Thanks to the Avalanche’s arrival in 1995, Colorado has become a significant producer of junior, college and professional hockey talent over the past 25 years. The state still trails traditional powers such as Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts in developing future professional players, but the gap has shrunk.
Here is The Denver Post’s top 10 Colorado-born hockey players to have reached the NHL, with a heavy emphasis on those who played all or most of their youth hockey (18-under) in the state.
10. Mike Eaves
F | Denver | 1979-86
The son of Canadian defenseman Cecil Eaves, who was on the University of Denver roster for two seasons from 1956 to 1958, Mike starred at the University of Wisconsin for four years and led the Badgers to an NCAA title in 1977. Eaves, 63, went on to a seven-year NHL career with the Minnesota North Stars and Calgary Flames, producing 226 points in 324 games.
9. Ben Bishop
Joe Mahoney, The Associated Press
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) carries the puck around the net against Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop (30) and Stars defenseman Gavin Bayreuther (44) the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018, in Denver.G | Denver | 2008-present
The Dallas Stars’ current No. 1 goalie was born in Denver but grew up in Missouri. He was drafted in 2005 by St. Louis but only played briefly for the Blues and Ottawa Senators before becoming the No. 1 guy for Tampa Bay in 2013-14. The 6-foot-7 Bishop, 33, played high school hockey (Chaminade College Prep) in St. Louis for the same team as future DU Pioneers Chris Butler and Paul Stastny. Bishop has an estimated career earnings of more than $36 million.
8. Drew Shore
Denver Post file
Denver center Drew Shore skated in the third period. The University of Denver hockey team defeated Alabama-Huntsville 5-2 at Magness Arena Saturday night, January 7, 2012.F | Denver | 2012-17
Shore, 29, grew up in Cherry Hills and played Colorado youth hockey until age 13. He further developed in Canada and Michigan before returning to Colorado as a DU Pioneer, serving as co-captain as a junior and leading the team in scoring. He was drafted 44th overall in 2009 by Calgary and played 94 NHL games for Florida, Calgary and Vancouver before taking his talents to Europe. He played this past season in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League.
7. John Grahame
Doug Pensinger, Getty Images
Goalie John Grahame #47 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to facing the Calgary Flames at Pepsi Center on Nov. 9, 2010 in Denver. The Flames defeated the Avalanche 4-2.G | Denver | 1999-2008
The son of former DU goalie, assistant coach and administrator Ron Grahame played three years for Lake Superior State right after the Lakers won their second national title in three years in 1994. He then went on play in 224 NHL games and win the 2004 Stanley Cup as a backup with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Grahame, a 44-year-old Denver native, was a Boston Bruins rookie and opposing goalie in 1999 when the Avs played their first game at Pepsi Center. He later was an Avs minor-league goalie with the Lake Erie Monsters (2009-11). But he never played for the local NHL club.
6. Nick Shore
Jeff Gross, Getty Images
Nick Shore of the Los Angeles Kings looks on prior to the start of the game against the Anaheim Ducks at Staples Center on Sept. 25, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.F | Denver | 2014-present
Shore, 27, is a development gem of the double-A Littleton Hockey Association and triple-A Colorado Thunderbirds. He’s currently a depth center for the Winnipeg Jets, playing for his fifth NHL team in six seasons in the league. Shore followed his older brother Drew to the U.S. National Development Program in 2008 and played three years at the University of Denver from 2010-13 before signing with the Los Angeles Kings, who selected him 82nd overall in 2011.
5. David Hale
Jim McIsaac, Getty Images
David Hale #2 of the New Jersey Devils skates with the puck against the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 10, 2007 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Blues won 3-2.D | Colorado Springs | 2003-2011
Hale, 38, dominated the southern Colorado youth scene before playing two years of junior-A for Sioux City and then three for the University of North Dakota. As a freshman in 2000-2001, Hale played in 44 games, including the last one — a 3-2 overtime loss to Boston College in the NCAA championship game. He was a 2002 first-round pick of New Jersey and played in 327 NHL games for the Devils and four other teams. Hale also represented Colorado and his country at the 2001 World Junior Championship.
4. Troy Terry
Andy Cross, The Denver Post
Denver University forward Troy Terry.F | Denver | 2018-present
The former University of Denver and U.S. World Junior star from Highlands Ranch is a second-year player for the Anaheim Ducks and ranks eighth among Colorado natives in NHL games played (81), goals (eight) and points (28). But he’s an American international celebrity who could become the state’s all-time leading scorer among NHLers. Terry, 22, played for Littleton and the Colorado Thunderbirds before playing one season in Michigan and graduating from high school in three years. He then joined DU as a 17-year-old and, as a sophomore, he helped the Pioneers win the 2017 NCAA championship — about four months after going 4-for-4 in shootouts to lead Team USA to World Junior Championship semifinal and final victories over Russia and Canada, respectively. Terry had both game-winning goals.
3. Parris Duffus
Walter Swistelnicki, The Associated Press
Otakar Vejvoda of the Czech Republic, left, slips the puck past U.S. goaltender Parris Duffus, center, to make the score 3-0 in the semifinal match at the World Ice Hockey Championships in Vienna, Friday, May 3, 1996.G | Denver | 1996-97
Duffus played just one NHL game, with the Phoenix Coyotes in 1997. But the Denver native, 50, is considered the state’s best player of his generation. A Colorado high-school sensation, Duffus went on to play juniors in Saskatchewan before beginning a two-year NCAA career at Cornell. He was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1990 and, although his NHL career never flourished, he was a minor-league and European standout who led Team USA to a bronze medal at the 1996 World Championship — America’s first medal in 34 years. His professional/international career spanned 18 seasons.
2. Brandon Carlo
Jim Rogash, Getty Images
Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers presses as Brandon Carlo #25 of the Boston Bruins defends in the Bruins zone in the second period at TD Garden on November 5, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts.D | Colorado Springs | 2016-present
Carlo, 23, is a top-four blue-liner for the Boston Bruins, the NHL’s best team, and the shutdown defenseman came a Game 7 victory shy of winning the Stanley Cup last summer. He grew up playing for the Colorado Springs Junior Tigers before joining the triple-A Colorado Thunderbirds and commuting to the Denver area. He chose the major-junior route with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans and was selected by Boston 37th overall in 2015. He’s now considered among the top five defensemen in his draft class.
1. Jaccob Slavin
John Leyba, The Denver Post
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) looks on against the Colorado Avalanche during the first period March 7, 2017 in Denver at Pepsi Center.D | Denver | 2015-present
After playing nearly all of his youth career (18-under) in Colorado, Slavin, 26, is currently an alternate captain and NHL All-Star for the Carolina Hurricanes. He played Colorado double-A youth for Hyland Hills and Littleton, triple-A midget for the Colorado Thunderbirds’ 16U and 18U teams, two years of junior-A in Chicago and two years at Colorado College before making an immediate impact with the Hurricanes, who “stole” him with the 120th pick of the 2012 draft. Slavin played just 14 games in the minors as a first-year professional before becoming a key player for the Canes, who signed him to a seven-year, $37.1 million contract in 2017.
Honorable mention: F Brandon (B.J.) Crombeen, Denver (type-1 diabetic mostly raised in Ontario, Canada, played in 445 NHL games); F Brendan Lemieux, Denver (son of former Avs Claude Lemieux, identifies as being Canadian); D Joe Noris, Denver (played in 55 NHL games and 198 in rival WHL).
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Ranking the Top 10 best Colorado-born hockey players in NHL history - The Denver Post
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