Avalanche needs Ivan Ivan to be another story of development success

Loveland – Ivan Ivan knows it will appear at some point.

Teammates, coaches, fans, media members…eventually, someone will ask him his name. It’s never mean, but people are always curious.

“It’s very interesting,” Ivan said. “A lot of people think my parents hate me or something. I find it crazy. If my parents hate me, they won’t let me play hockey. It’s one of the most expensive sports.

“My parents wanted me to be special, so it’s not a generic name.”

Ivan’s rare path to the NHL this season. He tried to fight for a long time, but that was exactly the type of development success story needed by the Colorado Avalanche as the franchise tried to find support for its high-priced elite talent core.

After a promising start to his first NHL season, Ivan spent the second half of the year, re-tuning his AHL life. Now, he is trying to help the Colorado Hawks chase the Calder Cup championship in a bid to become a more permanent part of the AVS plan next season.

“When we first met him at Rookie Camp and (Summer Development) Camp, we saw some tools and we were a little excited,” Eagles coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “You want to be realistic because it’s just a rookie camp, but we know we have something. To know Ivan is a player and a guy, he can coach. He wants to learn. He wants to prove that he belongs. He keeps working every day.

“He persevered. It was a great discovery for the organization.”

Marek Ivan of the Boyhood plays in the WHL. His career in North America was short, but he spent twenty years in Europe, mainly at home in Czech Republic.

He wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps as his eldest son drew his own path. So Ivan left his home in QMJHL in 2019 for Cape Breton.

His first season was adjustments, but Ivan felt his second year would be much better and helped him find a place in the 2021 NHL draft. But cutting back on 19 pandemics in his first season in North America was relentless.

He spent the 2020-21 season with his hometown club, located in the third division of Czech hockey. Ivan practiced a lot, and then practiced more. He participated in five league games in total, plus a period of time at the Czech World Junior Camp.

“It’s been tough, especially after I got home from Canada,” Ivan said. “I know I’ve been ready for a big season, but it happened and I’m glad my hometown team made me skate and so on. I think I can get a bigger chance, not just in the taxi team.”

He fell off the radar draft, but was strong back-to-back season with Cape Breton after winning an AHL contract with Colorado. Ivan was a breakthrough player for the Eagles last year and by March he had already reached his first NHL entry-level deal.

Ivan seized the opportunity when the AVS lacked the Key NHL forward in training camp. Ivan kept his place after Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen returned. Once, he scored 5 goals and 8 points in 22 games.

Eventually, he hit the rookie wall. After 18 games without scoring, it’s time to return to the Hawks. This adjustment can be difficult for young players, especially after realizing their dreams.

“It’s a big difference. It feels hard to change the speed and style of hockey, especially after 40 games,” Ivan said. “You’re used to the habit on the ice. It’s just different. Just want to work hard and try to find out my game in the AHL again.”

The man buried in Nathan Mackinnon’s powerful game in October, while also playing the responsible hockey brand, took a while to appear in his second match in Loveland.

Ivan scored 12 goals and 31 points in 67 games last season, but only 2 and 12 points in 31 games after relegation. His game started to cheer up and he has been a key player in the club in the six-Calder Cup. The Hawks lost 2-1 2-1 in overtime at Blue Arena Wednesday night and 2-1 in the fifth-finals. Game 4 is Friday night. If the Hawks win, Game 5 of the game will be held in Loveland on Monday afternoon.

“There was a period of adjustment, but he was very mature about it,” Schneekloth said. “He understood. We started to see it. It was the most important moment of the year and he was a great player for us.”