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Monday 5 October, 1998
Tanguay makes Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche made their final cuts following Saturday night's exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tanguay is one of 24 players still with the team.
Colorado opens its NHL season against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday and Tanguay is likely to be there provided his agent Kent Hughes and the Avalanche agree on a contract by Wednesday's deadline.
Tanguay is too young to play in the American Hockey League. It's either the big club or major junior with the Halifax Mooseheads.
Tanguay wasn't celebrating Sunday. He still doesn't have a contract and knows he has to play well to extend his stay.
"The coaching staff hasn't told me anything and until that point I won't take anything for granted,' ' said Tanguay, six-feet and 185 pounds. "Hopefully, I will be staying up here as long as I can and, hopefully, I'll be staying up here for the next 15 or 16 years.
"All I know is what I saw in the (Rocky Mountain News) paper today. They are saying that I have beaten the odds. It doesn't mean anything.
"(Coach) Bob Hartley said in the article he's not going to keep me to sit in the stands all year, so I still have to prove myself and prove that I can play in the top three lines up here. If I can't do that, I'll probably be going back to junior. I still have a lot of things to do. I made a little step, but I still have a big one to make."
Young guns Chris Drury and Milan Hejduk also made the grade while rookies Scott Parker, Brad Larsen, Pascal Trepanier were assigned to Colorado's American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey.With five goals in eight exhibition games, Tanguay tied Drury and Hejduk for the team lead.
Colorado is likley to be down to 23 players after today's waiver draft.
Tanguay's success in earning a place among Colorado's final 24 has surprised a lot of people.
It was assumed Tanguay would get a good look at camp, but inevitably be returned to Halifax.
Surpassing expectations is nothing new for Tanguay, who made Canada's national junior team as a late invitee last season and went on to be one of the team's top players at the world championship.
"It's the exact same thing," said Tanguay, the first of Colorado's four first-round picks this past June.
"Before I left (for Colorado), everyone was talking to me about Halifax, how great of a team we're going to have this year with me back. I didn't want to say anything. People didn't expect me to come here and do like that. But I thought in my mind I could possibly do it.
"Right now, I'm just enjoying it as much as I can."
Colorado finished its preseason schedule with Saturday's 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Sunday was an off day and the team practises today before attending a luncheon to introduce the players to fans.
Hughes and Colorado assistant GM Francois Giguere began talks Friday with an initial offer from the Avalanche. Hughes plans to make a counter-offer today.
"If he's not going to be paid (what he's worth), he would return to junior hockey," Hughes said. "But we hope that's not what it comes to.
"They want him to start the year, so we can come to terms.
"They have issues in the form of four first-round picks to sign, but I'm confident we can get something done."
