European Avs (4.)
On the occasion of the NHL Global Series, we bring you a series of articles about the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL in Europe and European players.In this miniseries, we take a look at all 59 European players, who have suited up for the Colorado Avalanche at least once, either during the regular season, or during the playoffs. The following stats were taken mainly from AvalancheDB.com and have been updated after the conclusion of the 2016-17 season. The players are ranked in descending order based on the number of points they recorded during their tenure in Denver.
31. Dennis Everberg - 70 games, 12 points (3 goals, 9 assists)
He rose to prominence in Europe, then spent two years going back and forth between the NHL and AHL. Despite his potential as a power forward, Colorado didn’t give him another chance and he refused to play in the AHL. He currently plays in the KHL.
32. Ossi Vaananen - 139 games, 12 points (2 goals, 10 assists)
The Finnish defenseman began his NHL career with four seasons in Phoenix. He didn’t impress during his two and a half year stay in Denver. He continued his career in Philadelphia and Vancouver, where he finished after a single season. He spent the last seven years of his career in the KHL, mostly serving as the captain of Jokerit, where he retired in 2015.
33. Nikita Zadorov - 78 games, 12 points (0 goals, 12 assists)
Also a part of the O’Reilly trade, considered a top defensive prospect at the time. He’s still undoubtedly talented, often showing flashes of defensive brilliance. Attitude problems and work ethic issues have since surfaced, something pretty common among some Russian hockey players. It’s entirely up to him which path his career will go. This could very well be his last season in North America.
34. Josef Marha - 19 games, 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists)
He was drafted as an 18-year-old by Quebec. He played three seasons for Colorado, mostly spending time in the AHL. He appeared in two games during the Championship season. He also played for Anaheim and Chicago, but never earned a permanent spot in the NHL. He permanently returned to Europe in 2001, where he retired after 13 years. He currently coaches youth hockey players.
35. Jonas Holos - 39 games, 6 points (0 goals, 6 assists)
This Norwegian defense prospect rose to prominence during the World Championship. He earned a shot with Colorado as a 23-year-old, the season being his only one in Denver. He refused to play in the AHL, just like a lot of Europeans do, and opted to return to Europe. He currently plays in the Swiss league.
36. Joakim Lindstrom - 16 games, 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists)
He came to Colorado after four season in Columbus and Phoenix. The team demoted him after 16 games and he returned to Europe, where he played for two seasons. He chose to sign with St. Louis as a free agent, but once again returned back home after a couple of games. He currently plays in Finland.
37. Daniel Tjarnqvist - 37 games, 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists)
The Swedish defenseman got to Colorado after stints with Atlanta, Minnesota and Edmonton. He also played a season in the KHL before coming to Denver. He didn’t impress, returned to Europe and retired in 2015 while playing in the German league. He won Olympic Gold.
38. David Koci - 78 games, 2 points (2 goals, 0 assists)
The Czech enforcer broke into the NHL with Chicago. After two seasons in the Windy City, he played for Tampa Bay and St. Louis. In two seasons in Colorado, he amassed 164 penalty minutes and scored two of his three career goals. He played the following three seasons for Sparta Prague and retired in 2014. He currently coaches youth hockey. Although he was known as an enforcer, he is very intelligent and goes against all stereotypes enforcers are known for.
39. Borna Rendulic - 14 games, 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist)
The first Croatian-born NHL player, who earned his shot in the league at 24. After two seasons playing mostly in the AHL, he left for Vancouver after some criticism of the Avalanche’s farm system. He only appeared in one game for the Canucks. He currently plays in the KHL.
40. Tomas Vincour - 9 games, 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists)
He spent three years in the Juniors and the next three in Dallas. After two games for Colorado, he continued his career in the KHL. He returned to Denver after a year in Russia, but failed to make an impression. Since 2015, he plays back in Europe, currently playing in the Czech league.
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Michal Hezely, Slovakia, hezely@eurolanche.com
06/11/2017 - 19:00
