The Colorado Avalanche invited a pretty interesting group of players to training camp on tryout contracts this season.
Joel Kiviranta had the biggest night of his NHL career at the Avs’ expense in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs with Dallas. Peter Holland was retired last season, and has already had a life-changing experience during camp.
Then there is Brandon Kozun, who can match Holland for the most interesting journey to this point of the bunch.
Kozun, who was born in Los Angeles and lives in Calgary in the offseason, has not played for a team on North American soil since 2014-15, when he and Holland were teammates in the Toronto organization.
He has spent most of the past eight seasons playing in the KHL, including stops in Helsinki, Yaroslavl, Magnitogorsk and Minsk.
“Itap obviously been a while since I’ve been at one of these,” the 33-year-old Kozun said. “I just felt like at this point in my career, it was time to take a shot.”
A sixth-round pick by Los Angeles in 2009, Kozun spent four years as a productive AHL player for the Kings and two years with Toronto. He played 20 games for the Maple Leafs in 2014-15 before starting his journey on the other side of the world.
He found the most success with Yaroslavl, spending parts of four seasons with the Lokomotiv and leading the club in scoring twice. Kozun also met his wife, Alyona, there.
“Itap not easy to go over there. Itap a completely different mindset,” Kozun said. “There were some growing pains but I started to understand more and more as I went. I really appreciated guys like Stefan Kronwall, who helped me survive, and that enabled me to live a comfortable life.
“The KHL is a really good league. The hockey is good. Itap really competitive. I just felt like without something super concrete over here, it was the best place for me to be in terms of my career and getting better. Itap also a business and you’ve got to provide for yourself. … I just tried to make the right decision year-by-year and thatap where it kept me.”
A lot has changed since Kozun left the Maple Leafs. The COVID-19 pandemic affected nearly every hockey player’s career and what job opportunities were available for a couple of seasons.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has as well. Kozun has had to adapt to a changing global political climate, while trying to focus on the best way to continue his career and support his family.
“Itap tough. I’ve met a lot of good people over there,” Kozun said. “I’m not a politician. I don’t wish for anyone to die. I just have to hope for the best for the good people that I’ve met. Itap a sad situation for a lot of people right now.”
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Kozun is a player the club’s decision-makers have known for a long time, dating back to his North American playing days. He said general manager Chris MacFarland and his assistant, Kevin McDonald, identified Kozun as a player who might want a chance to play here again and both his skillset and resume piqued their interest.
Kozun confirmed that it was the Avs who reached out first, to his agent, to see if he wanted another chance, and he was quick to accept.
“Itap a bit of a tough mindset,” Kozun said. “For my entire career, I’ve at least had a contract to fall back on. This is pretty much my first tryout since I was 15 years old. It can be tough mentally with the unknown, but I’m just trying to enjoy it every day. This could be my last opportunity in an NHL dressing room and I’m not taking anything for granted. Itap a blessing that I have a chance to do this.”
Kozun played in the team’s first preseason game and survived the first round of cuts. Colorado has another exhibition contest Thursday at Minnesota, then back-to-back games this weekend.
“He had a really good first game. He was all over the puck,” Bednar said. “Any time the puck was free or loose, he was in the area. He played with the puck quite a bit and has the confidence to make some plays.”
There’s not likely to be three roster spots for Kiviranta, Holland and Kozun. There might not even be one. But all three have made a good impression. Bednar hinted the organization would like Kozun to play for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL this season, and once he’s re-adjusted to the style of play here, compete for a call-up.
Kozun looked like an NHL skater in his first game back, but the limitation he’s dealt with his entire career — being a 5-foot-8 offensive forward — remains. Another thing that has changed since Kozun left eight years ago is there are opportunities for veterans to make better money in the AHL, though not what the top players in the KHL earn.
“I’m open to listening to what comes,” Kozun said. “Those eight years in the KHL has afforded me the opportunity to kind of be a little picky with where I want to be. I’m just trying to stay in the moment right now. I know at other points in my career, it was bad for me when I would get ahead of myself.”
NOTES: Cale Makar (lower-body injury) skated ahead of practice Wednesday. He’s been on the ice a few times, but yet to participate. Bednar said Tuesday he doesn’t need to see Makar in a preseason game, but would like him to get one in to shake the rust off.
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