Written by Amy K. Nelson
SportsTicker Staff Writer
Jared Aulin |
When he was sitting next to his boyhood idol in the locker room during training camp two years ago,
Jared Aulin knew he was in the right place.
The few days he spent on and off the ice with Joe Sakic and the Colorado Avalanche during the 2000-2001 preseason must have felt like a dream for the Calgary native.
The euphoria surrounding his first taste of life in the NHL, however, would be short lived.
On February 21, 2001 - less than a year after Colorado selected Aulin in the second round (47th overall) of the 2000 draft - the Avalanche packaged defenseman Aaron Miller and winger Adam Deadmarsh; a 2001 first-round pick; and a player to be named, to the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Rob Blake and forward Steve Reinprecht.
It was a blockbuster deal that helped the Avalanche win the 2001 Stanley Cup and the Kings reach the playoffs each of the last two seasons.
But it was Aulin whom the Kings choose as the player to be named within Colorado's crop of prospects.
"We picked Jared primarily because we feel he has the potential to be a top-six impact player in the NHL," said Kings' assistant general manager Kevin Gilmore. "Jared's learning the game and we view him as a top-end prospect. We're extremely happy to have him in the organization."
At the time of the deal, Aulin was enjoying his best season with the Kamloops Blazers in the Western Hockey League, finishing with 108 points in 70 games.
During his four years with the Blazers, Aulin made a name for himself by playing through injuries and racking up points while often centering the top line.
"I felt like I was in a position where someone else wanted me," Aulin said about being traded. "It also made it easier that way, knowing that (Colorado) didn't want to get rid of me."
Known as a versatile player with incredible vision and depth playmaking skills, Aulin has parlayed that natural talent into a solid rookie start with the Manchester Monarchs in the American Hockey League.
"I have supreme confidence when he has the puck in the other team's zone" said Monarchs' coach Bruce Boudreau. "He's got tremendous vision, I think that's one of his biggest assets. He knows what to do with the puck."
In his first year as a pro, the 6-0, 180-pound Aulin has five goals and nine assists in 22 games on a team loaded with young talent.
"I feel I'm pretty fortunate with my vision," said Aulin. "I feel most confident when I have the puck and I can create opportunities not only for myself, but for my linemates.
"When I have the puck, I can be very patient and wait for the right play."
Patience is what he will need - due to the parent club's depth at forward.
Current teammate Yanick Lehoux, another top prospect, is playing well in Manchester, and despite Los Angeles being plagued with injuries this season, namely Jason Allison and Deadmarsh, Aulin has only watched as first-year pros Mike Cammalleri and Alexander Frolov fill perspective roster spots.
Both Cammalleri, a former standout at the University of Michigan, and Aulin helped Team Canada earn a silver medal at the 2002 World Junior Championship.
Cammalleri lead the tournament with 11 points (7g, 4a) in seven games, and Aulin (5g, 4a) tied for second with nine.
But it is Aulin's versatility that could be his ticket and eventually, increase his worth.
This season Boudreau has played the 20-year-old at both pivot and wing while giving him increased time at quarterbacking the power play.
"I have confidence putting him in any position," said Boudreau. "That's because he's intelligent. He's a smart individual. The more he knows about every position in the game, the better he will be."
Adding experience to his resume can only help when management needs to fill a hole.
"You love seeing that in a kid," said Gilmore, "because he will work and do everything he needs to do so that when he does get a shot at the NHL level, he makes an impression and stays with the club."
Aulin's patience has also extended to the ice. He has stayed away from the dumb penalties this year, with only 10 penalty minutes in 22 games.
"Growing up I was always told not to retaliate," said Aulin. "So I kind of got used to getting slashed or hit from behind and not retaliating. It's paid off now, but at the same time, some people think I'm not greedy enough when I do that."
In juniors, defensive accountability was not preached and, like many offensively gifted players, Aulin was not asked to focus on his blue-line play. Boudreau feels it is necessary for the promising forward to recognize his responsibilities away from the puck.
"If I'm looking for a fault with Jared, it's that sometimes he is just gliding on the ice instead of just working his rear-end off all the time," he said. "We've had a talk about it and he's really conscientiously trying to do that.
"If he's working and skating for 20 minutes, then he's going to be in the NHL."
And then maybe someday, Aulin will get another chance to share the ice with his boyhood idol. Only next time, it will be on the other side of the puck.
