McCormick's career on a roll

Page 6

Those of you who are familiar with the National Hockey League and the Colorado Avalanche might recognize a new name this year-Cody McCormick.

The former Belleville Bulls captain, who is from Chippewa of the Thames First Nation near London, spent three years in the Ontario Hockey League with Belleville from the 1999-2000 season to the 2002-03 season, wearing the captain's C in his final year. The 6'2, 200-pound forward was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2001 NHL entry draft in the fifth round (142nd overall) and was signed in June 2003 by the Avs. At the age of 20, McCormick made the team out of training camp and is currently the youngest player on a squad whose roster reads like an all-star team.

Since the Avalanche relocated to Colorado from Quebec after the 1995 season, the team has won two Stanley cups (in 1996 and 2001) and earned eight consecutive division titles.

McCormick knew he had to be well prepared going into training camp with Colorado.

"I always told myself I was going to make the team. You go into a training camp thinking you're not going to make a hockey team, that's pretty useless on your behalf. You've got to go in there confident, and whatever happens happens."

His confidence paid off. He cracked the roster, playing his first NHL game versus the St. Louis Blues in Colorado.

"I was pretty nervous before the game. It was an accomplishment for sure, just to be able to say that I played in an NHL game."

He can also describe his first NHL goal in a 4-4 tie versus Minnesota in early November like he it happened yesterday. "The trainers mounted the puck for me with a little plaque. I've got it at home right now."

McCormick said there are a lot of veteran forwards he can learn from on the team: guys like Forsberg, Sakic, Selanne and Kariya. And as a 20-year-old rookie in the NHL, there are a lot of superstars he plays against.

So does he still get nervous before games?

"Not so much anymore, maybe earlier in the season. The first few games, I'd look at the jerseys and see the big names, but I'm used to it now. I'm part of the team and I just look at it as guys I have to play against, no matter who it is. It's part of my job."

Head coach Tony Granato said he likes what he sees in McCormick.

"I think he's added a lot of enthusiasm to the line-up. He's a solid two-way player; he's got a great future in front of him and he's got to keep developing and progressing and learning from the people that he has the luxury of playing with."

McCormick was playing junior hockey at this time last season. Now he's a regular on one of the best all around teams in the NHL, who are favoured to win another cup in June. What a difference a year makes....