You reap what you sow, or so Scripture says.
J.T. Compher, A.J. Greer and Ben Storm had to pay to play this week at the Avalanche development camp.
Those prospects are NCAA student-athletes and under college eligibility rules had to pay their own travel and other expenses to attend the three-day development camp, which ended Thursday.
“It’s tough, for sure. Some aren’t as fortunate as others,” said Greer, an Avalanche second-round selection in last month’s NHL draft. “My parents gave me the opportunity to come out, and I’m so grateful for that. And I’m just trying to take as much as I can back home.”
Attending the camp is not mandatory for recently drafted players but is highly advised so the team can become more familiar with its up-and-coming talent.
“It’s something I have to do for my future,” said Compher, who will be a junior at Michigan this season. “I want to be an NHL player, and so far it’s been well worth it.”
Compher was one of the pieces acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in the Ryan O’Reilly trade, along with defenseman Nikita Zadarov, forward Mikhail Grigorenko and the 31st pick in the draft. After trading back to pick No. 39, the Avs selected Greer, who will be a sophomore at Boston University.
Compher spent the previous two summers at the Sabres’ development camp, but after two weeks with the Avs, he can already see the difference. He smiled when recalling his first experience walking into the Avalanche facility.
“Every team does things a little differently, but it’s been really personal here,” Compher said. “All the development guys know a lot about me. They ask me questions about more than hockey — about me as a person. It’s a great fit.”
At 5-foot-11 and 193 pounds, Compher is a bit undersized for a forward but said he loves the summer camps because they give him an opportunity to perfect his strengths — skating and technique.
It’s also a time to home in on weaknesses.
The Avs selected Storm, a 6-6, 220-pound defenseman, in the sixth round of the 2013 draft with dreams that he would become the next Zdeno Chara, a 6-9 Boston Bruins defenseman who intimidated opponents with his size and toughness.
Storm has the size and toughness. Coaches told him he needs to improve his skating.
In his second year at Avs camp, Storm raved about the coaching staff, especially new skating coach Tracy Tutton. The Avs shifted from no skating drills in previous years to skating being the primary focus at this year’s camp. And the players loved it.
“It gives all the coaches the ability to see where I’m at and how I’m developing,” said Storm, a junior-to-be at St. Cloud State. “It gives me a chance to see what they see as my strengths and weaknesses.”
All three players are expected to return to college in the fall and appear to be at least a year from vying for an Avalanche roster spot.
“It’s not how fast you get there; it’s how long you stay there,” Compher said.
