TORONTO — Players used to tell fond stories of getting that first phone call, the one informing them they had just been called up from the minors. Former University of Denver center Tyler Bozak will always talk about that first text message.
Bozak, who played at DU from 2007-09, made his NHL debut Tuesday night for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Avalanche. He knew his life had a major change when he turned on his cellphone at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday morning and found a text message from his coach, Dallas Eakins of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, saying he’d been recalled by the Maple Leafs.
“I woke up and was rustling around and saw my phone was blinking. I just looked at it, and it was probably the best text I could have got,” said Bozak. “I’ve been waiting for the call since the beginning of the year, hoping I’d get up. I didn’t even know if it would be this year.”
One of the first people Bozak told was Avs center and former Pioneer Paul Stastny. Bozak never played with Stastny at DU but got to know him in Denver and became fast friends.
“Stastny called Monday night and asked if I was getting in the lineup anytime soon,” said Bozak, who signed a two-year contract with Toronto last year that, according to TSN, could be worth $4 million a year if he reaches incentives.
Bozak got on the score sheet in the second period, assisting on Francois Beauchemin’s power-play goal.
