Colorado Avalanche Development Camp Notebook | Day 1

The Colorado Avalanche opened their 2023 Development Camp on Monday. The players took to the ice for the first of three on-ice sessions. The camp will conclude with a four-on-four scrimmage at Family Sports on Wednesday.

Monday, July 3

On-ice sessions at Family Sports (two different groups)            8:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 4

On-ice sessions at Family Sports (two different groups)                8:15 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.

Wednesday, July 5

On-ice sessions at Family Sports (full team)                                    8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Burgundy vs. White 4-on-4 game at Family Sports                         5:25 p.m.                                              

Thursday, July 6

Team-building activity                                                                    9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

The camp roster consists of 18 forwards, 16 defensemen, and three goaltenders including Avalanche prospect, Ivan Zhigalov.

Chris MacFarland looked in on Day 1 from up above and alongside the glass.

Notably in attendance were recently drafted players: Mikhail Gulyayev, Jeremy Hanzel, and Calum Ritchie.

Ritchie is participating off-ice because he is rehabbing a shoulder injury – he is about two months into what could be a four to six month total recovery time, and he’s hopeful to play in the rookie tournament.

Similarly, Avalanche prospects Jean-Luc Foudy, Alex Beaucage, and Sean Behrens are all in town to rehabilitate before their upcoming seasons and will not be on the ice.

Day 1 included a warm up skate to get players acclimated with the drills. Group 1 included Chris Romaine, Jeremy Hanzel, Matt Stienburg, and Gianni Fairbrother.

Hanzel stood out in this group. Listed at 6’1”, 192 lbs., Hanzel moved well for his size, mobile in transition which allowed him to create time and space.

Avs’ 2022 6th round selection Chris Romaine looked more comfortable from his first development camp last year, and Gianni Fairbrother – part of the return in the Alex Newhook trade – was a pleasant surprise.

Fairbrother missed last season due to a knee injury and was a vision of health fully participating in the skate.

The next session included Colby Ambrosio, Ondrej Pavel, Sam Malinski, Ryan Sandelin, and Taylor Makar.

Ambrosio, a 5’9” centerman entering his fourth year at Boston College, embodies a honey-badger quality, fully committed to the play drill-by-drill. He has a snap to his game alongside quick speed and smooth handling. He cuts quickly on his edges.

Defenseman Sam Malinski, the highly coveted college free agent grab of last season, plays a complete well-rounded game. His familiarity with the Colorado Eagles and development coaching staff was evident, and he was often the first to complete drills as a demonstration.

Aaron Schneekloth, Tim Branham, Peter Budaj, Brian Willsie, Mark Popovic, two guest coaches (Kim Weiss and Kelsey Cline), and more ran the show with Branham working one-on-one with many of the defensemen.

A quality that continues to stand out in Malinski is his vision. It’s limited in the scope of camp, but he slipped impressive passes through seams and under sticks during some of the drills.

Two other forwards whose skating stood out were Ryan Sandelin and Yoan Loshing – both with capable and quick edgework.

Additionally, recent 31st overall pick Mikhail Gulyayev was an exciting storyline from Day 1. The 5’10”, 172 lbs., defenseman joined the main group for the big skate session near the end. He participated in drills, and was a quick study. He was very receptive to feedback.

He truly soaked it all in, and his skating stood out among his peers. Gulyayev’s skating was a cut above the rest in mobility, straight-line speed, lateral movement, edgework, and overall power. He’s definitely one to watch.

One forward who showed well especially in comparison to last year’s camp is Taylor Makar. Makar has always had size, but he was visibly filled out. At 6’3”, 190 lbs., he got around even better and it was his handling and shot prowess that seemed much improved.

Makar went from registering one point in his freshman year to a ten goal season and second line opportunity in his sophomore season. He looked more sure of himself.

From inside the locker room:

Sam Malinski on what he hopes to accomplish in Dev Camp: “Working on little skills. You kind of expect to fail at some of the things since we’re not used to it, but just kind of feel it out, break in the new equipment, and showcase skills as much as you can.”

Malinski on his offseason plans so far: “I’m back in Minnesota doing all my training there and living with my family. As far as training goes, just working out a good amount. Working on speed and explosiveness. And skating wise, working with a power skater working on little skills and just everything I need to get ready for the season.”

Malinski on the strengths of his game: “I’m an undersized guy, I move well, skate well. I like to get the puck up the ice as best I can, and I think one of my strengths is my hockey IQ. I do my best to be strong and sound defensively.”

Taylor Makar on one thing he’d like to shine through this camp: “It would be my development through the past seasons. I want the steps I’ve been taking this last season to be seen whether that be speed, working down low, and just overall puck control. I want it to be a noticeable difference from the year before. Taking those little baby steps, that’s how you get to the next level.”

Taylor Makar on how he improved his consistency: “I think a lot of it was working with our staff at UMass and even talking to Brian Willsie a lot here. They helped me a lot to go and break down video. Coach Carvel at UMass, he brings me into his office and we’ll do lots of video together. I think that was one thing that really helped me with consistency.”

Brian Willsie on running Dev Camp without Greg Cronin: “That’s a big hole. I learned a lot from Greg. He’s player development first. I learned a ton from him in five years. This camp was player development with NHL staff run together, so he had a big influence on it. He’s left a good impression on us, and we’re teaching a lot of things we learned from him, which is great. It’s a testament to what he brought to us.”

Brian Willsie on Sam Malinski: “I was at his first game on the road in Coachella, and from the first period, you can tell he’s a player. I’ve watched him a lot going to Cornell for Stienberg, so that’s where we first noticed him. Being (almost) 25, the maturity is there – you see that right away, just a cut above the younger kids that are here. He’s a smooth-skating, smart, puck-moving defenseman. It’s what we love here. Him jumping in pro at that time in the regular season is tough hockey and then through the playoffs, he was one of our best defensemen for the Eagles. It’s a testament to show that he’s ready for pro hockey and to take a big bite out of it.”

Brian Willsie on Taylor Makar: “Coming into this camp, you’re always more comfortable the second time around. We’ve pushed him to be one of the leaders here.”

Willsie said the key for Makar is time.

“Watching him grow at UMass, Greg Carvel will work with him there, and I’ll work with him here. There’s a role identification, and he’s a kid who knows his role. He knows what he fills in pro, and that’s how he plays at UMass. There’s other kids, they’re scorers, and then you have to try to talk to them like, ‘Well, we have those.'” You have to find other ways to get in and grab your ice time. He knows what he is, so he’s already ahead of the game with role acceptance. That’s a big thing, and now that he’s got that, he’s just going to keep refining that and growing.”