time to do that,” Billington said of Stewart. “I did it last year, all year long, in the winter. Now it’s more like sitting down with him and trying to identify those areas (for improvement) and deficiencies – not just on ice, but off ice – and recognize what his strengths are …And then implement a road map, a game plan, so it’s not like just getting in a car and driving. There’s a purpose.”
Hensick, 21, was one of the favorites for last season’s Hobey Baker Award until he imploded in the Wolverines’ 8-5 loss to North Dakota in the first round of the Western regionals at the Pepsi Center. He had two goals in that game, but drew a 10-minute misconduct in the third period.
Hensick said he came back for his senior season with the Wolverines “for a reason. I thought the team had a chance to win.”
He added: “I was very frustrated in that game. I thought all year I had been playing my best hockey since I had been at Michigan, and I thought up until that penalty in the third period, that was one of the better games I’d had all year. … Unfortunately, I took the penalty I shouldn’t have, and any way you want to look at it, it was a bad mistake on my part.”
After signing a three-year contract with the Avalanche in April, Hensick faces an uphill battle to be on the roster – one with Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny centering the top two lines – at the start of the season, but it wouldn’t be a shock, either.
“I think that’s something that’s still up in the air,” the native of Lansing, Mich., said. “Skill-wise, I think that maybe I can fit in. Am I physically ready? I don’t know. I’m going to find out when camp comes around. I’ll be playing against guys who are much older and much stronger, and I’m looking forward to it. Time will tell whether I can play right away.”
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
